Washington State Cougars men's basketball

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Washington State Cougars men's basketball
2023–24 Washington State Cougars men's basketball team
UniversityWashington State University
Head coachVacant
ConferencePac-12
LocationPullman, Washington
ArenaBeasley Coliseum
(Capacity: 12,058)
NicknameCougars
ColorsCrimson and gray[1]
   
Uniforms
Home jersey
Team colours
Home
Away jersey
Team colours
Away
Alternate jersey
Team colours
Alternate
Pre-tournament Premo-Porretta champions
1917
Pre-tournament Helms champions
1917
NCAA tournament runner-up
1941
NCAA tournament Final Four
1941
NCAA tournament Elite Eight
1941
NCAA tournament Sweet Sixteen
2008
NCAA tournament round of 32
1983, 2007, 2008, 2024
NCAA tournament appearances
1941, 1980, 1983, 1994, 2007, 2008, 2024
Conference regular season champions
1917, 1941

The Washington State Cougars men's basketball team represents Washington State University and competes in the Pac-12 Conference (Pac-12) of NCAA Division I. The Cougars play their home games on campus in Pullman at Beasley Coliseum, which has a capacity of 12,058. They are currently led by head coach Kyle Smith (93-69).

History[edit]

Washington State began varsity intercollegiate competition in men's basketball in 1902. The Cougars were retroactively awarded the 1917 National Championship by the Helms Athletic Foundation and the Premo-Porretta Power Poll.[3][4] The team played to large crowds in the late-1970s when George Raveling was head coach.[citation needed]

For the better part of seven decades, the Cougars were a consistent contender in the Pac-10 and its predecessor, the Pacific Coast Conference. After a dark period in the late 1990s and early 2000s, there was the beginning of a resurgence under coach Dick Bennett. The 2004–05 season saw a large increase in student support as the team finished within a few wins of a .500 record (along with a stunning upset win against Arizona, an eventual Elite Eight team). Bennett retired at the end of the 2005–06 season and was replaced by his son, Tony.

Tony Bennett tied the all-time WSU record for wins (26) twice in three seasons as head coach before leaving to coach the Virginia Cavaliers in 2009. Washington State had recently cancelled a trip to the 2009 Final Four for Bennett and his staff, and was considering dropping chartered recruiting trips which had been started one year prior at Bennett's request.[5]

2006–07[edit]

The Cougars earned a #3 seed in the NCAA tournament and beat Oral Roberts 70–54 in the first round. The Cougars then lost to Vanderbilt in the second round 78–74 in double overtime. Their final record was 13–5 in the Pac-10 and 26–8 overall, which tied the school record for most wins in a season. During the 2006–07 season, the Cougars swept rival Washington, Arizona, Arizona State, USC, Oregon State, and California. In the tournament, the coaching staff wore a pin saying TAY, which stood for Turn-Around Year. After the season, Coach Tony Bennett received the Naismith Coach of the Year award, the highest honor for a college basketball coach.

2007–08[edit]

In 2008, the Cougars returned to the NCAA tournament. The Cougars earned a #4 seed and were matched up against #13 seed Winthrop University. The Cougars dominated in the second half after a 29–29 tie in the first half to finish 71–40, far beyond the 9 point margin they were favored by.[6]

After two straight victories in the NCAA Tournament, the Cougars headed to the Sweet Sixteen for the second time in school history. In the Sweet Sixteen, Washington State was matched against the #1 overall seed North Carolina. During the first half, both teams seem evenly matched, but North Carolina took control in the second half and won by a score of 68–47.[7] The Cougars finished the 2007–08 season with a record of 26–9.

