What's at Stake for Oregon State Men's Basketball This Week

With one week remaining in the regular season, the sky is the limit at Oregon State.

That take may be surprise many - especially after Oregon State athletic director Scott Barnes announced the looming departure of head coach Wayne Tinkle - but Beaver Nation has several reasons for optimism heading into the final chapter of Tinkle's tenure.

Oregon State Can Clinch the #4 Seed in the West Coast Conference Tournament

With an upset win over Santa Clara on Saturday night - who stormed through Corvallis in late December - or a Pacific loss at San Francisco earlier in the day, Oregon State can finish 4th in the West Coast Conference standings. That would position the Beavers for a potential conference tournament run next week in Las Vegas, partly thanks to the WCC's unusual bracket structure.

While most power-conference leagues organize an eight-team quarterfinal, forcing their top schools to play a minimum of three games in three days, the WCC does things differently. In next Thursday's first round, the bottom four finishers face off. The following day sees the winners battle the #8 and #7 seeds. Then those survivors meet the #6 and #5 seeds. In the quarterfinal round, the #4 and #3 seeds enter the fray. When the semifinal round tips off on Monday March 9th, the #2 and #1 seeds will finally join the party. The championship game is the following day.

This format encourages strong regular season finishes. The difference between 4th and 5th place is an extra game; that means more minutes, more attrition, and more chances for an unfortunate cold streak that ends a team's season. If Oregon State can finish in 4th place, instead of 5th place, it will only need to win three games in three days to reach the NCAA tournament.

A loss to Santa Clara, who beat the Beavers by at Gill Coliseum two months ago, would hurt the cause. Pair that result with a Pacific home win versus San Francisco, and Oregon State would drop to 5th place.

Wayne Tinkle Built This Team for a Tournament Run

Whether you love him or hate him, Oregon State head coach Wayne Tinkle has experienced a drastic change in job requirements over his twelve year reign. When Tinkle took over the program in 2014, most transfers between other Division I schools were required to sit out for an entire season. At the same time, all student-athletes were barred from profiting off their athletic prowess. In 2011, former Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor was suspended five games for selling championship rings, game jerseys, and awards to a Columbus-area tattoo parlor. That same year, Boise State broke a rule that "prohibits an institutional staff member or representative from arranging for a prospective athlete to receive free or reduced cost housing".

Fast forward ten years to 2021, and the NCAA granted student-athletes immediate eligibility after transferring schools, while a landmark Supreme Court case opened the door for student-athletes to cash in on their "Name, Image, and Likeness".

Tinkle's original mission at ol' O-S-U, recruiting promising prep players and developing them over the course of four years, is a stark departure from his current mission. Nine Beavers entered the portal last Spring. Nine newcomers replaced them. As one might expect, his team struggled in December and January because they lacked experience playing together. Now, after accruing a season worth of live reps, Oregon State is finding its' form. In February, the orange & black have won 4 of 6 contests, thanks to the star power of point guard Josiah Lake II and the emergence of wing Isiah Sy. The Beavers have finally figured out how to play together, and that has translated into their best basketball.

Even with Tinkle's departure on the horizon, this team could surprise many over the next two weeks. If they do so, their head coach's dismissal would be postponed by a dance session.