After an impressive 2017-18 season that culminated with an Elite Eight appearance, the preseason No. 8 Oregon State women's basketball team figures to be right back in the mix for a Pac-12 championship and another deep postseason run under ninth year head coach Scott Rueck.

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No. 21 Marie Gülich 6’5 C

No. 25 Taylor Kalmer 5'8 G - Transfer

Spin-> Continuity is a big strength for the Oregon State women's basketball team heading into the season and that's largely due to losing just two players from last seasons Elite Eight squad. The loss of the do-it-all center Gülich certainly stings as she was one of the most productive post players in NCAA women's basketball. Her 17 points and nine rebounds on a nightly basis will be one biggest holes that Rueck and Co. must address heading into the 2018-19 season. Kalmer, who transferred to San Diego State in the offseason, struggled to consistently crack the Beavers deep guard rotation during her three seasons in Corvallis.

No. 0 Mikayla Pivec 5'10 Jr. G

The Beavers' swiss army knife Mikayla Pivec returns for her junior season in a different role than she was a year ago. After breaking into the starting lineup as a shooting-guard and thriving next to point-guard Sydney Wiese two seasons ago, Pivec was forced to become the Beavers' primary ball-handler last season as the team didn't have an established point-presence. With a positive-mindset and a lot of diligent hard work that certainly came with a steep learning-curve, Pivec emerged as a much more dynamic and all-around player thanks to the expectations that she knew she needed to fulfill. Pivec averaged 11 points, seven rebounds, and nearly five assists per game in her sophomore season and figures to be in a bigger scoring role this season as she transitions back to more off-ball play with Slocum in the fold.

No. 1 Aleah Goodman 5'9 So. G

One of the most most intriguing pieces of Oregon State's young core is Aleah Goodman.The Oregonian native and La Salle Prep prospect might be the Beavers' most talented combo-guard. Goodman has some of the best handles in the Pac-12 and her three-point shooting stroke may be just as impressive if not slightly better than that of fellow teammate Kat Tudor. Goodman knocked down 46 percent of her three's a season ago, and while she attempted nearly 100 fewer that Tudor, Goodman became more comfortable in Rueck's system as the season went on. She hardly looked like a freshman by the end of the season as she was knocking down crucial shots and running the point effectively in the postseason. While Slocum figures to be the starting point, look out for Goodman, who's certainly going to be getting a lot of playing time this season.

No. 3 Madison Washington 6'1 Jr. F

After playing sparingly in her freshman season, Washington cracked the Beavers' rotation with regularity in 2017-18, appearing in 33 contests. Washington hasn't been able to carve out a consistent offensive game on the court last season, but made her living as a solid defender that could guard multiple-positions. If her offensive game improves, I could see Washington getting solid minutes this season as she's a trusted upperclassmen presence who can space the floor.

No. 5 Taya Corosdale 6’3 So. F

Taya Corosdale might have had the most quietly impressive freshman season that didn't get enough attention as the Beavers have the makings of a very good player in Corosdale. The former four-star recruit became an every-game starter at power-forward for the Beavers early last season. Corosdale put up 6.8 points and 4.2 rebounds per game while knocking down 43 percent of her field goal attempts and 36 percent from three. She quickly helped alleviate the loss of Breanna Brown and Kolbie Orum from the prior season and will be counted on to deliver again in her sophomore season with the loss of Gülich.

No. 10 Katie McWilliams 6’2 Sr. G

Perhaps the Beavers collective glue this season, McWilliams enters her senior season as the Beavers' lone four year player as the only other senior status player is Joanna Grymek. Even with strong leadership from Pivec and Slocum, McWilliams is the veteran presence that the Beavers will rely on this season. McWilliams has worn many hats during her time as a Beaver, with stints at point guard, shooting guard, and small forward. Like Pivec, McWilliams excels at doing a little-bit of everything right, but the most impressive part of her game is her three-and-D ability. McWilliams is a very good three-point shooter at 44 percent and her 6-foot-2 frame gives her a leg up defensively on a lot of guards in the Pac-12. Look for McWilliams to take on the increased leadership and responsibility this season on and off the court just as Gülich did as the lone senior a season ago.

No. 11 Joanna Grymek 6'8 Sr. C

When word got out two offseason ago that the Beavers were bringing a 6-foot-8 player to Corvallis, eyebrows were immediately raised... I mean, it's not everyday that you see 6-foot-8 in women's basketball, but nevertheless Rueck and his staff managed to secure the services of one of the tallest players in the game. While Grymek struggled early in acclimating from the speed and rhythm of the Pac-12 and division one as a former JUCO transfer, she's poised to have a much bigger impact this season. Rueck and his coaches have had a very impressive track record of developing bigs who struggled early in their career (see Ruth Hamblin, Gülich, Breanna Brown, Kolbie Orum) but finished their respective careers playing at very high levels.

