The Oregon State Beavers men's basketball program, established in 1901, is the
intercollegiate men's basketball program of
Oregon State University
Oregon State University (OSU) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Corvallis, Oregon, United States. OSU offers more than 200 undergraduate degree programs and a variety of graduate and doctor ...
in
Corvallis, Oregon
Corvallis ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Benton County, Oregon, Benton County in central western Oregon, United States. It is the principal city of the Corvallis, Oregon Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Benton Co ...
. Members of the
West Coast Conference
The West Coast Conference (WCC) — known as the California Basketball Association from 1952 to 1956 and then as the West Coast Athletic Conference until 1989 — is a collegiate athletic conference affiliated with NCAA Division I consisting o ...
in
NCAA
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates College athletics in the United States, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and Simon Fraser University, 1 in Canada. ...
Division I, the team plays home games on campus at
Gill Coliseum
Gill Coliseum is a multi-purpose indoor arena in Corvallis, Oregon, located on the campus of Oregon State University. Opened in December 1949,Heartwell, James C. ''The History of Oregon State College Basketball, 1901/02–1952/53.'' Corvallis, OR: ...
, and the current head coach is
Wayne Tinkle
Wayne Francis Tinkle II (born January 26, 1966) is an American college basketball coach who is the head coach of the Oregon State Beavers men's basketball, Oregon State Beavers men's team of the West Coast Conference. Prior to his arrival in Corv ...
.
Oregon State has won 14 conference championships and appeared in the
NCAA tournament 18 times (three
(
1980
Events January
* January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a United States grain embargo against the Soviet Union, grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission.
* January 6 – Global Positioning Sys ...
–
82) were later vacated by the NCAA). The Beavers have advanced to the Final Four twice (
1949
Events
January
* January 1 – A United Nations-sponsored ceasefire brings an end to the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947. The war results in a stalemate and the division of Kashmir, which still continues as of 2025
* January 2 – Luis ...
,
1963
Events January
* January 1 – Bogle–Chandler case: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation scientist Dr. Gilbert Bogle and Mrs. Margaret Chandler are found dead (presumed poisoned), in bushland near the Lane Cove ...
), and their most recent tournament appearance was in
2021
Like the year 2020, 2021 was also heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, due to the emergence of multiple Variants of SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 variants. The major global rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, which began at the end of 2020, continued ...
, when they advanced to the Elite Eight after winning their first tournament games since 1982.
As of the 2023 season the Oregon State men's basketball holds the NCAA record for most games played against a single opponent with 362 games played against the
Oregon Ducks men's basketball
The Oregon Ducks men's basketball team is an college basketball, intercollegiate basketball program that competes in the NCAA Division I and is a member of the Big Ten Conference, representing the University of Oregon. The Ducks play their home ga ...
team and the NCAA record for 2nd most victories against a single opponent with 195 victories against the Ducks.
Conferences
^
Pac-12's previous names: AAWU (1959–1968), Pacific-8 (1968–1978), and Pacific-10 (1978–2011)
Coaches
The Oregon State men's basketball team has had 21 head coaches, with one interim (2008). Both
Amory T. "Slats" Gill and
Ralph Miller
Ralph H. Miller (March 9, 1919 – May 15, 2001) was an American college basketball coach, a head coach for 38 years at three universities: Wichita (now known as Wichita State), Iowa, and Oregon State. With an overall record of , his teams had ...
are members of the
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 1000 Hall of Fame Avenue in Springfield, Massachusetts. It serves as basketball's most complete library, in addition to promoting and pre ...
.
Craig Robinson, the coach preceding Wayne Tinkle, was hired by OSU in 2008 out of
Brown University
Brown University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. It is the List of colonial colleges, seventh-oldest institution of higher education in the US, founded in 1764 as the ' ...
, where he had just coached the
Bears
Bears are carnivoran mammals of the family Ursidae (). They are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans. Although only eight species of bears are extant, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout most o ...
to a school-record 19 wins.
Robinson is the brother of United States first lady
Michelle Obama
Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama ( Robinson; born January 17, 1964) is an American attorney and author who served as the first lady of the United States from 2009 to 2017, being married to Barack Obama, the 44th president of the United Stat ...
