CORVALLIS – Oregon State men’s basketball coach Wayne Tinkle has made two prominent commitments to forward Michael Rataj during his college career.
The first came when Rataj was a high school senior living in Germany. Come help us rebuild this program and its culture, Tinkle told prep stars Jordan Pope, Tyler Bilodeau and Rataj, and you’ll reap the rewards as college juniors and seniors.
Bilodeau and Pope stayed two years then bolted for higher profile programs UCLA and Texas. Days after the 2023-24 season ended last March, Tinkle made a second pledge to Rataj, essentially doubling down on his earlier commitment.
“I think what he wanted to hear was that we were going to be able to replace those guys and have the success that we told them we would have when he was a junior and senior,” Tinkle said.
Rataj listened, stayed and flourished.
Rataj is the top scorer and leader of an Oregon State team that, at 17-7 following Thursday’s 82-74 win over Washington State, has the program’s best record through 23 games in 10 years. Tinkle and his staff found replacements for Pope and Bilodeau, and others that have strengthened the roster.
Those postseason conversations Tinkle had with players last March were difficult and painful. In the end, though, Tinkle thought he won the day by convincing Rataj to stay.
“It was huge,” Tinkle said. “As dark as that day was when a couple of the other guys said that they were out, he was the key. Because out of that group, his personality, his demeanor, the respect that guys had for him, we knew he would be a guy we could really build around.”
Once Tinkle backed up his promise to Rataj, the 6-foot-9 forward was all-in as a Beaver.
“I really appreciate coach for giving me a chance, playing me, trusting in me. I feel like I had to pay him back and show respect,” Rataj said. “I also love Corvallis. I love the people, how everybody treats me here. I just wanted to stay here.”
There’s a misperception Rataj stayed at Oregon State because he’s ineligible for name, image and likeness (NIL) dough due to his international status. There are NIL limitations for international athletes, but they’re eligible in certain situations. The eight OSU men’s basketball international players this season, including Rataj, earn money through Oregon State’s collective, Dam Nation.
Rataj grew up in Augsburg, Germany, where he lived his entire childhood. His parents, Lawrence and Beate, encouraged Rataj to dive into all the sports. Rataj was into swimming and track & field for much of his youth. Rataj says when he was a pre-teen, he was one of the fastest runners in southern Germany.
Eventually Rataj gave up all the sports for basketball, and not necessarily because of his size.
“I liked basketball more,” he said.
Rataj played with various clubs, with ambition to play college basketball in the United States. OSU assistant coach Marlon Stewart got wind of Rataj, watched and became interested. It eventually led to an offer and a commitment from Rataj. The only thing Rataj knew about Oregon State was its 2021 Elite Eight run and the Pac-12’s reputation as a solid basketball conference.
School was important to Rataj, too, as he’s getting a degree in biosciences. He developed an interest in biology and chemistry while in high school.
Rataj was at the right place at the right time with Oregon State. The Beavers were coming off the worst season in school history at 3-28. Tinkle decided he was going to go young and rebuild the program’s culture. Tinkle signed a half-dozen freshmen for the 2022-23 season, and gave them plenty of opportunities. Rataj played in 32 games, starting 16 times, and was fourth on the team in minutes played.
“He got to play through a lot of mistakes,” Tinkle said.
Rataj suffered a setback during the summer before his sophomore season when he had to have surgery on a shin. Though Rataj averaged 8.3 points and 5.8 rebounds that season, Tinkle believes he was never 100%
“Everybody asks about his jump from a year ago to this year, and I think a lot of it has to do with him being healthy,” Tinkle said.
Rataj’s “jump” has propelled him into a discussion for WCC player of the year. He’s averaging 18 points and 7.8 rebounds a game, with seven double-doubles. He has failed to score at least 10 points once in 24 games. Rataj scored a career-high 29 points against Gonzaga on January 16, only to top it with 30 points nine days later against Santa Clara.
“Obviously I’m confident, and think I’m probably one of the better players in the WCC,” Rataj said. “But all the awards and stuff, I don’t think about that much. We’re just trying to win games. If I end up winning an award, I feel like that’s a team award, because it shows what we built.”
At his current pace, Rataj should become Oregon State’s 44th player to score 1,000 career points late this season.
Rataj has shown growth throughout his junior season. Early in the year, Rataj had too many turnovers. But he’s improved in that area, while maintaining an aggressive approach in driving to the basket.
Tinkle sees Rataj expanding his offensive game before his Oregon State tenure ends, particularly with his back to the basket. Rataj believes he needs to become a better passer and make better decisions during key situations in games.
“I feel like I play a little too selfish in situations, where I should find my teammates. Being a better passer and creator in certain situations will help my game,” he said.
—Nick Daschel can be reached at 360-607-4824, ndaschel@oregonian.com or @nickdaschel.
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