The Kyle Smith Turnaround[edit]

On March 27, 2019, Smith was named as the 19th head coach of Washington State, agreeing to a six-year contract worth $1.4 million annually. He was formally introduced at a press conference on April 1, 2019. In his first season at Washington State, Smith led the Cougars to a 6-12 conference record(16-16 overall), their best since 2011-12. In the first round of the Pac-12 Tournament, Washington State beat Colorado, their first win in the conference tournament in over 10 years. In September 2021, Smith signed a contract extension through the 2026-27 season. [1]

During the 2021-22 season, Smith lead the Cougars to their first winning record in conference play (11-9) in 14 years (2007-08). The Cougars followed up their regular season success with a win in the Pac-12 Tournament before losing to eventual runner-up UCLA. Following that, an NIT berth as a No. 4 seed gave the Cougs their first postseason bout in 11 years. Their first round win against Santa Clara (63-50) notched their first 20-win season since 2010-11. The 2021-22 season ended after an impressive run that landed the Cougs in the Semifinals of the NIT (for the second time in program history) against Texas A&M, where their final record on the season was 22-15.

On February 19, 2024, the Cougars returned to the AP Poll for the first time since the 2007–08 season (#21 with a 20-6 record). The following week, Washington State completed a season sweep of the 4th ranked team in the country, Arizona, to move into 1st place in the PAC-12 and all but ensure their first March Madness appearance in 16 years.

On March 17, 2024, Washington State was given an at-large bid by the selection committee, officially ending their 16-year long NCAA Tournament drought. The Cougars received a 7-seed and a first-round matchup against the Drake Bulldogs.

Head coaches[edit]

Winningest Coaches (Min. 100 games)
Coach Wins Losses Percentage (%)
Tony Bennett 69 33 .676
Jack Friel 495 377 .568
J. Fred Bohler 226 177 .561
George Raveling 166 137 .548
Kyle Smith 94 71 .573
Kelvin Sampson 103 103 .500
Marv Harshman 155 181 .461
Ken Bone 80 86 .482

George Raveling* was the first African American head coach in the Pacific Athletic Conference (known as the PAC 8 at the time). He coached from 1972–1983 and won 167 games at WSU.

Head coach Tony Bennett announced that he was leaving for Virginia following the 2008–09 season.[8] Bennett, who became head coach after his father Dick Bennett's retirement, finished the season with a 17–16 record. In the previous two years, he led the Cougars to consecutive NCAA tournament appearances; father and son coached the Cougars for three seasons each.

Ken Bone replaced Bennett as head coach of the WSU Cougars Men's Basketball Team in February 2009.[9] Bone served as head coach until 2014 and he was followed as head coach by Ernie Kent.[10] Kent served as head coach until 2019. He was replaced by current head coach Kyle Smith.[11]

Postseason[edit]

NCAA tournament results[edit]

The Cougars have appeared in seven NCAA Tournaments, with an overall record of 7–7.

Year Seed Round Opponent Result
1941 Elite Eight
Final Four
National Final
Creighton
Arkansas
Wisconsin
W 48–39
W 64–53
L 34–39
1980 #5 Round of 48 #12 Penn L 55–62
1983 #8 Round of 48
Round of 32
#9 Weber State
#1 Virginia
W 62–52
L 49–54
1994 #8 Round of 64 #9 Boston College L 64–67
2007 #3 Round of 64
Round of 32
#14 Oral Roberts
#6 Vanderbilt
W 70–54
L 74–78 2OT
2008 #4 Round of 64
Round of 32
Sweet Sixteen
#13 Winthrop
#5 Notre Dame
#1 North Carolina
W 71–40
W 61–41
L 47–68
2024 #7 First Round
Second Round
#10 Drake
#2 Iowa State
W 66–61
L 56–67

NIT results[edit]

The Cougars have appeared in seven National Invitation Tournaments (NIT), with a combined record of 10–7.

Year Round Opponent Result
1992 First Round
Second Round
Minnesota
New Mexico
W 72–70
L 71–79
1995 First Round
Second Round
Quarterfinals
Texas Tech
Illinois State
Canisius
W 94–82
W 83–80
L 80–99
1996 First Round
Second Round
Gonzaga
Nebraska
W 92–73
L 73–82
2009 First Round Saint Mary's L 57–68
2011 First Round
Second Round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
Long Beach State
Oklahoma State
Northwestern
Wichita State
W 85–74
W 74–64
W 69–66 OT
L 44–75
2022 First Round
Second Round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
Santa Clara
SMU
BYU
Texas A&M
W 63–50
W 75–63
W 77–58
L 56–72
2023 First Round Eastern Washington L 74–81

CBI results[edit]

The Cougars have appeared in one College Basketball Invitational (CBI). Their combined record is 4–2.

