Cougars to Host Carroll College in Exhibition Action Sunday

November 04, 2016 | Men's Basketball

The men play at 5 p.m., following the women who tip off at 2 p.m.

By: Washington State Athletics

PULLMAN, Wash. – Washington State University men's basketball will debut seven newcomers, as it hosts Carroll College in exhibition action at Beasley Coliseum, Sunday, Nov. 6 at 5 p.m. The Cougar men follow the women who host Alaska Anchorage at 2 p.m. at Beasley.

WSU head coach Ernie Kent is in his third season after leading the Cougars to their most Pac-12 wins since 2011-12 with a 7-11 league mark in 2014-15. The Cougars return three starters in seniors, guards Ike Iroegbu and Charles Callison and forward Josh Hawkinson. Hawkinson returns as the leading scorer and rebounder after averaging 15.4 points and 11.1 rebounds per game a year ago.

Hawkinson has led the Pac-12 in rebounding and double-doubles the last two years, having ranked in the top 12 nationally in those two categories as both a sophomore and junior. He is on pace to become the first Cougar to reach the 1,000-1,000 club with 1,000 career points and 1,000 career rebounds.

Iroegbu is tied for 13th on WSU's career record books for assists with 263. With a 2.8 career assists average, he's on pace to finish with 350 career assists, which would put him third in Washington State history.

Also returning for the Cougars are senior Conor Clifford, junior Derrien King and sophomores Viont'e Daniels and Robert Franks. Clifford started 7 games for the Cougars in his first season at WSU as a junior in 2015-16, after transferring. Guards Daniels and King saw action in 20 and 26 games, respectively, while Franks, a forward, played 23 games as a freshman.

Joining the Cougars are freshmen guards Malachi Flynn, Milan Acquaah and Jamar Ergas, freshmen forwards Jeff Pollard and Arinze Chidom, sophomore guard KJ Langston and junior walk-on guard, Steven Shpreyregin. Flynn was the state of Washington's Player of the Year as a senior in 2015-16 at Bellarmine Prep.

The Cougars open up the regular season in a men's/women's doubleheader hosting Montana State, Friday, Nov. 11 at 4 p.m. at Beasley Coliseum. The women follow at 7 p.m. That game is the last time to see the Cougars until Sunday, Nov. 27 when they host San Jose State at 3 p.m. In the meantime, the Cougars will host Central Washington at Kennewick, Wash., Nov. 15, and will participate in the Paradise Jam at the U.S. Virgin Islands, Nov. 18-21.