Five players leave men's basketball team

Junior forward Sasa Cuic tops list of players not returning for next season

By: The Daily Barometer

Posted: 4/11/07

Oregon State men's basketball coach Jay John announced Tuesday that five players will not be returning for next season. Junior Sasa Cuic has decided to start a professional career. Juniors Angelo Tsagarakis and Liam Hughes will graduate and then transfer to play their final years at other schools. Junior Wesley Washington did not meet eligibility standards and did not enroll for spring quarter. Freshman Vojin Svilar has elected to return to his native Serbia.

Both Hughes and Tsagarakis will leave Oregon State after earning their degrees this spring. They both expect to transfer to NCAA Division-II schools, which would allow them to play right away. A rule allowing graduated players to transfer to other NCAA Division-I schools without penalty was recently rescinded.

"These five players gave us varying levels of production this past season," John said. "Sasa felt it was time to turn pro, and we are supportive of his decision. Sasa is a fantastic shooter, and he shouldn't have a problem making a successful career for himself somewhere. It's great that Angelo and Liam have been able to graduate in four years. They weren't able to get the playing time that they would have liked recently, and they want their last year in college to be at a place where they can play a lot of minutes. We wish them well, and we're doing whatever we can to help them make their next step. Wesley's situation is difficult, and it's unfortunate that his career is ending this way. We offered Vojin the opportunity to return on scholarship, but he has decided to go home.

"The look of next year's team will be very different, though I really like where we are headed. Our returning group is still very strong, and the newcomers that will be added to the mix will give us an exceptional group of basketball players. I am really looking forward to next season."

Cuic, a 6-foot-10 forward from Rijeka, Croatia, became the 33rd career 1,000-point scorer in Oregon State history this past season. A prolific long-range shooter, he ended his three-year stint in third place on OSU's career three-point percentage list (38.7 percent) and ninth in both three-pointers made (105) and attempted (271). Cuic's best season was his sophomore year in 2005-06, as he averaged a team-high 13.5 points and led the Pac-10 in three-point percentage (49.3 percent). His scoring average dropped to 11.6 points this season.

For Cuic, who indicated that he would place his name on the early-entry list for the NBA Draft, is currently in his native Croatia. He expects to return to the U.S. in a couple of weeks.

"I feel the time is right for me to start my professional career," Cuic said. "I'm 23 years old. I'm in a good position to leave here as a better player. I've talked to the coaches a lot about it, and I just feel it's time to move on. I'm very grateful to the coaching staff for the opportunity they gave me."

Tsagarakis, a 6-foot-3 shooting guard from Auffreville, France, became a crowd favorite early in his career, as his long-range prowess enabled him to set the school record for three-pointers by a freshman with 45 in 2003-04. However, he missed the 2004-05 season with a shoulder injury and struggled to recapture his early form, as he made just nine three-pointers as a sophomore and 18 this past season as a junior. In 2006-07, he averaged 9.8 minutes and 2.8 points in 28 games. Tsagarakis will graduate this spring with a degree in international business.

"It's very special to me that I will graduate from Oregon State and leave with my degree in international business," Tsagarakis said. "I've had a great all-around experience at Oregon State. I've met amazing people. I love the campus and love the community. I'm very appreciative of Beaver Nation and the fans that have always been supportive of me throughout my four years.

At 7-foot-3, Hughes (Hullbridge, England) was the biggest player in the Pac-10 this past season and was tied as the tallest player in school history. He came in as a project and unfortunately couldn't ever quite crack OSU's rotation. He played in only three games as a 2006-07 junior. Over the past three seasons, he played in 21 games, averaging 3.7 points, 0.9 points and 1.2 rebounds. Hughes will graduate this spring with a degree in exercise and sport science.

Washington (Long Beach, Calif.), a 6-foot-3 guard, was a two-year player for the Beavers after transferring from Compton Community College. He helped take over point guard duties his first season and was the starting offguard this past year. In 2006-07, he started 22 of 30 games and averaged 23.1 minutes, 6.1 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.5 assists.

Svilar, a 6-foot-2 guard from Smederevo, Serbia, was a late addition to the Beavers' roster in 2006-07. As a backup point guard, he appeared in 15 games and averaged 6.3 minutes and 1.5 points.

A new letter-of-intent signing period began Tuesday, and the Beavers expect to announce an additional recruit this week.