Summer Q&A With Coach Tinkle
July 09, 2015 | Men's Basketball
Oregon State men's basketball head coach Wayne Tinkle looks back at the 2014-15 season and previews the 2015-16 season, including comments on every player on the roster, in this summer Q&A.
What do you remember most about your first year at Oregon State?
“It just flew by. I can't believe we've been here 14 months. I was very impressed with our guys' buy-in to a new coaching staff, to the circumstances with not having a complete roster, and needing to have tryouts, the way that they welcomed the walk-ons and then the way the walk-ons contributed.
“I think it was a very rewarding year for us. We didn't finish like we planned on finishing, but I think that was due to the length of the season and things catching up to us.
“All in all, I think it was a very productive first year with regards to laying the foundation for our program and defining what we are going to be all about moving forward.”
Do you feel like the team exceeded expectations in your first season?
“No, and I'm not a pessimist, but I'm disappointed with how we finished. That's what we are trying to use with our guys this offseason to motivate them. We did do some great things, but why couldn't we have done those all the way down the stretch and made some really incredible things happen. But I don't want to forget that there were some real high watermarks for these guys.
“Their attitudes this offseason have been incredible. They are working hard. We have guys who are working at a level they never thought possible. Some maturity has really transpired and leadership is starting to emerge a little bit. So I think our guys are excited for what's in front of us.”
What are the high watermarks that really stand out for you from last season?
“If you look at some of the records, like starting 14-0 at home, the 15 home wins, beating No. 7 Arizona. I wish we could have finished .500 or better in league, but we were close.
“But probably more importantly is what we did defensively with this group. If you look at field goal percentage defense and 3-point defensive percentage, in Year 1 to get our guys to buy-in to those things with kind of what we had and what we lacked, is pretty incredible. We hope to continue to build off of those.”
Are you surprised how quickly there has been a buzz for the Beaver basketball program?
“It has been awesome. It has carried into the offseason when you look at the social media with all of the hype and excitement around the program. It's great. We knew the buzz that we wanted to create in Gill Coliseum was going to start with the student section, because they are the ones who really drive the atmosphere to make everybody else want to come be a part of it.
“The way the Beaver Dam came out, especially in conference and more so down the stretch, was awesome. So hopefully it won't take until January or February for that to pick up again. Hopefully we can get that from the start of the season. I think with the new group that we are going to have, in combination with the experience of the returners, there will be some excitement right away this year.”
What are your thoughts looking back when you started the walk-ons in the Civil War?
“I think they deserve all of the credit. They are the ones who inspired us to make a move like that. It wasn't any great idea of ours. We just wanted to celebrate something on what would be Senior Night and that quickly came to surface. Without these kids I don't think we would have accomplished half of what we did. So we felt they were owed that.
“We are going to build Oregon State men's basketball on character and honor. We felt by honoring their character and what they brought, it is going to do more for our program moving forward than what we thought it might have done on that particular night. I think people need to focus on that.
“We've gotten so many compliments around the country and really didn't think much outside of our circle that it was going to happen that way. But it's a real tribute to those kids and what they had earned.”
How important is it to have the veterans on campus this summer?
“It's key. Last summer I think a few of the guys wanted to know why we expected them back here. But you can really get a lot done in the summer, both academically and athletically, and with the bonding aspects. Last summer it was crucial because we were a new staff and they needed to get to know us a little bit. This summer it's going to be key with the six newcomers coming in. We need them to gel this summer.
“But, without a doubt, the more important reason is so they can take some classes if only to stay on pace to graduate on time. But also to get ahead and maybe knock off some of the more difficult classes now when there's less stress versus during the season when we are traveling and missing class.
“I think the combination of those factors really makes it invaluable, and we are appreciative that we are at an institution that understands and appreciates that so we have the funds to take care of it and make it happen.”
Talk about the incoming freshmen class and what they'll bring to Oregon State.
“I think the fans are going to see a whole new group of guys. We basically have new players at every position. They are talented and skilled, but I think the thing that stands out in our minds is the high character and the level of toughness that they have. We knew that was something we were going to need to add moving forward as we continue to build the program.
“They are going to be freshmen and there's going to be times that we are pulling our hair out. But they do things the right way and are character kids. We need to let them grow a little bit and give them room to grow. I think they are going to gel well with the returning players that we have and I think make early contributions to the program.”
What will it mean to you to coach your son?
“It's going to be a thrill. We can't get too carried away because there's going to be 15 other guys on the team. But it's just going to be nice going through both the highs and lows with your son right there by your side. I know there's probably times he's going to be frustrated with me and vice versa.
“But what a unique opportunity for us and building the program back here at Oregon State, and to be doing that right by each other's side is going to be pretty special. Obviously, it'll be fun coaching him every day.
“If you look at that freshman class, they all complement each other. The neat thing is they are great students, great character guys, but they are tough and they compete. So it'll be neat to see those guys develop over the course of time.”
How important is it to have your coaching staff together entering your second season?
“It's neat to have that continuity and consistency. I really feel blessed. We have a great staff that are all high-character guys that all have their own strengths and I think complement each other very well. It's nice that we have a year under our belt together.
“Going into this year there's not going to be that sort of feeling of unsureness of what does Coach Tinkle expect and how does he do things. We have all of those things taken care of so I think we are going to flow into this season a lot more easily. I think we'll be able to see that earlier in the year because of the time we've spent together.”
