It's really exciting that our name is being discussed. I've made it very clear that I think where we should be, so we'll go from there. – Oregon Staten head coach Wayne Tinkle
LAS VEGAS — Last March, as Oregon State's season ended in the MGM Grand Arena, Gary Payton II and the rest of the Beavers beamed optimistically for the future even after a quick exit from the Pac-12 Tournament.
Oregon Staten head coach Wayne Tinkle had already made the decision not to play in any postseason action, and the entire team in locker room planned on returning for the next season. This time around, the Beavers lingered by their lockers diffidently embarking into the unknown.
Just 24 hours prior, Payton told reporters the only way for Oregon State to sway the NCAA selection committee to put the Beavers into the NCAA Tournament this Sunday was to "remove all doubt."
Oregon State, which many national pundits and bracket experts had on the bubble this week for the NCAA Tournament, led California 62-60 with 4:48 left in regulation of the Pac-12 quarterfinals late Thursday night, but any chance of removing doubts slipped away from there.
California's Jaylen Brown drew contact on a 3-point attempt and connected on all three free throws with 4:29 left to give Golden Bears the lead, and Cal went on to outscore OSU 13-6 in the final four minutes.
Now comes the waiting.
"I can't say anything yet," said Payton, who once starred at Salt Lake Community College, regarding expectations of OSU playing in the NCAA Tournament. "We just have to wait and see."
Tinkle, however, was a bit more confident.
"I do," he said, when asked if he believed OSU's resume was strong enough to be in the NCAA Tournament. "I did before tonight. ... It's really exciting that our name is being discussed. I've made it very clear that I think where we should be, so we'll go from there."
OSU finished the season 19-12 and entered Thursday night 33rd in the RPI. The team racked up Top 50 RPI wins against Oregon, Utah, California, Colorado and USC during the season — finishing 5-7 against such teams. It's worst loss, RPI-wise, came against UCLA.
Then there's the injury factor. Freshman Tres Tinkle, Wayne Tinkle's son and the team's second-leading scorer and rebounder, missed the tournament with a foot injury that kept him in a boot. However, in Thursday's loss, fellow freshman Derrick Bruce exploded for a career-high 25 points after entering the game averaging 3.2 points on the season and holding a previous career-high of 11 points.
Payton, who scored 20 points and pulled down 17 rebounds in Thursday's loss, said the Beavers have improved immensely since nonconference play concluded.
"After Kansas, we were in it," he said. "From that point on, I think we were a better team. I think we can play with anybody in the country."
Freshman guard Stephen Thompsonn Jr. expressed similar sentiment, though adding he believed the feeling among the team was that a win Thursday might have been enough to secure a bid.
"I think we've got the talent," he said. "We've got the great, great coaching and we've stayed together. We definitely have the pieces to make a run in it."
Still, the hope for Payton and the Beavers remains in getting the nod to the tournament. The senior and Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year said the focus in the next few days will be on practicing for wherever OSU ends up in the postseason — either NCAA Tournament or NIT.
"We'll go from Sunday and see what's going on," he said.