‘Everything just clicked for him mentally’: Tanner Overby’s rise to NWC Player of the Year

Tanner Overby ('28) plays Asbury University in Salem, Oregon on Dec. 18, 2025. Photo courtesy of Quinn Carbery.

Heading into this year’s basketball season, the Northwest Conference (NWC) coaches picked the Bearcat men to finish last in the conference. That didn’t faze Tanner Overby (’28).

“There honestly wasn't any pressure [at the beginning of the season] at all. We got picked last, so we just kind of played freely,” he said.

That freedom yielded results. By season’s end, the sophomore, who had played just 128 minutes in his rookie year, had broken the school points-per-game record, had been named the NWC player of the year, and had led his team to its first conference final appearance in a quarter of a century. 

An early introduction to basketball has turned into a standout season at Willamette University for Overby. When he first started the sport, he was only 6 years old, being coached by his father — a former high school and college player who passed down his love for the game.

“He got me started when I was young,” Overby said. “He played in high school and in college, so he had a love for the game and introduced me to it.”

Years later, that early introduction led him to dominate the conference this past season with 24.6 points per game, which broke the previous school record of 23.4. 

Despite his meteoric rise, Overby’s road to college basketball wasn't entirely straightforward. During his first two years of high school, he focused on a very different sport: golf. 

“In golf, you kind of have to look at what's best for you individually,” he explained. “In basketball, you have to focus on the team's needs first as well as yourself.”

He switched to basketball during his junior year, and the switch proved to be a big adjustment. 

“Its definitely different. It's way more physical and more fast-paced,” Overby said. While playing for Lincoln High School in Portland, Oregon, he often played forward positions — the three and the four — because of his team's smaller size. At Willamette, however, his role shifted dramatically. Now he operates primarily as a guard, playing the one or two, responsible for carrying the ball down the court and acting as a “floor general,” calling plays and moving the offense. 

“Just seeing all the work I put in during the summer really paid off,” he said. “Especially from not playing much last year at all. It's really rewarding.”

Overby totaled only 128 minutes on the court in his first-year season, but this year, he was on the court for more than five times that amount, with 630, the fourth most on the team. After not having the most court time last season, Overby entered the offseason determined to improve. The work began months before the season started.

“I did a lot of conditioning, a lot of basketball work and lifting,” he said. “Just getting my body ready for the season and trying to get better over the summer.” 

The effort did not go unnoticed. He was named the NWC Player of the Year on Feb. 27, an accomplishment that reflects the work he put in behind the scenes. He’s the first Bearcat to earn that honor since 1993.

“I think everything just clicked for him mentally,” said assistant coach Isaiah Quintero. “He came in this year, and the work was obvious that he had put in all offseason. And once the games started, he just took off.”

“This year, I prepared a lot more because I knew I was going to be playing a lot,” Overby said. “I’m just trying to stay in the moment and really focus on myself.”

As the season progressed and the team found success, expectations began to shift. Much of that improvement has come from strong team chemistry, Overby said. Off the court, the players have built close relationships that translate into their play.

Beyond his scoring ability, Overby’s impact is seen in that team chemistry. What stands out most about Overby is how he connects with his teammates, Quintero said. “They seem to respect him and how hard he works, and that respect is reciprocated. A bunch of them have said that this is the closest team that they've ever been a part of.”

The coaching staff has also played a significant role in the team's development, teaching the players lessons on improvement while watching film back and reflecting as a team what they could have done better rather than dwelling on mistakes. Overby has embraced that mindset, stepping into a leadership role as the season progressed. 

“He’s definitely taken more of a leadership role and taken ownership of that,” Quintero said.