The Oregon State men’s basketball team’s four-game road trip continues Friday at the 2025 Paradise Jam. Oregon State (3-1) is one of eight teams headed to the Virgin Islands for the tournament.
After dropping a ninth-straight game to the Oregon Ducks, Beavers head coach Wayne Tinkle said the tournament is a big opportunity for his squad. It’s the program’s second trip to the Paradise Jam, finishing third during the 2018-19 season.
“It was one of the best things for us the last time we went,” Tinkle said. ‘We’re going to go down there on a mission, especially after this game (vs. Oregon. We need to) humble ourselves, get our feet back on the ground and go to work. It’s a great opportunity against some really, really good teams.”
The Paradise Jam’s round-robin format guarantees all eight teams three games. Each faces two teams from their respective half of the bracket and one from the other side.
The Beavers open the tournament against Evansville (2-3). They’ll play either Iona (4-0) or Akron (3-1) in their second-round game.
The other side of the Paradise Jam’s bracket features Green Bay (1-4), UMass (3-1), Yale (3-1) and the College of Charleston (2-3). The Yale Bulldogs and Akron Zips earned a place in the 2025 NCAA tournament. Both were 13-seeds who suffered first-round exits to Texas A&M and Arizona, respectively.
Physicality, post-play in need of improvement
Tinkle left Monday’s loss to Oregon unsatisfied and disappointed in his team’s physicality. The Beavers fouled the Ducks 27 times, leading to Oregon’s 27-for-39 performance at the stripe. Oregon State also lost the game on the glass, grabbing 27 rebounds to the Ducks’ 38.
It was a step in the wrong direction for the Beavers, who gutted out three close games prior to facing Oregon.
“We battled. But when we cut it to three and took a lead, we lost our discipline,” Tinkle said. “Step-back, fade-away 3-pointers; 30-foot 3-pointers instead of doing what was working — swinging the ball, shot-fake, getting it in the paint.”
Tinkle added that, while he didn’t want his team to become a “self-fulfilling prophecy,” the Beavers coaching staff worried the team developed a false sense of security. Oregon’s blistering 11-0 run to begin the game was, to Tinkle’s credit, prophetic.
Post players Yaak Yaak and Johan Munch fouled-out of the loss, while Noah Amenhauser collected two fouls in just six minutes. Guard Josiah Lake II and forward Olavi Suutela also played limited minutes, finishing with four fouls apiece. Tinkle said missing Lake II, who scored just 10 points vs. the Ducks, was a killer for Oregon State.
“He’s the heart and soul of our team, man,” Tinkle said of Lake II. “It took the wind out of his sails — maybe (Munch) a little bit, too — but they’ve got to learn. If they come out, show their hands, stay away from a couple of those cheap (fouls and) still be a physical presence, they won’t get into that kind of trouble.”
Depth and promise at guard
This Oregon State team is still searching for its identity. Tinkle is the first to say it, too. While the Beavers hunt for a go-to option in the post continues, they’ve found plenty of energy at guard.
Isaiah Sy, a junior and one of only six returners from a year ago, has carved out a role as the Beavers’ sixth-man at guard or off the wing. His percentages are down from his sophomore season (41.2 FG% in 2024-25; 32.3 FG% in 2025-26), but the four-game sample size is, after all, small.
Slovenian freshman Matija Samar started all four of Oregon State’s games thus far. He’s played both small forward and point guard for the Beavers, but is primarily used as a shooting guard. Like Sy, Samar hasn’t found a consistent groove as a shooter (30.8 FG%; 28.6 3PT%), but his energy and will to win are palpable. His best all-around effort thus far came against UIC, scoring 11 (6-for-6 on FTs), grabbing six boards and dishing six assists.
“He brings great maturity and skill-level,” Tinkle said. “He’s got to understand the discipline and solid decision-making (needed). A couple games in a row (with) a couple shots that we didn’t need at that time… (But) as he gets more games under his belt, you’re going to see a guy that’s mature beyond his years.”
On the defensive side, French freshman Keziah Ekissi is rounding into a great defensive guard.
“His physicality has been big-time for us,” Tinkle said. “And he’s playing banged up. The guy is always on the floor and we’ve got to get him to where he understands what we need him to do on the offensive end. He’s a bull getting downhill. But if he doesn’t have an angle — jump, stop, pivot, find the open guy. But his physicality (is huge).”
Ekissi scored only 11 points against North Texas and Oregon combined, but finished at a combined +14 in the plus-minus column. He grabbed four boards, had three assists and pocketed four steals in the pair of games.
Previewing the field
Here’s a brief breakdown on the other seven teams heading to Paradise Jam.
Evansville (2-3) is searching for its first Division I win of the season. The Purple Aces opened the season with a loss to No. 1 Purdue and picked up their lone wins over NAIA programs. Guard Leif Moeller leads Evansville with over 30 minutes a game. He doesn’t jump off the page as a scorer (5 ppg) but averages nearly six assists per game. Forwards Connor Turnbull (14 ppg) and Joshua Hughes (12.6 ppg, 6 rebounds per-game) are the Purple Aces’ go-tos.
Iona (4-0) is fresh off a 20-point win over Princeton and undefeated thus far. The Gaels score nearly 90 points per night and have five players averaging double-figures to begin the season. Forward Lamin Sabally averages nearly a double-double (11.8 ppg, 8.3 rpg) and Toby Harris, another forward, is 12-for-21 from 3-point range to start the year.
Akron’s (3-1) lone loss came to No. 2 Purdue on Sunday, Nov. 16. Senior guard Tavari Jackson is in year four with the program and is its on-court leader. He leads a group of four Zips scoring in double-figures on a nightly basis. As previously mentioned, the Zips went dancing a year ago.
Charleston (2-3) has one win over a Division I opponent, beating South Carolina State. The Cougars are a primarily guard-led team that’s struggled to shoot 3-pointers (24.8 3PT%) but shares the ball well (13.4 team assists per game).
Yale (3-1) is fresh off an NCAA tournament and two days removed from its first loss of the season. The Bulldogs fell to Rhode Island, but senior forward Nick Townsend is a legit player for them. Through four games, Townsend averages 18 points and eight rebounds for Yale and is a 50% shooter from the field and behind the arc.
UMass (3-1) has rattled off three-straight wins after a season-opening loss to Marshall. The Minutemen’s version of Yale’s Townsend, senior forward Leonardo Bettiol, is their engine. Bettiol is averaging a double-double (18.5 pgg, 10.5 rbg) while shooting 67.5% from the floor. Unlike his Yale counterpart, Bettiol isn’t a 3-point shooter.
Green Bay (1-4) also lacks a Division I win. The Phoenix’s defense hasn’t been up to snuff, allowing more than 80 points in every game but one, an overtime loss to Minnesota. Green Bay’s leading scorer, junior forward Marcus Hall, averages 15.2 points per game with inside-outside versatility.
