Five years later, the memories still feel surreal.
In 2021, the Oregon State Beavers Men’s Basketball team went from a team picked near the bottom of the conference standings to one of the most unforgettable stories in college basketball.
What began as an improbable run through the Pac-12 Tournament quickly turned into a Cinderella story in March Madness, carrying the Beavers all the way to the Elite Eight.
For the players who experienced it, the memories of that stretch, the celebrations, the late nights in the hotel and the bond formed during one of the strangest seasons in college basketball history remain vivid.
For guard Jarod Lucas, the moment that stands out most isn’t even on the court.
“My first memory is us celebrating in Vegas,” Lucas said. “We had a whole hotel floor to ourselves during COVID, and everybody had their doors open. We had pizzas, music blasting, and all our Pac-12 championship hats and shirts on. It was an awesome experience.”
That moment came after Oregon State shocked the conference by winning the Pac-12 Tournament, a run that few outside the program believed was possible.
Inside the locker room, though, belief had already started to grow.
“After the Cal and Stanford road trip, we had a players’ meeting with the coaches and Coach Tinkle,” Lucas said. “That was the turning point. Everything flipped after that.”
Head Coach Wayne Tinkle had kept the team focused all season, but the players themselves knew something had changed during that stretch.
“We started realizing what we could be,” Lucas said. “Once we locked in as a group, everything started coming together.”
Leadership from veteran guard Ethan Thompson also played a major role in keeping the team focused.
“Ethan was the best leader I’ve ever played with,” Lucas said. “He did a really good job keeping everybody in check, whether you were a starter or the first guy off the bench.”
Guard Zach Reichle said Thompson’s leadership helped create a culture built around trust and accountability.
“Ethan was our leader on the court,” Reichle said. “I was more of the vocal, emotional glue guy. We balanced each other really well.”
That balance helped create something rare in modern basketball, a team that truly prioritized winning above everything else.
“Everyone’s mindset going into the Pac-12 Tournament was just to win,” Reichle said. “Nobody cared about personal stats or how much they played.”
“When you have a group that’s willing to sacrifice personal gain for the good of the team,” he continued, “it’s amazing what a team can accomplish.”
Lucas said that mentality made the team different from many others he had played on.
“Nobody cared who scored the points,” Lucas said. “Especially in our starting five, nobody cared who the leading scorer was. That’s rare in basketball.”
That mindset proved critical as the Beavers entered the Pac-12 Tournament needing a miracle to keep their season alive.
They got one.
Oregon State won three straight games in Las Vegas, defeating higher-seeded teams and capturing the conference championship in dramatic fashion.
For Reichle, the moment that sealed the title remains unforgettable.
“Honestly, when I think of that year, the first thing that pops into my head is winning the Pac-12 championship and finally being able to celebrate when Colorado missed that last shot,” Reichle said.
The victory sent the Beavers to the NCAA Tournament, but few expected the run to continue.
Inside the locker room, however, confidence was building.
“We got to a point where we were confident and playing the right basketball at the right time,” said forward Joey Potts. “We just kept the mindset of, ‘Okay, we won the Pac-12 championship, now we can win the first round.’”
“If we win that,” he continued, “then we can win the second round. It just kept rolling.”
The Beavers entered the tournament as underdogs, but their first-round matchup quickly showed they belonged.
“When we were up 20 on Tennessee, that’s when I thought – we’re the real deal,” Lucas said. “We’ve got a shot at this.”
Oregon State defeated the Tennessee Volunteers convincingly, 70-56, before facing a major test in the second round against the Oklahoma State Cowboys.
That team featured future first overall pick and NBA superstar Cade Cunningham, widely considered one of the best players in the country.
For Reichle, the matchup became a battle of toughness.
“My favorite game was Oklahoma State,” Reichle said. “It was an absolute dogfight.”
“I didn’t score in that game,” he added, laughing. “But I loved it because it was just toughness.”
