The Civil War hasn’t been much of a competition in women’s basketball for the past four years.
Oregon State has won the last seven contests — the Ducks last won on Jan. 23, 2011. But things could change with Kelly Graves now at the helm at Oregon.
The Beavers, coached by Scott Rueck, started off their 2014-15 season winning their first 10 games in a row, including a win against North Carolina on the road.
This Friday in Corvallis and Sunday in Eugene, the Beavers and the Ducks will square off once again. The Ducks currently lead the series all-time at 59-33.
Cindy Brunson, a women’s basketball analyst for the Pac-12 Network, said that the divide between Oregon and Oregon State is likely to narrow in the coming years as Graves and his staff begin to recruit talent that fits their new style of play.
“I love the direction Oregon State is going,” Brunson said. “They’re really the team to beat as we start Pac-12 play. Oregon is on the up-and-up despite the fact that Graves hit campus and immediately lost Chrishae Rowe, your leading scorer a year ago.”
Brunson said that she has seen a trend both nationally and in the Pac-12 of coaches going back to their roots and coaching at schools they either graduated from or have ties to.
Rueck received a contract extension before this season that will keep him in Corvallis through the 2019-20 season. The Beavers finished with 24 wins last year, matching a school record.
“Obviously I’m very grateful,” Rueck told reporters after receiving his extension. “This is a place I love. This is a place I want to be, I love being. I think we can do big things here, and it just says that our administration believes in what we’re doing. So it’s a vote of confidence.”
Graves signed a six-year contract that will keep him with the Ducks through the 2019-20 season, as well.
“From the time I first got into coaching, this was the dream,” Graves said in April at his introductory press conference. “I’m an Oregon guy. Oregon is part of who I am. That’s where I met my wife. She’s from Portland and family is really important to us. We bought our first home in Oregon.”
Separated by just 41 miles, Oregon and Oregon State have a lot to gain from winning, from a recruiting standpoint.
“I think (Graves) can really make a splash and put Oregon women’s basketball on par with Oregon football as far as being in the national limelight,” Brunson said.
When hiring his first coaching staff, Graves selected former Oregon State assistant Mark Campbell. He was instrumental in helping the Beavers recruit well and climb the national ranks.
“I think Mark is one of the best coaches on the West Coast,” Graves said in release last spring.
When the two teams hit the court for back-to-back games, it will be the 93rd and 94th meetings.
Between them, the two coaches have more than 700 NCAA wins in their careers.
“Rueck has really energized Corvallis and around the state about Oregon State basketball, the attendance record demonstrates that,” Brunson said. “That’s going to be tough for Graves to compete with, but he can do it. He’s got the Oregon machine behind him. All he has to do is exert a little of elbow grease and get in there.”
Follow Jonathan Hawthorne on Twitter @Jon_Hawthorne
