Craig Robinson said it after Thursday's Pac-10 Tournament loss to Washington.
"If there is enough room for us in one of these tournaments, specifically the CBI, that would be terrific. We would love to try and defend our title."
The College Basketball Invitational does in fact have room for Oregon State, and the Beavers have officially accepted a bid and will look to defend their title.
The tournament begins on Wednesday for the Beavers, who draw a first round home-court matchup with Boston U. Boston was a game away from earning an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, but fell short against Vermont in the America East Tournament championship game. Vermont star Marqus Blakely, who was the top player in the conference as a sophomore, junior, and will likely earn the honor as a senior as well, was just too much for BU to handle.
By virtue of winning the conference tournament, Vermont advanced to the NCAA Tournament, while Boston U slid all the way down to the CBI. Stony Brook, who won the America East regular season title, is headed to the NIT.
Under first year head coach Patrick Chambers, the Terriers have a 19-13 overall record and are playing into the post-season for the first time in five years.
"I'm delighted for our team and especially our nine seniors," Chambers said after accepting the invitation Sunday evening. "They deserve to finish their careers in the postseason and have the opportunity to compete for a championship."
While Boston U is a senior-laden team, Oregon State is not as experienced. The Beavers have four seniors on the roster, but Robinson has frequently relied on his younger players throughout the season.
Post-season tournament experience will definitely benefit freshmen Angus Brandt, Jared Cunningham, and Joe Burton, who are all finding their grooves on the roster. The trio will be joined by Rhys Murphy and Roberto Nelson next season, freshmen who will redshirt due to injury and eligibility issues.
The CBI will mark the final games for graduating seniors Josh Tarver, Seth Tarver, Roeland Schaftenaar, and Cavin Hampton.
"We are very excited to have the opportunity to continue our season and play a first round game in front of our home crowd," head coach Craig Robinson said. "It's a great reward for our players to be selected to the tournament and I know Boston University will be a great challenge. We're looking forward to getting back to work on Monday and preparing for the first game."
--Jake | (jake.buildinthedam@gmail.com)