PORTLAND - Beads of sweat fell from Wayne Tinkle's face Saturday night in between coughing fits at the Moda Center post-game media room.
An Oregon State athletic department official handed him a small water bottle to help the 6-foot-10 men's basketball coach with a hoarse voice get through the next nine minutes. More bottles arrived as the question-and-answer session continued following the Beavers' 63-60 win over Saint Louis at the Dam City Classic.
Freshman guard Ethan Thompson quickly grabbed his, while from across the table redshirt sophomore forward Tres Tinkle motioned that he needed one soon. He later tweeted he felt like "absolute death.