Oregon State MBB Trio Named to All-Conference Teams
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No matter what happens this weekend, the Oregon State men’s basketball team played a season worth celebrating.
Ahead of this week’s West Coast Conference Tournament in Las Vegas, the conference has announced it’s All Conference Teams. Three Beavers made the cut: Michael Rataj, Parsa Falah, and Nate Kingz.
Michael Rataj, the 6’9” junior wing from Augsburg, Germany - thirty miles from Munich - was named WCC 1st Team All Conference. Over the course of the season, Rataj collected career highs in points (30 vs Santa Clara on January 25th), shots made (12 vs Portland on December 30th), blocks (4 vs Pepperdine on January 23rd), steals (5 vs Loyola Marymount on January 2nd) and more.
Parsa Fallah, the 6’9” transfer forward from Iran by way of Southern Utah, was named WCC 2nd Team All Conference. Fallah made a positive impact from his first minutes with the orange & black. Over the year, he led the Beavers in total rebounds (150), rebounds per game, and field goal percentage (57%).
Nate Kingz was named WCC Honorable Mention. Kingz' story is one to remember. Growing up in Salem, he played for McNary HS in nearby Keizer, then spent seasons at Westmont (NAIA) and College of Southern Idaho (juco) before transferring to Oregon State ahead of the 2023-24 season. Before he could suit up in a game, he suffered a season-ending ACL injury. With last season’s trauma behind him, Kingz thrived as a two-way wing in Wayne Tinkle’s system, best exemplified by his performance on January 16th against Gonzaga: Kingz swished 5-of-6 from beyond the arc, snagged 2 blocks, and swiped 3 steals.
Rataj, Fallah, and Kingz will lead Oregon State into battle Saturday night in the third round of the West Coast Conference Tournament, where they will face the winner of Friday night’s second round game between Pepperdine and Portland. The game will stream on ESPN+ and air over the radio via the Beavers Sports Network from Learfield.
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Matt fell in love with radio during his college days at Oregon Tech, and pursued a nine year career in sports broadcasting with Klamath Falls' and Medford's highest-rated sports radio stations. He currently lives in McMinnville wine country and is excited to talk about the Beavers again.