DALLAS — One of Scott Rueck's phrases of choice throughout this season has been "natural progression."
It describes the steady growth of the his Oregon State program. Two years ago, the Beavers reached the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1996. Last year, they won their first Pac-12 regular-season title. Now, OSU is in the Elite Eight for the first time in program history.
So what's next? How about knocking off one of the sport's name-brand programs, a perennial power that boasts two national championships?
That opportunity comes Monday night with a huge prize on the line, when the second-seeded Beavers take on No.