Wayne Tinkle Talks Oregon State’s Strong Start With John Canzano
750 The Game Staff
Optimism and excitement have returned to Oregon State men’s basketball under Wayne Tinkle. This year’s Beavs are off to a 13-5 overall start and 3-2 in conference play, their first in the WCC.
Head coach Wayne Tinkle joined John Canzano (Afternoons 3-6 p.m. on 750 The Game) and talked about the importance of resetting the Oregon State roster with specific kinds of players.
“We went and got our kind of guys,” Tinkle said Monday on The Game. “Tough kids. Mature kids. Good balance of young kids. Kids that were brought up the right way who are going to put the team first and take coaching. I can’t tell you how many of my colleague’s have said – ‘man, you’re fun to watch again because I know you can coach those guys.'”
Nine countries are represented on the Beavs roster this season, and Tinkle said the international additions were no accident to the program renovation.
“We’re banking that the way that they grow up over there and most of them stick with one club – unless they really jump big time in the international rankings and maybe get traded to another club – there’s a lot of loyalty,” Tinkle said. “There’s a lot more loyalty over there than what we see in the states these days.
“The guys kept saying they loved our style. It’s more like the European style where you space, you share, it’s not all iso-ball or just pick-and-roll. And it really helps them develop their overall skill level which is what they’ll take back home with them when it’s time to play pro ball, and some of them have dreams of seeing if they can continue to play in the states after college.”
Tinkle said the team continues to grow in two key areas as they seek to make a run in the WCC.
“Discipline and mental toughness are two areas that we’re still developing,” said Tinkle. “You realize we’ve got nine new guys. Really we only have two true seniors. So we knew throughout there’d be some ups and downs, but I think we’re certainly headed in the right direction.”
The Beavers have leveled up on defense this season under Tinkle and his coaching staff, a key element of their strong start.
“I love that we’re back to playing our style where we’re defending, we’re out-rebounding opponents, we haven’t done that in a handful of years,” Tinkle noted. “And our offensive efficiency and production.”
A massive home showdown looms Thursday night at Gill Coliseum as Oregon State hosts No. 16 Gonzaga. Tip off is set for 8:00 p.m. on CBS Sports Network.
Listen to the full interview with Wayne Tinkle below.