, and the brother-in-law to
United States President
The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed For ...
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...
. The longest-tenured head coach was Slats Gill, who was the coach for 36 seasons, winning 599 games during his time at OSU. The current coach,
Wayne Tinkle
Wayne Francis Tinkle II (born January 26, 1966) is an American college basketball coach who is the head coach of the Oregon State Beavers men's basketball, Oregon State Beavers men's team of the West Coast Conference. Prior to his arrival in Corv ...
, was hired by OSU in 2014 from the
University of Montana – Missoula
The University of Montana (UM) is a Public university, public research university in Missoula, Montana, United States. UM is a Flagship#Colleges and universities in the United States, flagship institution of the Montana University System and it ...
, where he coached the
Montana Grizzlies
The Montana Grizzlies and Lady Griz are the nicknames given to the athletic teams of the University of Montana, located in Missoula, Montana, Missoula. The university is a member of the Big Sky Conference and competes in NCAA Division I, fieldin ...
to two
Big Sky Conference
The Big Sky Conference is a List of NCAA conferences, collegiate athletic conference, affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association, NCAA's NCAA Division I, Division I with college football, football competing in the Football Cha ...
championships and a school-record 25 wins.
History
1980–83 – Orange Express

The 1980–81 Oregon State men's basketball season was arguably one of the best yet most upsetting basketball seasons in Oregon State history. The team was referred to as the Orange Express and was led by Beaver legendary coach
Ralph Miller
Ralph H. Miller (March 9, 1919 – May 15, 2001) was an American college basketball coach, a head coach for 38 years at three universities: Wichita (now known as Wichita State), Iowa, and Oregon State. With an overall record of , his teams had ...
.
The Orange Express season was led by Beaver great,
Steve Johnson, in his last year at OSU, and the Beavers were second in the
final polls, released prior to the
NCAA tournament. This was the first time in OSU history that the Beavers won at
UCLA
The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Its academic roots were established in 1881 as a normal school then known as the southern branch of the C ...
, and the Orange Express spent a school record eight weeks ranked first in at least one of the AP and Coaches Polls. At the end of the regular season, the Beavers were and entered the 48-team NCAA tournament as the top seed in the
West region. They had a bye in the first round, but were upset in their opening game by #8 seed
Kansas State
Kansas State University (KSU, Kansas State, or K-State) is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Manhattan, Kansas, United States. It was opened as the state's land-grant college in 1863 and was the first public inst ...
50–48 in the second round, at
Pauley Pavilion
Edwin W. Pauley Pavilion, commonly known as Pauley Pavilion, is an indoor arena located in the Westwood Village district of Los Angeles, California, on the campus of UCLA. It is home to the UCLA Bruins men's and women's basketball teams. Th ...
in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
.
Miller was awarded
UPI
United Press International (UPI) is an American international news agency whose newswires, photo, news film, and audio services provided news material to thousands of newspapers, magazines, radio and television stations for most of the 20th ce ...
and
AP Coach of the Year honors and Steve Johnson received
All-American
The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...
honors.
For three seasons beginning in 1980–81, OSU posted an overall record of , second only to
DePaul's 79–6 record over the same seasons. The Beavers' record included a home record at
Gill Coliseum
Gill Coliseum is a multi-purpose indoor arena in Corvallis, Oregon, located on the campus of Oregon State University. Opened in December 1949,Heartwell, James C. ''The History of Oregon State College Basketball, 1901/02–1952/53.'' Corvallis, OR: ...
, including a school best 24 consecutive home wins.
However, NCAA sanctions followed these standout teams.
The NCAA found that many players, from 1979 to 1983 were involved in improper arrangements with outside representative related to the purchase of complimentary basketball tickets and the receipt of other prohibited benefits.
The NCAA vacated appearances from the
1980
Events January
* January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a United States grain embargo against the Soviet Union, grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission.
* January 6 – Global Positioning Sys ...
,
1981
Events January
* January 1
** Greece enters the European Economic Community, predecessor of the European Union.
** Palau becomes a self-governing territory.
* January 6 – A funeral service is held in West Germany for Nazi Grand Admiral ...
