March Madness is here. It’s going to be a lot different in 2021 with the entire NCAA Tournament in one location, but having been cancelled in 2020 the players are going to be even more enthused than usual and the bettors will be especially eager. With the regular season wining down, it’s time to start looking ahead at the teams that can expect to be serious National Championship contenders. We’ll be breaking them down one by one, and our series continues with the Oregon State Beavers.
Performance last five NCAA Tournaments: DNP, First Round, DNP, DNP, DNP
Ranking: Unranked
Coach: Wayne Tinkle
Star player: Ethan Thompson
Main strengths: Current momentum
Biggest weakness: Scoring depth
Record: 17-12
Oregon State was one of the ultimate bid stealers during the conference championships. Neither Oregon State nor Georgetown had any business being in the Big Dance–that was until the Pac-12 Tournament and Big East tournament, respectively. The Beavers won the former, knocking off UCLA, Oregon, and Colorado–all three teams in the field of 68. The Beavers are not the most talented team, but they are used to the size and athleticism of the power conferences. That should serve them well against Tennessee in one of those ol’ 5-vs.-12 games that often seem to produce upsets. Senior guard Ethan Thompson has been Oregon State’s best player all season, but others are stepping up. A Sweet 16 run is not entirely out of the question.
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