On freshman guard Derrick Bruce…
“He's a very talented, quick, athletic guard. He needs to put on some size and strength. He can score all three phases and can set his teammates up. He brings a level of athleticism as far as north to south that we haven't had. He can really get the ball up and down the floor. I think he can really corrupt the opposition on the defensive end with that length and athleticism.”
On sophomore forward Matt Dahlen…
“We love having Matt in the program. He's a tough, hard-nosed guy who brings his lunch pail every day. He needs to work on his shot and get more consistent away from the basket. He needs to add some size and strength as well. He's another high-character kid that we are thrilled to have in the program.”
On junior guard Malcolm Duvivier…
“Malcolm has had a great offseason. He has worked on his maturity and leadership. He'll be a junior for us now and one of our more-experienced guards. So we are going to look for some great things from him setting the tone in practice every day when the coaches aren't around in the gym. We'll also need that leadership from him when we hit the court next fall.”
On freshmen forward Drew Eubanks…
“Drew is a very talented, athletic young post player. He plays with a lot of emotion and a lot of energy and toughness. We need to continue to hone his offensive skills, but I just love the level of activity that he brings. We feel he has a bright future at Oregon State.”
On senior forward Daniel Gomis…
“We are super thrilled Daniel is coming back. His leadership alone is invaluable. He has really come a long way. You saw towards the end of the season offensively he was doing some things people didn't know he could do. I'm very excited to have him back in the program and look forward to him having a big senior year. We hope to do some special things as a team to reward him for his loyalty to our program.”
On freshman guard Kendal Manuel…
“Kendal is an athletic shooting guard who played with my son's AAU team the last couple of years, so I'm very familiar with his game. We think he has a bright future. He can really shoot the ball and is one of the better shooters out there. He has great length and athleticism and we think he can become a really good defender.”
On senior guard Langston Morris-Walker…
“Langston is going to be as experienced a player as we have. He's gotten a lot of playing time over the years. We need him to shoot it with a little more confidence. He had a lot of problems with his feet this past year. Hopefully we can get that resolved. He hasn't done a whole lot this spring because he's had to stay off his feet. He's a solid defender, a guy that we know can make shots and we are looking forward to his maturity and leadership in his senior year.”
On junior center Cheikh N'diaye…
“Cheikh is a guy who is working hard to improve. He really needs to improve his strength and conditioning so he can play more time out there. This past year he was only good for a couple of minutes at a time. He's working hard and a good kid that we are hoping can really pay some dividends for us this year.”
On senior guard Gary Payton II…
“Gary is our Mr. Do Everything. He was the main reason that we were able to do what we did defensively. He's working on his offensive game this year. Shooting. Ball handling. But he's obviously a guy we are going to look for big things from on both ends of the court. We need him to endear himself to his teammates in his senior year. I think that's going to be key to our team chemistry. We are delighted to have him and really look for a big senior year from him.”
On freshman center Gligorije Rakocevic…
“Big G is going to be a big, physical post player for us. He's more skilled than what people might think. He's just a very good kid, number one, but he plays his tail off. He's a physical, physical presence in the post. We missed that a little bit last year, so we feel like he and Drew together inside for four or five years is really going to set the tone for turning things around here. So we are excited to have him.”
On senior forward Jarmal Reid…
“Jarmal has had a great spring. He's really turned his body around and showing more and more athleticism as he improves his strength and conditioning. He has worked on his perimeter game. I don't think anybody has worked as hard as him. He and Malcolm are probably the two guys who have really gotten after it. We know that's going to pay dividends for us this next year.”
On senior forward Olaf Schaftenaar…
“Olaf was banged up a little bit this spring and didn't get out on the court a whole lot but did spend a lot of time in the weight room. He went home for a few weeks and we are hoping that he comes back here looking as good as when he left. He's a guy who can really shoot the ball. We need him to get more comfortable with his back to the basket and we need him to defend and rebound better next year. We are delighted to have him. He's a great kid. They don't come much better than Olaf.”
On senior center Justin Stangel…
“Justin is a guy who has probably improved as much as anybody. He brings the hard hat every day to practice. He's a great student and a great kid from a great family. He's another program guy. You just love having kids like that in your program to teach the tradition about Oregon State. He's a high-character kid that we feel like by the end of his time here could be a consistent contributor for us.”
On freshman guard Stephen Thompson Jr. …
“Stevie is a very talented guard who can handle the ball and run the team. He's a dead-eye shooter. He really has a knack for getting into the paint and scoring over bigs. I think he is going to become a valuable defender with his length as well. He's a high-level talent who needs some size and strength but could be a big contributor for us here his freshman year.”
On freshman forward Tres Tinkle…
“Tres is a skilled forward who can play a couple of different positions. He can shoot the ball from the perimeter and has a really good knack to finish around the basket and getting to the free throw line. He has good length on the defensive end and a solid rebounder for his position. He's another high-character, high-IQ guy that we've added to the program with some skill as well.”
What are your thoughts heading into the 2015-16 season?
“I think with the amount of new kids, if we can do what we did this past year, it would be a great success. Obviously, we want more. With six new players I think it's going to take us a little bit more time to gel. So we may not have the success we had in the preseason because this past year we knew what we had. We knew we had a limited number and we went with it.
“I'm confident we'll be able to finish stronger because we'll have more depth. It's just going to take time to develop the chemistry and get those young guys the experience. They are going to have to get court time and it might cost us some games. But I think down the road, and especially in Pac-12 play and towards the postseason, it's going to pay off for us.
“Folks needs to be patient. But I know that we are heading in the right direction and we are going to be doing some special things down the road.”