, and
1982
Events
January
* January 1 – In Malaysia and Singapore, clocks are adjusted to the same time zone, UTC+8 (GMT+8.00).
* January 13 – Air Florida Flight 90 crashes shortly after takeoff into the 14th Street Bridge in Washington, D.C. ...
tournaments.
Postseason
NCAA tournament results
The Beavers have appeared in the
NCAA tournament 18 times. Their combined record is 15–21. OSU had three NCAA Tournament appearances (1980, 1981 and 1982) vacated by the NCAA, resulting in 15 recognized appearances and an "official" NCAA Tournament record of 13–18. Their former 46-year drought between "official" tournament wins was the longest drought of any team from a major conference.
* Appearances and results from 1980, 1981, and 1982 were later vacated by the NCAA.
NIT results
The Beavers have appeared in the
National Invitation Tournament
The National Invitation Tournament (NIT) is an annual men's college basketball tournament operated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Since 2023, all rounds of the tournament are played at various sites across the country whi ...
(NIT) four times, with a combined record of 3–4.
CBI results
The Beavers have appeared in the
College Basketball Invitational
The College Basketball Invitational (CBI) is a men's college basketball tournament created in 2007 by The Gazelle Group. The inaugural tournament occurred after the conclusion of the 2007–08 men's college basketball regular season. The CBI sel ...
(CBI) four times.
Their combined record is 7–4, and they were the champions in 2009.
CBC results
The Beavers have appeared in the
College Basketball Crown (CBC) one time. Their record is 0-1.
All-time record vs. Pac-12 opponents
* Note all-time series includes non-conference matchups.
Rivalries
Oregon Ducks — Oregon State's main
rivalry
A rivalry is the state of two people or groups engaging in a lasting competitive relationship. Rivalry is the "against each other" spirit between two competing sides. The relationship itself may also be called "a rivalry", and each participant ...
(''The Civil War'') is with the Ducks. As of the 2023 season the Oregon State men's basketball holds the NCAA record for most games played against a single opponent with 362 games played against the
Oregon Ducks men's basketball
The Oregon Ducks men's basketball team is an college basketball, intercollegiate basketball program that competes in the NCAA Division I and is a member of the Big Ten Conference, representing the University of Oregon. The Ducks play their home ga ...
team and the NCAA record for 2nd most victories against a single opponent with 195 victories against the Ducks.
Washington Huskies — ''The Dog Fight'' is one of Oregon State's lesser-known rivalry games. As of 2023 they also have played rivals the
Washington Huskies men's basketball
The Washington Huskies men's basketball team represents the University of Washington in NCAA Division I college basketball competing in the Big Ten Conference. Their home games are played at Hec Edmundson Pavilion, located in Seattle, and they ar ...
310 times (NCAA record 3rd most)
Washington State Cougars — ''The Land-Grant Rivalry'' as
land-grant universities
A land-grant university (also called land-grant college or land-grant institution) is an institution of higher education in the United States designated by a state to receive the benefits of the Morrill Land-Grant Acts, Morrill Acts of 1862 and ...
, WSU and OSU have a longtime regional rivalry. As of 2023 they also have played rivals the
Washington State Cougars men's basketball
The Washington State Cougars men's basketball team represents Washington State University and competes in the West Coast Conference (WCC) of NCAA Division I. The Cougars play their home games on campus in Pullman at Beasley Coliseum, which has ...
308 times (NCAA record 4th most) and have beaten the Cougars 176 times (NCAA record 6th most)
Arizona Wildcats – ''The Cat's Meow'' was coined during the 1980's
Ralph Miller
Ralph H. Miller (March 9, 1919 – May 15, 2001) was an American college basketball coach, a head coach for 38 years at three universities: Wichita (now known as Wichita State), Iowa, and Oregon State. With an overall record of , his teams had ...
era when the Beavers would match-up against famed-coach
Lute Olson's squad.
Notable players
Oregon State has had 75 all-conference and 32
All-America
The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...
selections, five Pac-10 Players of the Year, 42 players selected in the
NBA draft
The NBA draft is the National Basketball Association's (NBA) annual event, dating back to 1947 BAA draft, 1947, in which the teams in the league can Draft (sports), draft players who declare for the draft and that are Eligibility for the NBA dr ...
