T-10. Oregon State Beavers
Not much was expected from the Beavers’ trip to the U.S. Virgin Islands for the Paradise Jam Tournament. However, Wayne Tinkle’s squad surprised, finishing the tournament 2-1 with a victory over Pennsylvania in the third place game.
The weekend showed gradual improvement for star forward Tres Tinkle, who followed up 12 and 17-point outings with a career high of 32 points and 12 rebounds in the final game. Senior guard Stephen Thompson Jr. also contributed double-digit scoring in each contest.
As a team, the Beavers showed versatility on the defensive end. They held each of their three opponents under 70 points and 43 percent shooting, forcing 32 total turnovers and recording 13 steals.
While Oregon State only played one power-five opponent in Missouri, their progression was noticeable from a year ago. The Beavers forced their tempo in a slow, methodical game, and if late defensive rotations didn’t give the Tigers 28 free throw attempts, it may have been OSU that got a shot at No. 12 Kansas State.
However, concerns still exist about this team’s rotation. The Beavers only had six players exceed double-digit minutes in each of their three games, forcing the starters to play above 35 minutes in each contest.
That may be an issue that can’t be fixed. We’ll have to see how it plays out in the coming weeks.
The Beavers have Thanksgiving week off before traveling for a true road game at Long Beach State on Sunday.