If there was a popular dark horse pick in the Pac-12 coming into this season, it was Wayne Tinkle’s Oregon State Beavers. After all, they returned the conference’s Defensive Player of the Year and added one of their best ever recruiting classes.
But going from an upstart team to one that expects to win each time they take the court can sometimes be a slower process than is expected. But if you’re looking for signs that OSU is on the right track, then look no further than their Saturday afternoon performance in Lawrence, Kan., against the No. 2 Kansas Jayhawks.
Thanks to the dynamics of Gary Payton Jr. and Tres Tinkle, the Beavs led KU 39-28 at the break in one of college basketball’s most hostile environments. Payton Jr. also gave the country the best poster of the year so far.
ICYMI: Gary Payton Jr. has MAJOR UPS. #SCtop10 https://t.co/wtP3KAdY89
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) December 13, 2015
Payton Jr. finished with 13 points, 11 rebounds, and seven rebounds while Tinkle poured in 20 points of 5-for-7 shooting from deep.
This young Beavers team might have collapsed in the second half against the second-ranked team in the country, but their first half performance reminded people why they were a popular pick to make noise in the balanced but up for grabs Pac-12.