, and 24 players that have gone on to play in the
NBA
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...
.
Additionally, OSU basketball alumni have 4 gold medals at the
Olympics
The modern Olympic Games (Olympics; ) are the world's preeminent international sporting events. They feature summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a variety of competit ...
, including one by
Lew Beck, who never played in the NBA. A total of 9 players have won 13 NBA titles, including three by
A.C. Green, two by
Brent Barry
Brent Robert Barry (born December 31, 1971), also known by the nickname "Bones", is an American basketball coach, executive, broadcaster and former player. He is the assistant coach for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association (NB ...
, two by
Mel Counts
Mel Grant Counts (born October 16, 1941) is an American former basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1964 to 1976. An excellent outside shooter for a 7 footer, he was on the United States Olympic basket ...
, and one each by
Red Rocha
Ephraim Joseph "Red" Rocha (September 18, 1923 – February 13, 2010) was an American professional basketball player and Coach (basketball), coach.
Basketball
A 6'9" center from Oregon State University, he earned List of All-Pacific-12 Confer ...
,
Dave Gambee
Dave Gambee (born April 16, 1937) is an American former basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA).
Early life
Gambee attended Corvallis High School in Corvallis, Oregon and starred in basketball and baseball.
College care ...
,
Lonnie Shelton
Lonnie Jewel Shelton (October 19, 1955 – July 8, 2018) was an American National Basketball Association (NBA) player who played from 1976 to 1985.
Early years
Shelton was born in Bakersfield, California. He played college basketball for Orego ...
,
Eric Moreland,
Gary Payton
Gary Dwayne Payton Sr. (born July 23, 1968) is an American former professional basketball player who was a point guard in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Widely considered one of the greatest point guards of all time, he is best know ...
and
Gary Payton II
Gary Dwayne Payton II (born December 1, 1992) is an American professional basketball player for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). As a junior and senior playing college basketball for the Oregon State Beavers ...
.
NBA players

*
Brent Barry
Brent Robert Barry (born December 31, 1971), also known by the nickname "Bones", is an American basketball coach, executive, broadcaster and former player. He is the assistant coach for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association (NB ...
*
Vic Bartolome
Victor Hayden Bartolome (born September 29, 1948) is an American former professional basketball player. He played in college at the Oregon State University, and was drafted in the sixth round of the 1970 NBA draft by the Golden State Warriors. ...
*
Corey Benjamin
Corey Dwight Benjamin (born February 24, 1978) is an American former professional basketball player who played in the NBA from 1998 to 2003. He graduated from Fontana High School in Fontana, California, then played college basketball for Oreg ...
*
Ricky Berry
*
Ray Blume
*
Freddie Boyd
Freddie L. Boyd (June 13, 1950 – October 8, 2023) was an American National Basketball Association (NBA) player whose career lasted from 1972 to 1978.
Boyd played in college for Oregon State University, and was drafted in the first round (5th ...
*
Jay Carty
*
Lester Conner
Lester Allen Conner (born September 17, 1959) is an American professional basketball coach and former professional basketball player, who played for numerous NBA teams. On the floor at the collegiate level the 6'4" Conner was a "swingman," playi ...
*
Mel Counts
Mel Grant Counts (born October 16, 1941) is an American former basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1964 to 1976. An excellent outside shooter for a 7 footer, he was on the United States Olympic basket ...
*
Jared Cunningham
Jared Armon Cunningham (born May 22, 1991) is an American professional basketball player. He played college basketball for Oregon State, where he was an All-Pac-12 first team selection before being selected with the 24th overall pick in the 20 ...
*
Drew Eubanks
*
Gary Freeman
*
Dave Gambee
Dave Gambee (born April 16, 1937) is an American former basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA).
Early life
Gambee attended Corvallis High School in Corvallis, Oregon and starred in basketball and baseball.
College care ...
*
A.C. Green
*
Swede Halbrook
*
Scott Haskin
*
Jim Jarvis
*
Omari Johnson
*
Steve Johnson
*
John Mandic
*
Eric Moreland
*
José Ortiz
*
Gary Payton
Gary Dwayne Payton Sr. (born July 23, 1968) is an American former professional basketball player who was a point guard in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Widely considered one of the greatest point guards of all time, he is best know ...
