Pac-10 report

Ricci out for year

Highly-touted JC transfer Philip Ricci will sit out the upcoming season after undergoing preseason arthroscopic knee surgery.

The 6-foot-8, 225-pound Ricci had been expected to at least compete for a starting spot after averaging 25 points and 10 rebounds in junior college. But after injuring the knee during preseason practices, he and coach Ritchie McKay decided it would be in his best interest to sit out the year.

"Philip and I have decided that it is in his best interest and the best interest of the program that he uses this season to redshirt," McKay said. "Philip has a desire to play this season, but it would be difficult for him to play at 100 percent."

Ricci was disappointed he wouldn't be able to compete this season.

"I just don't feel my knee is 100 percent, and I don't want it to hinder my playing ability for the entire year," Ricci said. "This is going to be a tough year on me, I have never missed a season, but in the long run it will be beneficial."

McKay hired to replace Payne

Oregon State athletic director Mitch Barnhart made it abundantly clear what he thought of his basketball team's season when he fired fifth-year coach Eddie Payne the day after it ended.

"I had high hopes we could finish strong and earn a trip to the NIT," Barnhart said. "I was hopeful a trip to the postseason and a solid recruiting year could get some momentum going, but it became apparent over the last week of the season that postseason play wasn't going to happen. ... We had a majority of the team returning that tasted some success last year, but this year they just couldn't get it done."

So Barnhart fired Payne and his staff. Payne went 52-88 in five years, and just 20-70 in Pac-10 games.

Enter McKay, the Colorado State coach with a rich Northwest background.

A Washington native who got Portland State's program off the ground before leaving for CSU a couple of years ago, McKay was fingered by Barnhart as just the guy to take over the program.

The hiring was something of a coup for the Beavers, as McKay is seen as one of the nation's hotter young coaches and turned down a chance to jump to the Pac-10 last season when he was offered the Washington State job that was eventually filled by Oklahoma State assistant Paul Graham.

The firing appeared to catch Payne by surprise. He had said after the season-ending loss at Oregon that he expected to be back and mentioned going on a recruiting trip later in the week.

So Payne filed notice on June 2 that he intended to sue OSU for $2.4 million, claiming the school refused to extend certain contract benefits after he had been dismissed.

Payne settled his contract dispute on June 16, collecting $195,000 for his troubles.

A glance at 2001

McKay steps into a pretty good situation with four starters expected to return. Tanner, Steinthal and Heide will all be seniors and should be ready for break-out seasons. Plus, Jackson will have a year of experience as well as a summer of weight-lifting to add some bulk to his 240-pound frame. Talented backup guard Jimmie Haywood also returns.

This is a team that could do some damage in the Pac-10 next season. Still, many will wonder if the man who built this team shouldn't have gotten one last chance to see it all through.

The coach

In McKay, the Beavers have an up-and-comer who knows a thing or two about recruiting the West. Before leaving for Colorado State, McKay was the head coach at Portland State after serving as an assistant at Washington.

He also knows how to get teams into the postseason. He took CSU to the NIT in his first season at Fort Collins and just missed another this season.

The Beavers wouldn't be terribly excited by an NIT bid, but if McKay could do it in Fort Collins, he can go a step or two further with the Beavers.

Who'll be back

Deaundra Tanner, Josh Steinthal, Jason Heide and Brian Jackson are returning full-time starters.

The Beavers will need to fill the other forward slot, but Payne was hoping JC transfer James Jones, who redshirted this season, could do that job. Also back is sophomore guard Adam Masten, a decent shooter who had some solid moments late in the season.

Who's gone

Clifton Jones will be missed the most. He averaged 5.7 rebounds and 1.07 blocked shots, and in the games Heide missed or was ineffective, Jones was OSU's most intimidating presence inside.

Guard Ramunas Petratis, a sometime starter as a senior, also departs. Petratis had been a starter as a junior and his struggles this season didn't help Payne. He was hardly used at times late in the season.

Also gone are center George Von Backstrom, who never lived up to his potential, forward Iyan Walker, whose career was curtailed by injuries, and walk-on guard Josiah Lake, who was never more than a bit player.

Key newcomers

• F James Jones (6-5, 220): A JC transfer who redshirted this season and could have a big impact quickly.
• C Derek Potter (6-11): The only player signed by the Beavers in the early period, he has been considered something of a project in recruiting circles.

Schedule