3 Keys to Victory For Oregon State MBB in WCC Tournament

Oregon State begin their WCC tournament run on Sunday

Feb 7, 2026; Corvallis, Oregon, USA; Oregon State Beavers forward Isaiah Sy (13) shoots the ball over Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Adam Miller (23) during the first half at Gill Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images | Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images

It's been an eventful couple of weeks for Oregon State men's basketball. From news of a head-coaching change, to prominent injuries, to pulling out close wins, there hasn't been a dull moment. The Beavers now enter the do-or-die phase of their season, as they await their opponent (either Portland or San Francisco) on Sunday night in the quarterfinals. Here are three keys they'll need in order to have a shot at the WCC tournament championship.

Be Patient On Offense

Too often in the past couple weeks of the regular season(even in games that they won), the Beavers would settle for early-clock, low-percentage three-point looks. When they have taken the time to let plays fully develop, they have success the last few games getting it low to bigs like Munch or Diaz-Graham, or Josiah Lake has eventually found a crease to get off a solid mid-range look. Even in a tough game last Saturday, OSU had a lot of quality possessions that resulted in points in the paint, and they are going to want to replicate this against whoever they play on Sunday. While the offense has certainly taken a blow with the injury to Dez White, OSU still has a lot of weapons to score inside the three-point arc, and they do not want to come out hucking bad shots. 

Limit Second-Chance Points

Last Saturday in Santa Clara, rebounding was a nightmare for Wayne Tinkle's side. Oregon State was right with the Broncos halfway through the first, and then offensive boards ultimately led to the home side pulling away, as Santa Clara kept piling up second-chance points. The Beavers have been much better in games this season where they win the rebounding battle, and that is going to be a key factor for them if they want to make it to the semifinal. Second-chance points are crushing, and it is something that the Beavers are going to seriously have to limit going into a single-elimination tournament.

Keziah Ekissi the X Factor?

Oregon State is not deep at point right now. Tualatin graduate Josiah Lake II has been doing it all for his team this entire season, and the rotation took a significant blow a couple weeks ago with the injuries to Dez White and Matija Samar. This being said, the conference tournament presents a real opportunity for a talented young guard who has turned heads as of late. Sophomore NJCAA transfer Kez Ekissi has scored in double figured for the Beavs in two of the last three games, and has racked up 12 assists in that span. The Beavers are going to need another offensive threat in this tournament besides Lake, and Ekissi could be the one to provide that spark.