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Oregon State suspends standout forwards Eric Moreland and Devon Collier indefinitely

Oregon State's hopes of making a leap in the Pac-12 standings next season just became a little slimmer.

Forwards Eric Moreland and Devon Collier, two key pieces of Oregon State's frontcourt, both were suspended indefinitely from competition for undisclosed team rules violations, the school announced Tuesday. Both will be allowed to participate in summer workouts and strength and conditioning drills during their suspension, coach Craig Robinson said in a statement.

It's difficult to predict the length of the suspension without more information about what Moreland and Collier did wrong, but it's safe to say it would be very damaging for Oregon State to be without either forward for long.

Collier, a rising senior, averaged 12.6 points and six rebounds in 25.5 minutes last season. Moreland, a rising junior, nearly averaged a double-double, tallying 9.4 points per game and grabbing more than 10 rebounds per game.

Oregon State's frontcourt depth would be tested were either Collier or Moreland to be out for very long, not an encouraging sign considering Robinson's recruiting hasn't been consistent recently. Starting center Angus Brandt is returning from a torn ACL suffered against Purdue last November, while the options at forward are most unappealing with veteran Olaf Schaftenaar likely the best of the bunch.

The one silver lining for Oregon State is the punishment for Collier and Moreland feels more like a warning than a season-threatening situation simply because both will still be allowed to practice and work out with their teammates. What Beavers fans have to hope is both take the punishment seriously and avoid any slip-ups that could turn a potentially brief suspension into a longterm one.

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