No. 22 Kat Tudor 6’0 Jr. G

The former just three-point specialist, Tudor has developed into quite a different player than she was when she came to Corvallis. She joined a very talented Sweet Sixteen bound Beavers team in 2016-17 with the likes of Sydney Wiese, Gabby Hanson, and was quickly known for her lightning quick and precise three-point shooting stroke. Since then, Tudor has steadily developed into one of the most intriguing two-way players in the Pac-12. Her on-ball defense and lateral-quickness make her a reliable defender while her offensive game outside of shooting the three continues to grow. Heading into her junior season, Tudor is poised to have a very good season.

No. 13 Janessa Thropay 6’2 Jr. F

With a massive front court production void needing to be filled with the loss of Gülich, it's possible that Thropay could see some minutes early in her junior campaign to see what she can do with extended time on the court, but with promising newcomers in the front court and established stretch-four presences in Corosdale and Washington, it could be tough for Thropay to see extended action.

No. 2 Andrea Aquino 6’9 Fr. F

No. 24 Destiny Slocum 5'7 So. G

No. 32 Patricia Morris 6'7 Fr. F

No. 43 Jasmine Simmons 5'11 Fr. G

Spin-> Even without counting Destiny Slocum, this might be Rueck's best incoming class of players that he's had at Oregon State. When you add in the 2016-17 National Freshman of the Year in Slocum, it definitely becomes the most infusion of talent that Rueck has had in one offseason. Simply put, now that the Beavers are becoming a national power, they're going to get big time recruits, and that's just what they did this offseason.

In addition to Slocum, who's eligible this season after sitting out 17-18, Rueck and Co. are welcoming in the highest rated player to ever sign with the program in Andrea Aquino (No. 7 in the 2018 class). A pair of three-star recruits Patricia Morris and Jasmine Simmons round out the final two newcomers to the Beavers' rotation and both have very promising upsides. Simmons has a tougher road to immediate playing time with the Beavers' bevy of guards, but has the makings of being a very good player. Morris could be a dark horse for playing time because the OSU front court rotation is still settling as the team transitions from the loss of Gülich.

Scott Rueck on expectations

"You cannot predict success...how many games will we win? Who knows. Of course we want to be a tournament team, but this team needs to reach its potential. A year ago, we played our best basketball in March and that's my goal again this year. We have to develop great leadership and I feel like we already have the makings of that. We also need to be a tight-knit group, that gets better everyday. That's what I base my opinion of success on and if that happens and we're playing our best in the end, we've been successful."

Rueck on having a bevy of options

"This team is so versatile. We have eight players who in my opinion have earned a starting spot... What do you do with that? It's a tough spot to be, but it's a great spot to be. I like the versatility of our team and it's a strength of ours we've talked about as a team. I don't think if i've ever had a team with this much versatility."

Rueck on having the ability to play an up-tempo game with this years' personnel

"I want us to run all the time... who doesn't want layups? That comes with personnel and you've got to have the right players to be able to run up and down the floor. It starts with the defense, it starts with the outlet steal, and then it starts with a commitment to getting out and running the floor and then it's all about executing it. When you have the ball-handling ability that we do, you should be able to play fast and slow. Great teams can play every speed well."

Kat Tudor on the Beavers' up-tempo pace

"This offseason we've been focusing on conditioning and now we know why we were. Destiny (Slocum) is an up-tempo point-guard and that's going to be great for our team this season. It's so fun to play an up-and-down style. Running the court is what we all love to do and given that we're all so tall, long, and athletic, it adds an extra bonus on offense.

Katie McWilliams on being named a co-captain along with Pivec

"I've taken on the role of being a leader a little more every year and obviously being a captain, I want to be able to be that leader for this team. I want to be that person that speaks up and says whatever is needed for the team.. especially if we're facing adversity in a game or a practice or if the team is not having the best day. I want to be a bigger role model, have a voice and lead by example."

Destiny Slocum on team chemistry

"We gel really well and we've gelled very since last year and now being able to be on the floor together, we can finally put everything into effect."

Slocum on finally making her semi OSU debut in the exhibition

"It's going to be exciting. It was good to get the jitters out in Gill and finally playing their was amazing. I can't wait for the season to get started."

Mikayla Pivec on personal expectations and expectations for the team

"This year my expectation for myself is to be more vocal. A lot of times in the past, I've led by example, but now I want to be a vocal leader and lead by example because I know I've got wisdom and experience from the last two years that I want to share with others. For the team, we have a lot of people returning but we have players growing in new roles, so have to emphasize playing together and as a team."

Tudor on keeping the defensive pressure at a high level

"It's always a challenge to get that defensive status up... especially for coach Rueck. Scott's a big defensive guy and we know that. We come everyday with the mindset of defense first, and it's always defense first. Losing Marie (Gülich) was a big part of that too because she controlled the back end of the defense. I don't think we'll have a problem replacing that this season, but we'll need to keep working as a team to get there."

G- Destiny Slocum

G-Mikayla Pivec

G- Katie McWilliams

F- Taya Corosdale

C- Joanna Grymek

Record of (26-4, 15-3): 2nd in Pac-12