Why I'm not giving up on Tinkle (yet)
Feb 14, 2022 14:19:08 GMT -8
beavsinorange and osubeaver2018 like this
Post by nabeav on Feb 14, 2022 14:19:08 GMT -8
Guys, stay with me here on this one.
After OSU won to the College World Series in 2006 and 2007, they started to get on the radar of some pretty big recruits and transfers. Guys like Stefen Romero and Adalberto Santos....huge nationally ranked guys that previously would've passed on the opportunity to come to OSU, now decide to come here. I think Pat Casey has talked about taking talent over fit after the success of that first run. The team was not nearly as successful in the years following the first three-year run to Omaha, and it took several years to kind of get recruiting back on track and taking guys that fit Corvallis and the program before we started to see that top level success again.
I could say the same thing about Craig Robinson - had a (relatively) successful year his first season, winning the CBI with a team nobody thought had any talent. Then he starts to bring in guys like Jared Cunningham, Joe Burton, Roberto Nelson, Eric Moreland, etc.....and never really is able to get back to where he was in the first place.
Neither of these situations is a direct correlation - Casey obviously never fell off THIS much, and Robinson was just starting his tenure vs. Tinkle being in his eighth season, but I think that relative success can open doors previously not accessible and the temptation to get away from what you know and what works for what could be is hard to ignore.
This year is terrible. I was finally able to go to a game in person on Saturday, and I saw several possessions were four guys were playing zone and one guy was not, or in one ridiculous situation, a guy just assumed a shot was going up and started blocking out his man while the Stanford guy just drove right to the hoop for a layup. Tinkle is definitely not blameless - he brought these guys here, his job is to mold them into a team, but I also don't think it's his fault. I still think we have more individual talent than we did last year, top to bottom. That they seem unwilling to sacrifice personal stats or sportscenter highlight plays for the good of the team isn't Wayne's fault though.
I saw him draw up numerous plays for good looks out of timeouts last year during the tournament run. The other night vs. Cal, needing a bucket late, I expected the same thing. Instead we got Dexter Akanno in a 1-4 set trying to do it all himself. I don't think Tinkle forgot how to coach, but either he doesn't trust these players to run the plays effectively or they're calling plays off to isolate themselves. I saw Glenn Taylor Jr. do this on Saturday, and Tinkle immediately gave him a talking to on the sideline. I'm not knocking Glenn Taylor Jr. at all - he's a freshman, works his butt off constantly, and seems to be one of the guys who cares the most....my favorite player on the team this year. He made a judgement call, Tinkle corrected it, and I didn't see him try to iso again that game.
I don't think he forgot how to coach. I do think there's a lack of on-court leadership this season. Lucas and Silva are the only guys (other than Hunt) that have been in the program for 3 years. While I would say both lead by example with their effort, the team certainly doesn't seem to be coalescing around them. Several guys look like they don't enjoy playing. I don't know if that's just because of the losing, or they genuinely dislike the other guys on the team, the coaches, or Corvallis/Oregon State in general. Whatever it is, it's very weird.
I'm choosing to look at the last two years as a wash. Making the Elite 8 was far more than I expected, and 3 wins is far worse than I expected. I'm going to give Tinkle the benefit of the doubt that he can correct this and return us to being competitive in the Pac-12 as he did after the 5 win season of a few years ago. If next year is a total dud too, then yeah, let's start talking about making a change.
Side note - Saturday night was the first time I've been to an event in Gill in over two years, probably closer to three. I know it's not for everyone, but it is a fantastic place to watch a game. I love the old time vibe with the wooden chairs and bleachers and how it's hot as hell despite there being like 2,500 people in attendance. Just a great, old fashioned atmosphere. I wish there were still more gyms like it. MKA has its perks too and I enjoy going down there to watch the Beavs when I get the chance, but it's just not the same. Cool venue, comfortable seating, but no charm. Always feels like its too much and trying too for a college atmosphere.
After OSU won to the College World Series in 2006 and 2007, they started to get on the radar of some pretty big recruits and transfers. Guys like Stefen Romero and Adalberto Santos....huge nationally ranked guys that previously would've passed on the opportunity to come to OSU, now decide to come here. I think Pat Casey has talked about taking talent over fit after the success of that first run. The team was not nearly as successful in the years following the first three-year run to Omaha, and it took several years to kind of get recruiting back on track and taking guys that fit Corvallis and the program before we started to see that top level success again.
I could say the same thing about Craig Robinson - had a (relatively) successful year his first season, winning the CBI with a team nobody thought had any talent. Then he starts to bring in guys like Jared Cunningham, Joe Burton, Roberto Nelson, Eric Moreland, etc.....and never really is able to get back to where he was in the first place.
Neither of these situations is a direct correlation - Casey obviously never fell off THIS much, and Robinson was just starting his tenure vs. Tinkle being in his eighth season, but I think that relative success can open doors previously not accessible and the temptation to get away from what you know and what works for what could be is hard to ignore.
This year is terrible. I was finally able to go to a game in person on Saturday, and I saw several possessions were four guys were playing zone and one guy was not, or in one ridiculous situation, a guy just assumed a shot was going up and started blocking out his man while the Stanford guy just drove right to the hoop for a layup. Tinkle is definitely not blameless - he brought these guys here, his job is to mold them into a team, but I also don't think it's his fault. I still think we have more individual talent than we did last year, top to bottom. That they seem unwilling to sacrifice personal stats or sportscenter highlight plays for the good of the team isn't Wayne's fault though.
I saw him draw up numerous plays for good looks out of timeouts last year during the tournament run. The other night vs. Cal, needing a bucket late, I expected the same thing. Instead we got Dexter Akanno in a 1-4 set trying to do it all himself. I don't think Tinkle forgot how to coach, but either he doesn't trust these players to run the plays effectively or they're calling plays off to isolate themselves. I saw Glenn Taylor Jr. do this on Saturday, and Tinkle immediately gave him a talking to on the sideline. I'm not knocking Glenn Taylor Jr. at all - he's a freshman, works his butt off constantly, and seems to be one of the guys who cares the most....my favorite player on the team this year. He made a judgement call, Tinkle corrected it, and I didn't see him try to iso again that game.
I don't think he forgot how to coach. I do think there's a lack of on-court leadership this season. Lucas and Silva are the only guys (other than Hunt) that have been in the program for 3 years. While I would say both lead by example with their effort, the team certainly doesn't seem to be coalescing around them. Several guys look like they don't enjoy playing. I don't know if that's just because of the losing, or they genuinely dislike the other guys on the team, the coaches, or Corvallis/Oregon State in general. Whatever it is, it's very weird.
I'm choosing to look at the last two years as a wash. Making the Elite 8 was far more than I expected, and 3 wins is far worse than I expected. I'm going to give Tinkle the benefit of the doubt that he can correct this and return us to being competitive in the Pac-12 as he did after the 5 win season of a few years ago. If next year is a total dud too, then yeah, let's start talking about making a change.
Side note - Saturday night was the first time I've been to an event in Gill in over two years, probably closer to three. I know it's not for everyone, but it is a fantastic place to watch a game. I love the old time vibe with the wooden chairs and bleachers and how it's hot as hell despite there being like 2,500 people in attendance. Just a great, old fashioned atmosphere. I wish there were still more gyms like it. MKA has its perks too and I enjoy going down there to watch the Beavs when I get the chance, but it's just not the same. Cool venue, comfortable seating, but no charm. Always feels like its too much and trying too for a college atmosphere.
