The Cougars return home from Seattle to a tough home stand this week, starting with ninth-ranked Arizona Wednesday night at Beasley Coliseum.
In a press conference Tuesday morning, head coach Ernie Kent said preparing for Arizona, especially after coming home on a Sunday night is difficult to do in three days.
"To play a team of that magnitude on a Wednesday," said Kent, "that's extremely tough to do and we know that."
A player that the Cougars need to look out for this year is star freshman forward Deandre Ayton.
"I think he's a very difficult match up for anybody in the country," said Kent.
Ayton leads the team in field goal percentage (.619) and is just behind junior guard Allonzo Trier in points per game with 19.5. The freshman sensation has also shown that he is well rounded by leading the team in rebounds (236) as well as blocks (39).
However, Coach Kent is not focused on impeding Ayton. Kent has another game plan in mind.
"It's not about stopping him," Kent said. "I think the biggest thing for us in the game is making sure we have our energy and our competitive nature to go into a game ready to play and be able to show what we can do."
Riding a three-game losing streak, the Cougars have kept up with their opponents in the first half, only to fall behind in the second half. Kent believes that keeping the team focused on playing consistently can push them toward success Wednesday night.
"They need to bring a competitive nature to the game," said Kent.
Last season, Washington State proved they could keep up with some of the toughest teams in college basketball; they just need to find a way to finish the fight. The Cougars were able to put up a fight against the Wildcats in Tucson, and even lead for over 10 minutes in the first half in Pullman.
Kent acknowledges that his team is young and inexperienced against teams with the national rapport of Arizona's. Kent said he is anxious for the game to see how his team responds to this level of competition.
"You either need to come up to their level, or you're going to get your tail kicked," Kent said.
Keys to the Cougars' success will come from beyond the arc and from the free throw line. Washington State ranks third in the nation and first in the Pac-12 in 3-point shooting. The Cougars shoot an average of 72.5 percent from the line with four players hitting over 80 percent of their free throws.
Wednesday night's game will be the 80th meeting between the Cougars and the Wildcats, with Arizona holding a 63-16 lead in the series. Washington State has lost the last 12 games to Arizona, last wining in February of 2010 at Pullman.
Tip-off is 7 p.m. Wednesday Jan. 31 at Beasley Coliseum.
In a press conference Tuesday morning, head coach Ernie Kent said preparing for Arizona, especially after coming home on a Sunday night is difficult to do in three days.
"To play a team of that magnitude on a Wednesday," said Kent, "that's extremely tough to do and we know that."
A player that the Cougars need to look out for this year is star freshman forward Deandre Ayton.
"I think he's a very difficult match up for anybody in the country," said Kent.
Ayton leads the team in field goal percentage (.619) and is just behind junior guard Allonzo Trier in points per game with 19.5. The freshman sensation has also shown that he is well rounded by leading the team in rebounds (236) as well as blocks (39).
However, Coach Kent is not focused on impeding Ayton. Kent has another game plan in mind.
"It's not about stopping him," Kent said. "I think the biggest thing for us in the game is making sure we have our energy and our competitive nature to go into a game ready to play and be able to show what we can do."
Riding a three-game losing streak, the Cougars have kept up with their opponents in the first half, only to fall behind in the second half. Kent believes that keeping the team focused on playing consistently can push them toward success Wednesday night.
"They need to bring a competitive nature to the game," said Kent.
Last season, Washington State proved they could keep up with some of the toughest teams in college basketball; they just need to find a way to finish the fight. The Cougars were able to put up a fight against the Wildcats in Tucson, and even lead for over 10 minutes in the first half in Pullman.
Kent acknowledges that his team is young and inexperienced against teams with the national rapport of Arizona's. Kent said he is anxious for the game to see how his team responds to this level of competition.
"You either need to come up to their level, or you're going to get your tail kicked," Kent said.
Keys to the Cougars' success will come from beyond the arc and from the free throw line. Washington State ranks third in the nation and first in the Pac-12 in 3-point shooting. The Cougars shoot an average of 72.5 percent from the line with four players hitting over 80 percent of their free throws.
Wednesday night's game will be the 80th meeting between the Cougars and the Wildcats, with Arizona holding a 63-16 lead in the series. Washington State has lost the last 12 games to Arizona, last wining in February of 2010 at Pullman.
Tip-off is 7 p.m. Wednesday Jan. 31 at Beasley Coliseum.