The Oregon State Men’s basketball team is on a magical run in this year’s NCAA basketball tournament. The Beavers were picked to finish last in the Pac 12 and pulled off an unlikely win vs. Oregon and Colorado to punch a ticket to the tourney. After beating No. 5 seed Tennessee in the first round, they are just the third double-digit seed to reach this year's Sweet 16.
So what’s the secret sauce inspiring this run?
“Supreme confidence,” play-by-play broadcaster for the Beavers, Mike Parker, told Dirt and Sprague, Monday morning.
“Last night, there were times when the length and athletic abilities of Oklahoma State made me think, ‘This is just too much to ask,’” Parker relayed on the morning show. “It almost had a feel of inevitability.”
Despite the level of adversity Oregon State faced in their second round game, the Beavers were able to put together a 22-6 run. The lead created a cushion they were able to ride till securing victory over the Cowboys.
Oregon State developed a belief in winning games after the Pac-12 tournament, beating Oregon and Colorado, consecutively. “That was the day that gave them the belief they could win games,” Parker said. “They held that team (Oklahoma State) to 27.7% shooting, and they’ve been holding teams to under 30% during this run.”
The Beavers will need to keep this momentum going if they hope to turn a Cinderella story, into a narrative for success in the future.
CHECK OUT DIRT AND SPRAGUE’S FULL INTERVIEW WITH MIKE PARKER IN THE PLAYER ABOVE!
