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Oregon State Basketball: Oregon State Beavers 2015-16 Season Preview

By David Thompson

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Oregon State Beavers

2014-2015 Record: 17-14 (8-10, Pac-12)
No Postseason Appearance

When the Oregon State Beavers tabbed Wayne Tinkle as their head coach during following the 2013-2014 season, most people expected the Beavers to be at least a year away from being competitive.

We here at Busting Brackets predicted Tinkle’s team to finish in the cellar of the Pac-12. What happened instead was the Beavers put on their “gloves” and got to work.

Led by the quick handed Gary Payton Jr. the Beavers jumped out to an impressive 16-7 record including a big win over top-10 ranked Arizona before faltering down the stretch, losing seven of their final eight games to finish the season 17-14, and 8-10 in conference play.

But with a solid first step in the right direction, and a Top 20 recruiting class, Tinkle and the Beavers are looking to head back to the big dance for the first time since 1990.

Newcomers

G– Derrick Bruce (#227 2247Sports Composite)
G – Kendal Manuel (#368 247Sports Composite)
F – Drew Eubanks (#122 247Sports Composite)
C – Gligorije Rakocevic (#320 247Sports Composite)
G – Stephen Thompson Jr. (#62 247Sports Composite)
F – Tres Tinkle (#80 247Sports Composite)
F – Daine Muller (Walk-On Transfer from Montana)

Key Non-Conference Games

Nov. 24 vs. Valparaiso – After a few games to test the waters early in the season, Oregon State’s toughness will be on full display when they take on Valparaiso.

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    • The Crusaders put together a really solid season in 2014-2015 and are looking to build off a finish that saw them take a No.4 seed Maryland to the final possession in the Round of 64. Other than Kansas, this is the only other non-conference game to feature a team projected in the field of 68.

    Dec. 12 vs. Kansas in Kansas City, MO. – If there is one game that really jumps out is the game against the Jayhawks. Mid-December is the time of year when team’s identity’s start to solidify, and for Oregon State, knocking off a team like Kansas will hold a lot of clout come Selection Sunday.

    Dec. 18-19 Far West Classic in Portland, OR.  – In this revival co-hosted with the University of Portland and held at the Moda Center, the Beavers will take on Cal State Fullerton and Tulsa in the two day tournament.

    Not only is Oregon State revitalizing one of the great lost holiday time tournaments, but they are harkening back to an era where Oregon State Basketball was fairly solid.

    Key Players

    Gary Payton II – Whenever the son of an NBA great comes along, people inevitably want to compare the two. Most of the time it doesn’t really work out, but in the case of Gary Payton II and his father its quite the comparison.

    While Gary Payton was an all-around great point guard, his bread and butter was his defensive tenacity. The same can be said about Gary Payton II.

    In his first year with the Beavers, Payton II was named the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year and recorded a steal in every single one of Oregon State’s 31 games en route to compiling a total of 95 steals over the entire season.

    Oh, and he ended up leading the team in scoring (13.4 ppg) and rebounding (7.5 rpg) as well. Oregon State added a bunch of talented players around Payton II which should help but if the Beavers want to punch their ticket to the big dance, they are going to need a repeat season performance from the Bob Cousy Award watch list player.

    Stephen Thompson Jr. and Tres Tinkle – When Wayne Tinkle and Stephen Thompson were hired on at Oregon State, immediately hype about the 2015 class started to build. They each had a son who was an ESPN top 100 recruit (Thompson Jr. finished 63rd, Tinkle 91st) and if they could convince their sons to play in Corvallis, the Beavers would have two serious building blocks for the future.

    Well what everyone expected happened and the two are the gems of a Top 15 recruiting class.

    Season Outlook

    Oregon State finds themselves in unfamiliar territory starting this season. For the first time in a long time, there are legitimate expectations in Corvallis. The Beavers carved out a decent season last year when nothing was expected, the question is can the team deliver when people start paying attention?

    Next: Wyoming Cowboys 2015-16 Season Preview

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