Oregon State's early season has largely been about a new-look team figuring out where each piece fits best, after losing five seniors off of last year's Final Four squad.
The No. 22 Beavers went through nonconference play 11-1 and have won eight games in a row heading into Friday's Pac-12 opener against Washington State. And perhaps they'll look back at the Play4Kay Shootout just before the holiday break as a key turning point in the season.
After rallying to beat UNLV 62-59 in its tournament opener, OSU staged comfortable victories over Quinnipiac and previously unbeaten Oklahoma State to take the championship.