Washington State Cougars Basketball: The best team in the west no one is watching
Last year the Washington State Cougars flew under the NCAA radar before a February collapse brought them back to the pack. Now the Cougs are back and undefeated.
As the calendar changes from 2020 to 2021, the Washington State Cougars basketball team is 8-0 (1-0 in the Pac-12). That makes Kyle Smith 24-16 in one-and-a-half years as the Cougs head coach. A remarkable feat considering his predecessor Ernie Kent was 58-98 over the previous five seasons.
Losing 2019-20’s best player CJ Elleby to the NBA should have been a huge blow. Instead, Smith put together another good team, including the number 34 recruiting class of 2020 (fourth in Pac-12). So far, the Cougs have beaten every team they played.
Not only are the Cougars excelling in the win column, but they also show great heart and tenacity. Several times Wazzu was down late in the second half and rallied to pull out a victory. Some might point out that they struggled against inferior opponents.
In fact, there’s evidence to suggest that maybe Wazzu isn’t as good as their record suggests. Right now, the Cougs are 135th in the RPI Rankings between Montana (3-5) and Dixie State (4-2). But in the current COVID-19 environment, teams can only play who is available. It’s not their fault that both Colorado and Arizona State had to postpone games.
The upside
Taking a positive approach, the Cougs wear down their opposition, eventually winning in the end. After all, a win is a win no matter if it’s by one point or 50. Additionally, they’re doing it with a very young team. Guard Isaac Bonton is the only senior on the team. The senior guard leads Washington State with 16.0 points and 3.4 assists. Also, his 5.6 boards are second to freshman center Efe Abogidi (9.1).
As the 2021 Pac-12 schedule kicks into high gear, Washington State is the dark horse that other conference teams need to worry about. It would be a mistake for any future opponent to take the Cougs for granted.
If the Cougs play around .500 the rest of the way, which is exceedingly possible, it should make them an NCAA Tournament team. Winning a third of the games puts Wazzu squarely in the NIT. A postseason trip is exactly what Smith needs to take his program to the next level.