Michael Rataj (born 12 October 2003[1]) is a German college basketball power forward for the Oregon State Beavers of the West Coast Conference.
Early life
Rataj grew up in Augsburg, Germany. He represented Germany at the 2021 FIBA U18 European Challengers, averaging 15 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game.[2] After beginning his career with Bayern Munich, Rataj split time between OrangeAcademy and Ratiopharm Ulm, becoming the second youngest player to compete in the EuroCup.[2] In 2021, he committed to play college basketball at Oregon State University.[3]
College career
During his first two seasons, Rataj averaged 6.1 points and 4.1 rebounds as a freshman and 8.3 points and a team-high 5.8 rebounds as a sophomore.[4] As a junior, Rataj began to have a breakout season, doubling his scoring production.[5] Against No. 16 Gonzaga, he scored 29 points, helping lead the Beavers to a 97–89 upset win in overtime.[6][7] For his performance, he was named the West Coast Conference co-player of the week, becoming the first Beaver to be named conference player of the week twice during a single season since Roberto Nelson during the 2013–14 season.[8] Against Santa Clara, he scored a career-high 30 points in an 83–69 victory.[9]
Career statistics
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
College
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022–23 | Oregon State | 32 | 16 | 20.9 | .438 | .373 | .596 | 4.1 | 1.0 | .7 | .3 | 6.1 |
| 2023–24 | Oregon State | 29 | 23 | 28.0 | .443 | .288 | .738 | 5.8 | 1.6 | .9 | .5 | 8.3 |
References
- ^ "Michael Rataj Player Profile, Oregon State - RealGM". basketball.realgm.com. Retrieved 2025-02-05.
- ^ a b "German forward Rataj commits to Oregon State". ESPN.com. 2021-11-19. Retrieved 2025-02-05.
- ^ Daschel, Nick (2021-11-20). "Oregon State men's basketball lands promising German small forward Michael Rataj". oregonlive. Retrieved 2025-02-05.
- ^ "Beavers' Michael Rataj: 'He is a fabulous kid to be around'". Kerry Eggers. Retrieved 2025-02-05.
- ^ "Key matchup: Forward Michael Rataj stayed put at OSU, thriving in junior season". Spokesman.com. 2025-01-15. Retrieved 2025-02-05.
- ^ Daschel, Nick (2025-01-17). "Michael Rataj heroics, Oregon State grit the difference in 97-89 OT win over No. 16 Gonzaga". oregonlive. Retrieved 2025-02-05.
- ^ Denney, Jarrid. "How Michael Rataj carried Oregon State men's basketball to marquee win over No. 16 Gonzaga". Statesman Journal. Retrieved 2025-02-05.
- ^ Daschel, Nick (2025-01-20). "Oregon State's Michael Rataj first Beaver honored as men's basketball player of the week twice in a season in 11 years". oregonlive. Retrieved 2025-02-05.
- ^ Daschel, Nick (2025-01-26). "Michael Rataj's second-half explosion leads Oregon State past Santa Clara". oregonlive. Retrieved 2025-02-05.