Oregon State’s Sweet 16 game against Loyola of Chicago stirs up childhood memories for coach Wayne Tinkle - OregonLive

INDIANAPOLIS — Praying to play Loyola of Chicago in basketball isn’t something on every coach’s bucket list these days.

But it has special meaning to Oregon State coach Wayne Tinkle, whose father Wayne Sr. was a vice president and dean of students at Loyola for much of his childhood.

Loyola beat Midwest Region No. 1 seed Illinois 71-58 early Sunday afternoon, before Tinkle took his pregame nap.

“As I was saying my prayers, as I do before I take a nap, I just said this would be unbelievable,” Tinkle said.

Hours later, it came true, as Oregon State beat Oklahoma State in the second-round NCAA Tournament game to set up a Sweet 16 game against Loyola.

Tinkle is known for his days in Spokane, having been a basketball star at Ferris High. But his roots are Chicago, where he lived until eighth grade. Tinkle is a big Cubs fan, and got to know a lot of the ground at Loyola growing up.

The Tinkles moved to Spokane when his father took a job as vice president at Gonzaga.

Wayne Tinkle Sr. (Loyola University yearbook)

Tinkle spoke about his memories of Loyola, how he “grew up on their campus.” He spent many summers on campus with his father.

“He would have me do some work. He’d have people keep me out of trouble,” Tinkle said. “I’d go up to the gym, shoot some hoops. Then we’d go to the Cubs games in the afternoon.”

Tinkle fondly remembers Loyola coach George Ireland, who once coached the Ramblers to the NCAA title in 1963. Tinkle said he first saw an Ireland-coached Loyola team when he was 5 or 6 years old.

“This is really going to mean something extra special for me and my family,” Tinkle said of Saturday.

The Midwest Regional semifinal will be played at 11:40 a.m. Saturday at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis (TV on CBS).

-- Nick Daschel | ndaschel@oregonian.com | @nickdaschel

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