Year Round Opponent Result
2012 First Round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
Finals Game 1
Finals Game 2
Finals Game 3
San Francisco
Wyoming
Oregon State
Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh
W 89–75
W 61–41
W 72–55
W 67–66
L 53–57
L 65–71

Retired numbers[edit]

The Cougars have retired two jersey numbers in program history, most recently Klay Thompson's number 1 in 2020.[12]

Washington State Cougars retired numbers
No. Player Pos. Career No. ret. Ref.
1 Klay Thompson SG 2008–2011 2020 [12]
55 Steve Puidokas C 1973–1977 [12]

Cougars in the NBA[edit]

Washington State has had 21 former players who have gone on to play in the NBA.

C. J. Elleby
Name Years in NBA
Josh Akognon 2013
Norton Barnhill 1977
Aron Baynes 2013-2021
Robert Bishop 1949
Don Collins 1981-1987
Gene Conley 1953-1964
Ron Davis 1977-1982
James Donaldson 1981-1995
Craig Ehlo 1984-1997
C. J. Elleby 2021-2022
Malachi Flynn 2021-2023
Isaac Fontaine 2002
Robert Franks 2021
Ed Gayda 1951
Mark Hendrickson 1997-2000
Brian Quinnett 1990-1992
Randy Stoll 1968
Klay Thompson 2012-Present
Kyle Weaver 2009-2011
Guy Williams 1985-1986
Mouhamed Gueye 2023-Present

Cougars playing in overseas leagues[edit]

Rivalries[edit]

Gonzaga[edit]

Gonzaga University is a Jesuit university in Spokane, about 75 miles (120 km) north of Pullman.[13] As of the 2013–14 season, Washington State has a 98–50 (.662) lead in the series against the Bulldogs; the series began in 1907 and has most recently been played annually since 2001.[14] The game in December 2007 marked the first time the two met as ranked teams.[15] Visiting Washington State was ranked #6 in the AP Poll and won 51–47 over #19 Gonzaga at the McCarthey Athletic Center.[16]

Idaho[edit]

A non-conference series since 1959, Washington State has played the Idaho Vandals of neighboring Moscow annually since 1906 in a rivalry dubbed the Battle of the Palouse; the U of I is less than eight miles (13 km) east of Pullman. They often met four or five times per season until 1964, reduced to twice a season for the next decade. It has since become an annual event early in the schedule (except for the mid-1990s, when two games per season were played). The continuing rivalry is the oldest in the western United States,[17] four years older than WSU's series with the Washington Huskies.

The two played the first-ever regular season basketball game in the newly-enclosed Kibbie Dome in January 1976, won by the Cougars.[18] The rivalry was at its peak in December 1982 when 11,000 were in the same venue for a Saturday night overtime thriller, won by the Vandals.[19][20][21][22]

Washington State has a 167–110 (.603) lead in the series through November 2021, when Washington State won 109–61 in Moscow, for a fourth straight win.[17]

Washington[edit]

The University of Washington is located in Seattle, nearly 300 miles (480 km) west of Pullman. As of 2023, the Washington Huskies have a 186–111 (.626) lead in the series that began in 1910. Recently, Washington State has dominated, winning 7 of the last 9 meetings. [23]

Statistical records[edit]

Scoring[edit]

Assists[edit]

Rebounds[edit]

Record vs. Pac-12 opponents[edit]

The Washington State Cougars have the following all-time series records vs. Pac-12 opponents.

