BeaversEdge Q&A with Wayne Tinkle
BeaversEdge.com continues its exclusive Q&A series as we spoke with Oregon State Men's Basketball coach Wayne Tinkle about the offseason, expectations for the upcoming season, and more.
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What has the offseason been like for you and your staff?
Tinkle: “We’ve been really busy with recruiting and trying to fill the 2017 class with the kind of players we are looking for. Also, we’ve been trying to get the returning players better individually and as a team with our individual workouts. We’ve also been on committees and had Pac-12 meetings, so we’ve been very busy as a staff and as a team.”
What does it mean to have Drew and Stevie back?
Tinkle: “It’s huge. They are a couple big pieces to what we are trying to do and we are glad they went through that experience. Both of them came out better for it, both mentally and physically. I know they are both motivated to come back and have a big year for us. The players we will have around them, and Tres being healthy gives us a real leg up on what we will be able to do next year.”
How difficult is recruiting when you have two guys on scholarship who may or may not come back?
Tinkle: “It’s tough. Especially because we didn’t see it coming. That’s something that as a group and a team that we always talk about is communication and how important it is. But you don’t want players coming to you in the middle of the season and saying that, because you want them focused on the now. If we have an idea that the (NBA Draft) is something they might look at then we can always have a plan B. So that’s something we will learn from moving forward.”
How does Seth Berger fit into next year’s group?
Tinkle: “Seth is going to be a huge addition and more so than what shows up in his stats. He’s a very mature, tough kid, and a great leader. We lacked leadership and maturity this last year and he is going to address those things for us. On the court he can spread the floor, moves well without the ball, is a really good defender, and rebounder. We feel that he is going to be a guy that really fills a void that we’ve had for a couple years at the 3 and 4.”
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As a coach, was last season one of the most difficult you’ve had to go through? What do you take away from it and what do you flush?
Tinkle: “Without a doubt. You flush most of it, but you know the point is, it’s not like we had our full roster and we really underperformed. We were just devastated by injuries and some mishaps. It’s behind us, but the good thing we get to carry forward is that we learned a lot of valuable lessons. We got guys tougher that needed to get tougher, we got guys experience that maybe we weren’t planning on putting on the floor for a year or two. So I think it makes us a more bolstered unit moving forward.”
Last season, you weren’t very deep, but next season you will be. What will that change in terms of offensive and defensive flow?
Tinkle: “That is the plan. I don’t want to get into too many details, but with added depth, we can do things differently. The great thing is, depth is a great creator of discipline. Hopefully with the improved depth we will be able to get guys to play a little more like we are supposed to.”
This last year was your third season in Corvallis. What is one great accomplishment in the first three years, and one thing you’d still like to accomplish?
Tinkle: “Well we set some school records in my first year when not much was expected and obviously getting back to the NCAA Tournament after a 26 year drought in year two. Those were the real highlights. We want to get to where we are getting to the postseason consistently, and making runs in the NCAA Tournament predominantly. We are realistic with everything that surrounds us, but we are motivated to do more than what is expected. We don’t mind after year two that expectations were raised, because they are in our minds too. We want to make consistent runs in postseason play and that’s what we are aiming for.”
How big was it for your team to sign Ethan Thompson? What kind of impact can he make as a freshman?
Tinkle: “He was obviously a great get for us. He is a top-40 and some may think a top-20 player in the country. The rankings really don’t matter anymore. He’s a guy that can do a lot of different things on the floor, he’s a fierce competitor on both ends, he will attack any player offensively, and will guard any player defensively and he’s just a winner. He’s gonna be a freshman so we are going to have to be patient with him a little bit. Because of the level he’s played at in the events he’s been a part of, he’s not going to be intimidated by anybody and I think he will have an instant impact for us.”
You guys got Zach Reichle from Wilsonville. How important is in-state recruiting and how good is Zach?
Tinkle: “It’s huge to keep guys like him in state. The best part about it is that how you build tradition. If you’ve got guys from all around the country and none from in state, they don’t have the familiarity with Oregon State basketball. So the in state kids can really help teach that to the rest of the group. We certainly don’t underestimate him, we think he’s gonna be a big part of what we are doing. It’s great to have an in state kid and the player of the year from Oregon in our program. Zach is a tough, hard nosed kid who can shoot from deep, and has done a nice job at getting better with making plays off the dribble, a great passer, and a fierce competitor. I know he’s gonna be in the gym working his tail off everyday to get better and he’s really gonna be like guys we’ve brought in to this point in terms of being a great ambassador of our program out in the community.”
Alfred Hollins signed with you guys later in the process. Walk me through the process of his recruitment and what do you like about his skillset?
Tinkle: “We’ve been watching him for a couple of years when he was in the bay area and then he went down to Hillcrest Academy in Phoenix. He is a physical wing. We have a lot of combo guards and post players. Tres is really the only wing who is a physical athletic wing with size. Alfred is another wing with size, and is a good athlete who can shoot and attack the rim. He is also a fierce defender, he wants to guard the other team’s best player. He really competes on the glass as well. He brings added toughness and athleticism for us.”
What do you like to do in your free time? And what is your favorite part about Corvallis?
Tinkle: “I like to play golf. I haven’t played much at all this spring because we’ve had a pretty busy schedule. I love getting time at the coast whether it be Newport or once in awhile down to Bandon. But that’s really my therapy. My wife and I taking the dogs and going to coast and breathing some of that sea air is one one of my favorite past times. The thing I love about Corvallis is the people. Anywhere you go, whether you just won a big game or had a tough loss, the support you get from the community is incredible. Everybody is always pulling for each other. Those were the things that we were told when the job opened up and we certainly haven’t been disappointed. That is what separates Oregon State from everywhere else is the authenticity of the people.”
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