PAC-12 CONFERENCE MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

March 13, 2021

Wayne Tinkle

Oregon State Beavers

Postgame Press Conference

Oregon State - 70, Colorado 68.

THE MODERATOR: We'll start with an opening statement from coach.

WAYNE TINKLE: Just super proud of our guys. Not just for this week or tonight, but the last six weeks or so we have really put some special things together and it's a credit to our guys' buy-in, guys putting their ego aside, buying into team, playing harder than our opponent, executing our stuff, and enjoying each other out there. The whole model this week was to continue with those three things, and then even tonight we wrote the same things on the board. We said, just because it's Saturday night, championship game, we're not changing. Let's continue to be who we are. And I just couldn't be more thrilled for our team, for our families. I mentioned the families of our players last night after the game and their buy-in, sticking with us has been huge for us, a huge shot in the arm through these really tough times, my own family and all Beaver nation. Just a hell of a deal right now. I'm sure it's going to hit me here in a little bit, but I'll move on because I don't want to start getting sappy.

Q. After that one you had your arms around Zach and Ethan there. What was that moment like, just being able to get those seniors to the big dance?

WAYNE TINKLE: It was huge. It was huge. And I don't remember exactly, I know I thanked them for their commitment to leading the way for us, on and off the court. We talked about it, I think everybody that we hugged, we talked about this is why you came to Oregon State. Even the young fellas, the California boys, this is why we came to Oregon State, because we knew if we got everybody on the same page and bought in, that we could do tremendous things because of the way we do our deal.

Q. What you got from Maurice Calloo tonight was that something that you saw coming at all?

WAYNE TINKLE: We certainly knew he had that potential. You know, you look at what he's been through through his season being a starter early on, to then going to the bench and minutes going down and he was proactive coming in, Coach, what can do I more? We stayed in communication, what we needed from him. And listen, it's not easy, man, when you go somewhere because you want to be a big part of it, but to his credit he never went south on us, he continued to work to try to get better every day, especially on the defensive end, and we knew what he's capable of. When he's into it and right, man, he's a difference-maker and when we were walking to the presser just now, I gave him credit for staying on page, staying positive, staying ready, and on our biggest night he stepped up and was huge for us because of his attitude and the positivity that he's kept throughout all this.

Q. Obviously this season you had a lot of twists and turns. Do you remember the moment when you felt like something like this was possible?

WAYNE TINKLE: We were confident coming down here, I'll tell you that. We were confident with our quarterfinal game. And then the way we came back after being down 16, that was kind of our season in a nutshell. Then we just, we didn't make a huge deal about it, we just kept saying the same things, this is what leads to success for us, and then last night's performance, once -- you really can't think about it until you're in the game. And after we won last night we were very confident, very humble, you know, we kept our feet on the ground, we all had workmen-like attitudes last night and this morning in preparation for a very, very tough and well-coached Colorado team. We got a little excited at times, but that wasn't all bad. The guys made it happen. From the jump, guys kept yelling, we're going to get it done, we're going to get it done, we're going to get it done. And out of each timeout they responded. We got fired up in a few of them down the stretch and we closed it out. Made it interesting, but we closed it out.

Q. Obviously the buy-in you got from these guys is so huge and in a year where you faced so much, everybody has, in life, away from hoops. What's just the justification for sticking with it and just the reward, the just reward to earn a spot in the big dance?

WAYNE TINKLE: Well, you just said it. The reward for going through everything that we have on and off the court, with everything we have dealt with, and you're right, so much more important than basketball what people are dealing with. But we used basketball as a vehicle to learn some life lessons. And the thing about that is that's how we run our program. And it just so happened that this last year dealing with COVID and a lot of the other social justice issues, by staying together, by opening up lines of communication, by continuing to love and support and learn how to trust each other, we got through it. And we have got guys from outside the United States, guys from all over different parts of our country, different backgrounds, and we always talk about it, let's embrace each other's differences, not alienate one another because of them. And in a sports world it led to winning a championship. That's what's great about athletics. I think society can learn from the lessons that we all go through, and hopefully -- I know the messages I've been getting, the shot in the arm that this has been for a lot of people that have been suffering, watching the Beavers go on this run, provided some incredible, incredible, call it therapy, happiness, you name it, and that's what makes me so proud and so happy for the way we do what we do. And I'm so blessed to have an incredible staff and our team. We recruit character first and that was on display this last week. And you know what? When you're patient, when you stay together, when you roll with the punches, eventually this is what it leads to, and we have proven that.

Q. You're rocking that net around your neck. When that final buzzer rang, what went through your head? I know you said it hasn't hit you yet, but what was going through your mind?

WAYNE TINKLE: I felt like I was in a wind tunnel. I mean, I haven't gotten that many hugs since we had a family reunion and it's been a long time. It was unbelievable, just moving from one to the next, trying to shout out to our family up in the stands. It was pretty incredible. A lot of people deserve credit for what we're going through right now. The support's been unbelievable. And, yeah, just, again, it's going to hit me later. Right now I'm just, all I keep thinking about is how proud I am of this team. I got very emotional in my room by myself this afternoon right after pre-game meal thinking about how blessed I am. People talk about superstitions and this and that, and they moved our bench on us tonight and, you know, I've really become a lot stronger with my faith and when you have strong faith you don't have to worry about superstitions. And I'm so blessed with the family I have, the support that I've had through the tough times, the people that I'm blessed to have around me. It's just incredible. I folded my hands, I raised them up, and, you know, I'm just, this has been the most emotional year in my life and probably for all of us. And it's just incredible that we have gotten to this level, and we know why we have, but it's a pretty neat deal. But we're going to keep this thing rolling. Orange express is back, baby. Go Beavs.