The Next Five: Oregon State Basketball’s Main Targets In The 2019 Class

Despite Wayne Tinkle’s best efforts to make a eleventh-hour assembly of the 2018 basketball recruiting class, there’s no time like the present to begin to look ahead to what the Beavers could have heading their way for the 2019 haul. With one verbal commit already in tow in 6’ 4”, California-based guard Julien Franklin, Tinkle currently has five other active offers out there to potential recruits. Here’s a look at each prospect on Tinkle’s current radar.

Ethan Anderson (Fairfax High School/Los Angeles, CA)

Offers: Cal State-Northridge, Colorado, Denver, Long Beach State, Nevada, Tulane, UNLV

A stocky yet shifty guard, Anderson’s size has held him back from too much interest from more power conference schools, as he’s a serious below-the-rim player. Anderson has a solid mid-range game (which plays into his occasional throwback style), yet he still has a habit of over-dribbling and trying too hard to make plays at times. Yet, with his upside, he would be a strong get for a program like the Beavers, who have been susceptible to guard depth at times.

P.J. Fuller (Garfield High School/Seattle, WA)

Offers: Arizona, Arizona State, California, Florida State, Montana, Providence, Tennessee, Texas A&M, UNLV, USC, UT-San Antonio, Washington

By the time Fuller hits his senior season, the ridiculously athletic combo-guard could bloom into a five-star recruit, which would be unprecedented territory for Oregon State in terms of basketball recruiting. The program has never landed a five-star prospect and Tinkle getting a talent like Fuller could take his name away from swaying near the hot-seat. However, to do that, he’ll have to beat out just about every other power conference program, including a host of Pac-12 squads.

Jarod Lucas (Los Altos High School/Hacienda Heights, CA)

Offers: Albany, Cal State-Northridge, Fresno State, Hawaii, Montana, Nevada, Santa Clara, Tulane, Tulsa, UC-Irvine, UNLV, Utah Valley

Jarod Lucas wouldn’t be considered the quickest or most agile guard in the 2019 class, but there’s something about his “slo-mo” (as a compliment) style that seems to make him a hard-to-guard type of talent. I’d like to see Lucas defend more in one-on-one situations before I comment about his defensive abilities so we’ll say the jury is still out on that end of the floor. On the offensive end though, Lucas’ effortless game could find a successful home in Corvallis.

Orlando Robinson Jr. (Middlebrooks Academy/Las Vegas, NV)

Narrowed List (5/24/18): Boise State, Fresno State, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Oregon State

Oregon State made the list of Orlando Robinson Jr’s top-five schools, which is a big deal for a 6’ 10” forward, who may be one of the classes’ better late-bloomers. Per Jerry Meyer of 24/7 Sports, Robinson is “a bouncy 6-10, 210-pound post player...(who) needs to improve his strength to become a better rebounder but the future is bright”. If the Beavers could secure his services, Oregon State may have grabbed themselves a steal who commits before the hype around him grows.

Jonathan Salazar (St. John Bosco High School/Bellflower, CA)

Offers: California Baptist, Cal State-Northridge, Colorado, Pacific, Pepperdine, UC-Santa Barbara, Utah Valley, UTEP

Besides the aforementioned P.J. Fuller, there’s no player I’d really prefer Oregon State to land from this list than Jonathan Salazar, as he could be just the type of bruising forward needed to add more grit to the Beavers frontcourt. Remember now, by the time the 2019 class hits campus, it’s doubtful that Tres Tinkle will still be around and the team’s resident tough-guy in Gligorije Rakocevic will also be gone. Salazar could fill that void for Oregon State.