[2006alum]

They do have some impressive young talent and if they can keep that core together and improve their guard play they'll be formidable in the PAC-12.

Agreed.  However, Rueck, for some reason I cannot fathom, has had a tough time keeping his players over the last few years.  Imagine how they would be over the last couple of years if Destiny Slocum, Sasha Goforth, Taylor Jones, and Kennedy Brown had not all transferred.  Rueck has shown himself to be a capable coach and he seems like he cares about his players.  Is it just Corvallis?

In fairness to Rueck, some of these out transfers deserve asterisks. Slocum had transferred in previously from Maryland, had been heavily recruited by Mike Neighbors out of HS (who himself left Washington for Arkansas just as she was transferring from Maryland), and left when her classmates had graduated, and right as the COVID lockdowns began.

Goforth, meanwhile, had developed a debilitating chronic stomach disease her senior year of HS after she committed to OSU, transferred back home to Arkansas in hopes that being closer to home would ease her symptoms, and then medically retired from the sport a year later when they didn't abate.

I'm less certain about Jones and Brown, but both spent three years in Corvallis, and each had to take a medical red-shirt year, so they hardly decamped at the first opportunity. I agree that his recent retention record is pockmarked, but to me the transfers out were less troubling when you know the specific facts of each case. That's especially true compared to, say, his neighbor down in Eugene, who has seemed to have constant churn in and out since Ionescu et al. graduated, to say nothing of Barnes in Tucson, which has had nearly two full roster turnovers since they came one point from a national championship a mere two seasons ago.

[2006alum]

They do have some impressive young talent and if they can keep that core together and improve their guard play they'll be formidable in the PAC-12.

Agreed.  However, Rueck, for some reason I cannot fathom, has had a tough time keeping his players over the last few years.  Imagine how they would be over the last couple of years if Destiny Slocum, Sasha Goforth, Taylor Jones, and Kennedy Brown had not all transferred.  Rueck has shown himself to be a capable coach and he seems like he cares about his players.  Is it just Corvallis?

In fairness to Rueck, some of these out transfers deserve asterisks. Slocum had transferred in previously from Maryland, had been heavily recruited by Mike Neighbors out of HS (who himself left Washington for Arkansas just as she was transferring from Maryland), and left when her classmates had graduated, and right as the COVID lockdowns began.

Goforth, meanwhile, had developed a debilitating chronic stomach disease her senior year of HS after she committed to OSU, transferred back home to Arkansas in hopes that being closer to home would ease her symptoms, and then medically retired from the sport a year later when they didn't abate.

I'm less certain about Jones and Brown, but both spent three years in Corvallis, and each had to take a medical red-shirt year, so they hardly decamped at the first opportunity. I agree that his recent retention record is pockmarked, but to me the transfers out were less troubling when you know the specific facts of each case. That's especially true compared to, say, his neighbor down in Eugene, who has seemed to have constant churn in and out since Ionescu et al. graduated, to say nothing of Barnes in Tucson, which has had nearly two full roster turnovers since they came one point from a national championship a mere two seasons ago.