Duo predicts a change in fortune next season

By Cliff Kirkpatrick
Gazette-Times Reporter

Lathen Wallace describes sitting and watching as the most difficult situation of his career, while C.J. Giles knows his time will come so he remains patient.

It’s still not easy.

That’s the life of the two redshirt players on the Oregon State men’s basketball team. They are sitting out this season and can only cheer on the Beavers as they head into their final home games tonight with Washington and Saturday against Washington State.

Both predict a change in direction for the program next season once they can contribute and with the addition of four new recruits.

“We are going to have a lot more athleticism next season,” Giles said. “We’ll have a lot more guys who can get up and down, and we’ll want to push the ball with guys who can jump out of the gym. We’ll have more guys who are more athletic. I’m so eager, but I have to take it on a day-by-day basis.”

Giles is a 6-foot-11, 240-pound walk-on center from Seattle. He was a four-star recruit out of Rainier Beach High before heading to Kansas.

There were two rocky seasons with the Jayhawks before he was dismissed for behavioral issues. Giles wanted a second chance even if he had to pay his own way, so coach Jay John gave him one.

“C.J. allows us to change the playbook,” John said. “He allows us more of what I wanted to do when I got the job, and that is being a more extended defense and do more things consistently. You have someone protecting the basket. If they break your pressure, they have to get to the basket with a big-time shot blocker. He can get easy baskets and easy baskets are good to have.”

Giles won’t be eligible until Dec. 8, sitting out a year after his transfer, according to NCAA rules. He’ll be a junior next season.

John is reworking his nonconference schedule to move games back so Giles won’t miss many contests. There will be an exhibition placed in the middle of the schedule so he has a non-counting game to warm up.

“It’s tough, but I just have to look forward to the future,” Giles said of watching the team play. “My time will come eventually. All I can do is try and go as hard as I can in practice and make everyone better. I want to work on my character and school. I want to work on my offensive game.”

Not only does Giles bring his lean height, he’s also athletic, with the quickness of a guard. He has the ability to jump over people that the Beavers haven’t had in recent years.

John believes he can be a go-to player inside at the end of a shot clock, similar to what David Lucas did for the team in the 2004-05 season when OSU went to the National Invitation Tournament.

“I bring energy to the team,” Giles said. “I’ll be a lot more vocal. We’ll be a little more organized on the court. I’ll be a guy who’ll be a leader.”

So far it has been an easy adjustment. Corvallis reminds Giles of Lawrence, Kan. However, being close to his family in the Northwest helps him with moral support.

The time away from the grind of basketball allows him to focus on academics, learn OSU’s system and remember how much he misses the game.

“It is going really well,” Giles said. “The team is really close. We are all worried about making each other better in practice and outside of practice we are together, building that team chemistry for next year. I’m learning the system, but I’m on the scout team. I’m doing what I can do to get the guys ready.”

Wallace’s situation is much different. The 6-3, 200-pound freshman was recruited out of Portland’s Jefferson High. He was a first-team all-state guard with a nice shooting touch.

After five games the decision to redshirt was made. Wallace was overwhelmed with school, learning a college system and the need for a defensive game. He couldn’t show off his talents with so much on his mind.

“I feel like I’m developing as well as any other (shooting) guard on the team,” Wallace said. “And I’m looking forward to playing next year. It’s been very hard to watch. It’s the hardest thing I’ve done. To see other people playing and me not playing is very hard. I don’t know how I’m doing it, but it’s best for me right now.”

When fall term finals were over Wallace began to excel in practice, as the Beavers struggled shooting. There were a few times John and Wallace talked about foregoing the redshirt season and playing. There was one game he suited up.

John was about to put him in the final three minutes of a nonconference game to see what he could do, but Wallace changed his mind. He didn’t want to waste a season for limited playing time, while John wanted to ease him into the season.

“He consistently makes shots in practice, penetrates and finishes at the basket,” John said. “He’s a shot-maker. He has the ability to shoot it from deep and mid-range and to go to the basket and finish at the basket. Those are things he can bring to us next year. And we’ve had trouble having a consistent outside shooting game.”

Wallace believes he can open up the game for others with his shooting. And he can be an effective defender after this season of work.

His goal is to be the person the team looks to on the perimeter, while Giles is the inside go-to guy.

It’s just a long wait to see if it can happen.

“I think it’s going to be exciting,” Wallace said of next season. “C.J. is a great player and I like playing with great players. It’s going to be a good year next year, way better than this year.”