While NCAA basketball’s Power Four conference tournaments wrapped up on Sunday, teams from mid-major Division I leagues are still battling for invites to the Big Dance, where they’ll aim to upset top March Madness contenders.
Already harnessing upset momentum is former Pac-12 squad Oregon State, who won the West Coast Conference (WCC) tournament as the No. 4 seed on Tuesday.
After conference realignment saw most of the starters from last season’s Elite Eight team transfer to Power Four programs, Oregon State finished the 2024/25 regular-season at 16-15 (12-8 in WCC play).
This week, however, the Beavers found another gear, tearing through their tournament and upsetting the two WCC regular-season co-champions along the way.
Oregon State paves a path to NCAA tournament underdog
First, Oregon State narrowly defeated top-seeded Gonzaga 63-61 in Monday’s semifinals, before beating back-to-back defending champion No. 2-seed Portland 59-46 in Tuesday’s tournament finale — only the fourth loss suffered by the Pilots all season.
Oregon State’s unlikely March Madness bid is…