*
Gary Payton II
Gary Dwayne Payton II (born December 1, 1992) is an American professional basketball player for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). As a junior and senior playing college basketball for the Oregon State Beavers ...
*
Loy Petersen
Loy M. Petersen (born July 26, 1945) is a retired American professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association from 1968 to 1970. A guard, he played in college for Oregon State University, and was drafted in the seco ...
*
Mark Radford
*
Red Rocha
Ephraim Joseph "Red" Rocha (September 18, 1923 – February 13, 2010) was an American professional basketball player and Coach (basketball), coach.
Basketball
A 6'9" center from Oregon State University, he earned List of All-Pacific-12 Confer ...
*
Lonnie Shelton
Lonnie Jewel Shelton (October 19, 1955 – July 8, 2018) was an American National Basketball Association (NBA) player who played from 1976 to 1985.
Early years
Shelton was born in Bakersfield, California. He played college basketball for Orego ...
*
Charlie Sitton
*
Ethan Thompson
*
Kylor Kelley
International league players
*
Stephen Thompson Jr. (born 1997), basketball player in the
Israeli Basketball Premier League
Ligat HaAl (, lit., ''Supreme League or Premier League''), or the Israeli Basketball Premier League, is a professional basketball league in Israel and the highest level of basketball in the country. The league's name is abbreviated as either BSL ...
Retired numbers
Oregon State has
retired the jersey numbers of five players:
NCAA records
The individual and team NCAA records below are current as of the end of the 2015–16 season.
Individual Records
* Field Goal Percentage (Single season)
** 1st – 74.6% —
Steve Johnson, 1981 (235 of 315)
** 5th – 71.0% —
Steve Johnson, 1980 (211 of 297)
* Field Goal Percentage (Career, min. 400 made and 4 made per game)
** 1st – 67.8% —
Steve Johnson, 1976–81 (828 of 1,222)
* Field Goal Percentage (Single game, min. 12 field goals made)
** 1st (tie) – 100%
Steve Johnson vs. Hawaii-Hilo (13 of 13), Dec. 5, 1979
* Field Goal Percentage – Senior
** 1st – 74.6% —
Steve Johnson, 1981 (235 of 315)
* Field Goal Percentage – Junior
** 1st – 71.0% —
Steve Johnson, 1980 (211 of 297)
* Total Rebounds (Single game)
** 16th (tie) – 36 –
Swede Halbrook vs. Idaho, Feb. 15, 1955
* Assists (Career)
** 12th – 939 –
Gary Payton
Gary Dwayne Payton Sr. (born July 23, 1968) is an American former professional basketball player who was a point guard in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Widely considered one of the greatest point guards of all time, he is best know ...
, 1987–1990
* Average Assists Per Game (Career, min. 550 assists)
** 9th – 7.82 –
Gary Payton
Gary Dwayne Payton Sr. (born July 23, 1968) is an American former professional basketball player who was a point guard in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Widely considered one of the greatest point guards of all time, he is best know ...
, 1987–1990
* Steals (Career)
** 25th (tie) – 321 –
Gary Payton
Gary Dwayne Payton Sr. (born July 23, 1968) is an American former professional basketball player who was a point guard in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Widely considered one of the greatest point guards of all time, he is best know ...
, 1987–1990
Team Records
* Free-Throw Percentage (Single game, min. 30 free throws made)
** 16th (tie) – 30–31 vs. Memphis, Dec. 19, 1990
* Steals (Single game)
** 22nd (tie) – 27 vs. Hawaii-Loa, Dec. 22, 1985
* Field Goal Percentage (Season)
** 3rd – 56.4% – 1981
** 26th – 54.4% – 1980
* All-Time Victories (Min. 25 years in Division I)
** 26th – 1,797 wins
* Games played vs. Single Opponent
** 1st – 362 vs. Oregon
** 3rd – 310 vs. Washington
** 4th – 308 vs. Washington State
* Victories vs. Single Opponent
** 2nd – 195 vs. Oregon
** 6th – 176 vs. Washington State
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Oregon State Beavers Men's Basketball
1901 establishments in Oregon