Opponent Wins Losses Pct. Streak
Arizona 21 71 .228 WSU 2
Arizona St. 42 47 .471 WSU 1
California 56 76 .411 WSU 8
Colorado 7 18 .292 Colorado 1
Oregon 129 175 .425 Oregon 1
Oregon St. 127 171 .424 WSU 3
Stanford 57 79 .410 WSU 3
UCLA 16 113 .127 UCLA 4
USC 70 73 .489 USC 1
Utah 5 25 .179 Utah 2
Washington 111 186 .367 WSU 3
  • Note all-time series includes non-conference matchups.

References[edit]

  1. ^ Washington State University Athletics Department Brand Identity Guidelines (PDF). April 18, 2013. Retrieved April 6, 2017.
  2. ^ "2021 22 Washington State Information Guide" (PDF).
  3. ^ List of Helms Champs
  4. ^ ESPN, ed. (2009). ESPN College Basketball Encyclopedia: The Complete History of the Men's Game. New York, NY: ESPN Books. p. 534. ISBN 978-0-345-51392-2.
  5. ^ Bennett Virginia's New Men's Coach, accessed December 8, 2017
  6. ^ The Daily Evergreen Online - News - Local
  7. ^ Hansbrough, UNC roll past Wazzu into Elite Eight
  8. ^ Virginia to name Bennett coach
  9. ^ Withers, Bud (April 7, 2009). "Ken Bone is new WSU men's basketball coach". The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on May 12, 2009. Retrieved February 12, 2010.
  10. ^ Thorpe, Jacob (March 31, 2014). "Ernie Kent is new WSU men's basketball coach". The Spokesman-Review. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
  11. ^ Lawson, Theo (March 27, 2019). "Washington State tabs Kyle Smith to restore long-dormant basketball program". The Spokesman-Review.
  12. ^ a b c Lawson, Theo (September 30, 2019). "Klay Thompson jersey retirement at Washington State to coincide with Jan. 18 game versus Oregon State". The Spokesman-Review. Retrieved January 18, 2020.
  13. ^ Kaplan, Ben (December 3, 2012). "Gonzaga and Washington State prepare to meet again". KXLY. Retrieved December 4, 2014.
  14. ^ "All-time opponents: Gonzaga", 2014-15 Washington State Basketball, Washington State Cougars, p. 36
  15. ^ Geranios, Nicholas K. (December 4, 2007). "Cats and 'Dogs, ranked together: Washington State, Gonzaga meet as Top 25 teams for first time". USA Today. Associated Press. Retrieved December 4, 2014.
  16. ^ "No. 6 Washington State Defeats No. 19 Gonzaga, 51-47". wsucougars.com. Associated Press. December 5, 2007. Retrieved December 4, 2014.
  17. ^ a b Lawson, Theo (December 6, 2017). "Brayon Blake's 26 points lead hot-shooting Idaho past Washington State for third-largest win in Battle of Palouse". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Retrieved December 9, 2017.
  18. ^ Missildine, Harry (January 22, 1976). "Cougars best Idaho before record crowd". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). p. 37.
  19. ^ Devlin, Vince (December 3, 1982). "George bristles over '81 UI win". Spokane Chronicle. (Washington). p. 19.
  20. ^ Killen, John (December 4, 1982). "Idaho vs. WSU". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). p. 1B.
  21. ^ Devlin, Vince (December 6, 1982). "For Cougs, it was a foul night". Spokane Chronicle. (Washington). p. 23.
  22. ^ Killen, John (December 5, 1982). "Vandals nip Cougars in OT, 62-58". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). p. 1B.
  23. ^ "Pac-12 opponents: Washington", 2014-15 Washington State Basketball, Washington State Cougars, p. 34
  24. ^ "Davonte Lacy". ESPN.com.
  25. ^ a b c "Brock Motum". ESPN.com.
  26. ^ a b c d e "Josh Hawkinson". ESPN.com.
  27. ^ "CJ Elleby". ESPN.com.
  28. ^ "Robert Franks". ESPN.com.
  29. ^ "Ike Iroegbu". ESPN.com.
  30. ^ "D.J. Shelton". ESPN.com.
  31. ^ "Washington vs. Washington State Box Score". ESPN.com. January 9, 2016. Retrieved December 24, 2020.

External links[edit]