TOWSON, Md. - The schedule for the Towson men's basketball team is absolutely unforgiving.

It's tough enough when you open up with Kansas and Michigan before facing a 30-win Belmont team in your first three games. But, on Saturday, the Tigers will host a Pac-12 Conference team for the very first time when they entertain the Oregon State Beavers at 2 p.m. at the Towson Center.

Under fourth-year Coach Craig Robinson, the Beavers were 11-20 last year and 5-13 in the league. This year, they return four starters and are off to a 4-1 start. The Beavers' only loss came on Monday when they fell at the TicketCity Legends Classic Championship game to No. 18 Vanderbilt, 64-62, in East Rutherford, N.J.

Oregon State has been on the road since Saturday when the Beavers faced Texas in the opener of the tournament and edged the Longhorns in overtime, 100-95.

The Beavers opened the season with an 86-62 win over CSU Bakersfield. On Nov. 14, they opened the TicketCity Legends Classic Regional Round with a 93-60 home win over West Alabama. The Beavers followed that win with an 82-72 victory over Colonial Athletic Association foe Hofstra two days later.

One of the things you notice about the Beavers is how big they are up front. Junior Joe Burton (6-7, 280) could play center or defensive line with the Tigers; they probably won't see a player like Burton all season. He starts at power forward for OSU and averages 9.2 points and 5.8 rebounds per game while shooting 50% from the field in 29.2 minutes per contest. He also led the team in assists last season and has a 5.2 average this season.

At center, Angus Brandt (6-10, 242) is a junior from Australia who averages eight points and 2.4 rebounds per game. He shoots 44% from the field and will share the spot with freshman Eric Moreland (6-10, 215), a UTEP transfer who is known for his defensive prowess. Moreland averages 7.5 points and 6.6 rebounds per game in 19.8 minutes per contest while shooting 62% from the floor.

In the Beavers' last game, sophomore Devon Collier (6-8, 215) scored 18 points against Vanderbilt. Collier, out of famed St. Anthony's H.S. (N.J.), is second on the team by averaging 16.6 points per game and leads the team with 11 blocks. He shoots 71% from the field while averaging 4.4 rebounds per game.

The Beavers' leading scorer is junior guard Jared Cunningham (6-4, 194). Cunningham is shooting a sizzling 51% from the floor (4-17 from three-point range) while averaging 22.6 points per game. He also has 16 steals in five games and grabs 4.8 rebounds per game.

The point guard is sophomore Ahmad Starks (5-9, 165), who averages 10.8 points and 2.8 assists per game while shooting 35% from the floor; he also ranks second on the team with 13 steals. Starks leads the Beavers with seven three-pointers (7 of 29).

Sophomore Roberto Nelson (6-3, 195) is the top guard off the bench. He's a powerful guard who can smash a backboard with a dunk and was a top 100 recruit at one time. He averages 4.8 points and 2.4 rebounds per game in 17.8 minutes per contest.

Towson has had major issues with turnovers and will probably seeing a lot of pressure. Oregon State has been known for playing a 1-3-1 defense, which is beneficial when you have great size and length.

Saturday's game will be televised on ESPN3 and broadcast on WBAL-AM 1090.