The Oregon State women's basketball program will being the season ranked #9 in the nation. The preseason USA Today/WBCA coaches poll was released today, and after starting last season ranked #21, the Beavers, already the unanimous pick to win the Pac-12, now have their highest pre-season ranking ever. The only other top-25 preseason pick was back in 1994.

Oregon State returns 4 starters from last year's 27-5 team that reached the NCAA second round for the second season in a row.

And the attention is helping for the future for the defending Pac-12 regular season champions. Head coach Scott Rueck has been the best recruiter on campus in rebuilding a program that had 1 returning player, and had to be populated with open tryout walkons when he took over, and next year looks to top this season, when the program's first ever 5 start recruit, Katie McWilliams signed on.

5 star point guard Mikayla Pivec, a 5'9" point guard from Lynnwood, WA, and the reigning Washington 3A player of the year, announced she plans to come to Corvallis after trying to lead her high school to a second consecutive state title.

She joins 4 star guard Katharine Tudor from St. Mary's High in Stockton, California, where Ali Gibson, the sole player who graduated from last year's team to a professional career, and 3 star forward Janessa Thropay from Chino High in Chino, California, who are already in the 2016 class.

The Beavers begin the season Sunday, November 8th, against Corban College at 3 PM.

Andy_Wooldridge@yahoo.com