Wayne Tinkle Predicts "Three or Four Bids" From WCC in NCAA Tournament
At 12-4 overall, Oregon State men's basketball head coach Wayne Tinkle has the Beavers off to their best start in years. Things are about to get tougher in the coming weeks for OSU as their first West Coast Conference schedule gets into full swings. The Beavs will be members of the WCC for two seasons until the Pac-12 resumes play in 2026.
Tinkle appeared on the WCC's Points in the Paint podcast to discuss his team's efforts to return to the NCAA tournament for just the third time in his 11 years in Corvallis. In that conversation, Tinkle revealed that he believes the highly competitive league can produce several NCAA tournament teams in 2025.
"I couldn't be more more thrilled to be a part of this conference and I know the WCC is going to have a great regular season here in league play," Tinkle noted. "I know with with the fall of the Pac-12, I got a feeling there's going to be three or four bids hopefully out of this league, if not more, and we're happy to be a part of it."
Since 2010, the WCC has sent three teams to the NCAA tournament twice (2012 and 2022). Gonaga, Saint Mary's, and San Francisco went in 2022. In 2012, the league sent Gonzaga, Saint Mary's, and BYU.
The Beavers have not reached the NCAA tournament since the 2021 season, when they reached the Elite Eight after winning the Pac-12 tournament. Through their first 16 games, OSU are one five teams in the league with at-least 12 victories.
OSU are back in action at Santa Clara Thursday, January 9, at 7 PM PT on ESPN+.
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Joe Londergan joined the SI brand in 2023 with G5 Football Daily. With over 15 years of experience in covering and working directly in college and pro sports, Joe's expertise has been featured in Front Office Sports, SB Nation, and XRAY.FM. He is a member of both the Football Writers' Association of America and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers' Association. Joe holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Louisville and a master's degree in sports administration from Seattle University. Outside of his writing career, Joe enjoys golfing, although he admits that while he hits driver decently, his short game is a liability.