The Oregon State Women’s Basketball team are set to bring in two new players from the 2020 recruiting class, Sasha Goforth and Savannah Samuel, who both signed letters of intent in November 2019. 

The 2020 class has big shoes to fill as the seniors leaving were one of the most accomplished classes in recent Oregon State history, with two trips to the Sweet Sixteen, one to the Elite Eight, and numerous appearances in PAC-12 All-Conference teams and All-Conference honorable mentions lists. 

With Janessa Thropay, Kat Tudor, Maddie Washington, and Mikayla Pivec graduating combined with Destiny Slocum transferring, there are many players from the 2019 roster leaving the program. Luckily, the Beavers have two highly-ranked guards in their freshman class ready to help contribute right away. 

Savannah Samuel is a three-star recruit from Woodstock, Georgia. The 6-foot-1-inch guard from St. Francis High School is ranked by ESPN as the 29th best guard of the 2020 class. She put up averages of 20.1 points and 5.4 rebounds per game during her sophomore season in high school. That same year, Samuel was the 6A Regional Player of the Year and was First-Team Atlanta Tip-Off her junior year.

Samuel is a pesky defender who brings high energy whenever she steps on the court. She is more than capable of creating her own shot, something the Beavers need with the absence of key shot-creators such as Mikayla Pivec and Destiny Slocum. Samuel picked Oregon State over offers from West Virginia, Alabama, Virginia Tech, North Carolina, and North Carolina State. 

Goforth is a 6-foot guard from Fayetteville, Arkansas who does a little bit of everything on the basketball court, averaging 16.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, 1.4 steals, and 1.3 blocks during her junior year. The 2019 Gatorade Player of the Year is ranked as the 6th best guard of the 2020 recruiting class according to ESPN. 

Goforth was named a McDonald’s All-American in high school, a five-star recruit by ESPN and a three-time All-Arkansas honoree. The guard was also one of six girls in the nation to receive an invitation to the exclusive boys Under Armour SC30 Select Camp.

With her accomplishments through high school play, Goforth had received offers from programs such as Texas A&M and Arkansas from her home state but chose to commit to the Beavers.

Goforth is a dynamic guard who excelled in high school in fast-break scenarios. She has a large range of offensive tools to get a basketball when it’s needed most while having active hands on the other side of the court. 

With five players leaving the Beavers’ roster, four of them being guards, the table is set for the 2020 class to come in and make an immediate impact.