Was it the season that could have been for Oregon State?

After reaching numerous benchmarks not seen since the likes of Gary Payton in the early 90's in terms of a winning Pac-12 record, a winning Pac-12 road record, and a first round bye in the Pac-12 Tournament, the Beavers' season ended with a 73-58 thud at the hands of the Colorado Buffaloes in Las Vegas.

Despite finishing fourth in the Pac-12 and posting an 18-13 (10-8 Pac-12) record, the Beavers were left out of the NCAA Tournament and the National Invitational Tournament, leaving Wayne Tinkle and Co. on their couches for the third-straight postseason.

While the Beavers could certainly return to the NCAA Tournament next season with the addition of three much-needed guards and more internal development from the returning roster, the biggest determining factor in whether or not the Beavers have another so-so season or a run to the NCAA Tournament next year is whether or not junior forward Tres Tinkle returns for his senior season.

With the 2018-19 basketball season now officially concluded, and all eyes now turning to next season, BeaversEdge.com senior writer Brenden Slaughter takes an early look at how the Beavers will fare next season.

Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up now!

The Beavers will say goodbye to two members of Wayne Tinkle's first complete recruiting class at Oregon State as Stevie Thompson Jr. and Gligorije Rakocevic have exhausted their eligibility. Only Tres Tinkle (for the time being) remains from that original group as Drew Eubanks declared after his junior season.

Losing Thompson Jr. and 'Big G' will certainly sting for the Beavers as both were veteran and experienced leadership presences on and off the court.

Thompson Jr. finishes his career as one of the most prolific three-point shooters, scorers, and icons that the program has ever had. Not only did Thompson Jr. light up SportsCenter more than once for his buzzer-beating heroics, he was one of the foundational pieces of Tinkle's original team that made its way to the NCAA Tournament back in 15-16.

Stevie averaged 16.1 points and 3.2 assists per game in his final campaign, posting efficient 43 percent and 31 percent clips from the field and from three, respectively. He leaves OSU as the all-time record holder in three-point makes (230).

Big G wasn't consistently able to put up the type of numbers or have the type of impact that he would have liked to have over his four years due to injury or circumstance, but he was one of the most likable players on the team and had a work-ethic and physical mindset and presence that was unmatched. The Beavers will miss his hard-nosed veteran leadership and physicality down-low.