Defending Cunningham required constant effort.
“A guy like that, you’re never going to shut him down,” Reichle said. “You just try to make everything as hard as possible.”
The Beavers did exactly that, pulling off another upset, 80-70, and advancing to the Sweet Sixteen.
Momentum was beginning to rise.
That confidence carried into the Sweet Sixteen, where Oregon State defeated the Loyola Chicago Ramblers, 65-58, to reach the Elite Eight.
But the success came during one of the most unusual seasons in college basketball history.
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the entire NCAA Tournament was played in a controlled environment in Indianapolis.
Players were largely confined to hotels and arenas for nearly three weeks.
For Reichle, the experience was mentally challenging.
“That was probably the hardest year of basketball I’ve ever had mentally,” Reichle said. “There were no fans, constant testing, and you were away from family a lot.”
“A lot of the motivation had to come from within,” he added, “because there wasn’t really a home-court advantage anywhere.”
Lucas said the environment was strange but also memorable.
“It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” Lucas said. “We were in the hotel for three weeks and couldn’t leave, so you’d just see other teams in the lobby.”
Sometimes those encounters turned into reunions with old friends.
“You’d run into guys you grew up playing AAU with,” Lucas said. “It was cool to catch up with them.”
For the Oregon State players, the unusual circumstances created a unique bond.
“You were with your teammates 24/7,” Lucas said. “It was basically like a three-week sleepover with your best friends while playing for a chance to go to the Final Four.”
Potts described the routine as both strange and surprisingly fun.
“It almost felt like jail at times – they called it ‘yard time,’” Potts said with a laugh.
“But it was honestly so much fun. We’d go outside, throw the football around, play wiffle ball, and just hang out.”
Inside the locker room, the team’s personalities also helped keep things light.
“It was a funny team,” Reichle said. “We were goofy and fun to be around.”
“We had a lot of different personalities,” he added, “but they complemented each other really well.”
Potts agreed, saying the chemistry became stronger as the season progressed.
“We were serious when we needed to be,” Potts said. “But in the locker room, it was pretty goofy. Toward the end of the season, we were just all on the same page.”
Even players who weren’t seeing heavy minutes played an important role.
“Those guys off the bench deserve a lot of credit,” Reichle said. “Maurice Calloo, Gianni Hunt, Tariq Silver – those guys could start at a lot of schools.”
Lucas said one teammate in particular stood out for his positivity.
“Tariq Silver deserves a lot of credit,” Lucas said. “Even when he wasn’t getting the minutes he wanted, he was one of the biggest cheerleaders on the team.”
“He pushed us every day in practice.”
The run eventually brought Oregon State to the Elite Eight, where the Beavers faced the Houston Cougars with a trip to the Final Four on the line.
For Lucas, the significance of the moment didn’t fully sink in until just before the game.
“Before the Houston game, it hit me – we’re 40 minutes away from the Final Four,” Lucas said. “That’s when it felt real.”
Although the Beavers ultimately fell short, losing 67-61, the journey left a lasting mark on the players and the program.
Five years later, the team still keeps in touch and often reflects on that magical stretch.
“Joey still sends me videos from that run all the time,” Reichle said. “We think about it a lot, especially when March Madness comes around.”
Lucas said the experience continues to shape his perspective today as he begins his coaching career.
“Being able to say we won a Pac-12 championship and made the Elite Eight is something I’ll never forget,” Lucas said.
For Reichle, the memories go beyond basketball.
“I hope we’re remembered as a legendary team,” Reichle said. “But also as a group of good people who brought joy to the university during a weird time.”
Lucas agrees and believes the team’s place in history is already secure.
“Hopefully we’re remembered in Oregon State history as the last Pac-12 champions,” Lucas said.
Five years later, the magic of that 2021 team still lives on, a reminder of what can happen when a group believes in each other, embraces the underdog role and refuses to stop believing.