By Jackson Posey | Sports Writer
Baylor men’s basketball secured its first transfer portal addition of the offseason Monday, earning a commitment from Oregon State forward Michael Rataj.
Rataj, a 6-foot-9, 220-pound senior, led the Beavers in points (16.9 per game), rebounds (7.2) and steals (1.6) on 48.4/35.1/78.8 shooting splits. He earned First Team All-West Coast Conference honors while leading Oregon State to a fifth-place finish in its first season playing in the WCC.
It was a breakout season for Rataj, who averaged 7.2 points and 4.9 rebounds across his first two seasons in Corvallis. He dropped 28-plus points four times this year and improved his overall statistical output and his efficiency every season at Oregon State.
It wasn’t always an easy road. Rataj missed the start of his sophomore season after a tumor was removed from his shin. Most of his fellow freshmen left after the season, but he stayed. The loyalty paid dividends.
“He came in [last spring] and said, ‘Listen coach, we all came here because of what you guys sold us on, the way you run the program,’” Oregon State head coach Wayne Tinkle said in January. “’I’m not losing sight of that, I’m on board.’ We said, ‘OK, you’re going to be the guy we rebuild around.’”
With great power comes great responsibility. Rataj ranked third in the WCC in both usage rate and player efficiency rating, lifting the Beavers past the 20-win threshold for just the third time in the past 35 years.
The Augsburg, Germany native played on the U18 national team in 2021, averaging 15.0 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.4 steals per game. He’s currently ranked No. 20 in the 247Sports transfer rankings.
