at Utah (12-7, 5-3) | Thursday, Jan. 19 | 6 p.m. PT | 7 p.m. MT | Jon M Huntsman Center (Salt Lake City, Utah)
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OPENING FIVE
1. The Cougars visit Salt Lake City to face Utah at the Jon M. Huntsman Center, Thursday, Jan. 19 at 7 p.m. MT (6 p.m. PT) on Pac-12 Mountain and Pac-12 Washington. WSU has won two of the last three against the Runnin' Utes, falling most recently in an 65-67 overtime loss at Pullman, Dec. 4. Mouhamed Gueye recorded a 20-point, 11-rebound double-double, as Cougs fell in overtime for first time since at ASU (2/27/21). Bamba scored 14 and Powell added 11.
2. Last time out, WSU won its third-straight Conference game with a 60-59 victory over Stanford. The 1-point win was the smallest of the Smith era and the first since beating Santa Clara, 69-68, Dec. 17, 2016. Andrej Jakimovski scored a season-high 17 points to led the Cougs. Jakimovski made 5 3-pointers and DJ Rodman added four of his own with 15 total points. WSU matched a season-low with six turnovers committed and overcame its largest deficit of the season.
3. The Cougars average 8.9 made 3-point field goals per game, more than any other team in the Pac-12 (8th in Power 6 conferences). WSU leads the Conference in 3-point percentage Individually, Jabe Mullins is fourth in the country with a 48.8% (39-of-80) clip from beyond the arc. Mullins has the best 3-point percentage of any player in Power 6 conferences. Against Detroit Mercy, Nov. 25, the Cougars set a school record with 19 made 3s.
4. DJ Rodman has scored in double figures for six-straight games, and averaged 15.2 points per game after averaging 4.6 ppg through his first 12 games. The Newport Beach, Calif., senior is shooting 57.1% from 3-point range over that six-game span (20-of-35) and 45.3% overall. Rodman has drawn 21 charges this season, believed to be leading the country. He also leads the team in steals (16) and is second on the team in rebounding with 5.6 per game.
5. Andrej Jakimovski is finding his form as the North Macedonian junior returned to the starting lineup after missing the first 10 games of the season with a foot injury. In the win over Stanford, Jakimovski scored a season-high 17 points to lead the Cougars. The sharp shooter made 5-of-6 from 3-point range, matching a career-high for made field goals from beyond the arc. Jaki became the fourth Coug this season to make 5+ 3-pointers in a single game.

COUGARS VS THE RUNNIN' UTES
The Cougars visit Salt Lake City to face Utah at the Jon M. Huntsman Center, Thursday, Jan. 19 at 7 p.m. MT (6 p.m. PT) on Pac-12 Mountain and Pac-12 Washington. WSU has won two of the last three games against the Runnin' Utes, falling most recently in an 65-67 overtime loss at Pullman, Dec. 4. Mouhamed Gueye recorded a 20-point, 11-rebound double-double, as the Cougs fell in overtime for first time since falling at Arizona State, Feb. 27, 2021. TJ Bamba scored 14 and Justin Powell added 11 points.

LAST TIME OUT – VS STANFORD
WSU 60 - STAN 59 | JAN. 14, 2023 | PULLMAN, WASH.
Andrej Jakimovski scored a season-high 17 points, DJ Rodman added 15 and Washington State held off Stanford 60-59 on Saturday night. Jakimovski, who missed the first 10 games with a foot injury, was 6 of 8 from the field and matched his career best with five 3-pointers while playing a season-high 31 minutes. Rodman added four 3s for Washington State (9-10, 4-4 Pac-12), which has won four of its last five games.

RODMAN'S NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION
Since the Cougars Dec. 25 loss to Utah State, DJ Rodman has scored in double figures for six-consecutive games, including a season-high 19 points in the Cougs' 1-point loss to No. 11/8 UCLA. The Newport Beach, Calif., native has averaged 15.2 points per game after averaging 4.6 ppg through his first 12 games. Rodman is shooting 57.1% from 3-point range over that six-game span (20-of-35) and 45.3% from the field. Rodman has drawn 21 charges this season, believed to be leading the country. He also leads the team in steals (16) and is second on the team in rebounding with 5.6 per game.

GUEYE TAKING OVER THE CONFERENCE OF CHAMPIONS
Sophomore Mouhamed Gueye, a preseason All-Pac-12 selection and All-Freshman honoree last season, has become a double-double machine with seven double-doubles this season. In the Cougars' win at No. 5 Arizona, the Senegalese sophomore scored a season-high 24 points (1 shy of his career high) and grabbed a game-high 14 rebounds. Dec. 30 against No. 11 UCLA, he snagged a career-high 18 rebounds, most by a Coug since Josh Hawkinson tallied 20 against Washington (1/9/2016). Across eight conference games, including two AP Top-10 teams (UCLA, Arizona), Gueye is averaging 15.3 points per game (7th in Pac-12) and 7.8 rebounds per game (6th in Pac-12). Gueye has also grabbed more offensive rebounds than any player in Pac-12 play with 26 offensive boards.

BOMBS AWAY
The Cougars aren't afraid to pull the trigger from deep. As a team, WSU makes 8.9 3-point field goals per game, more than any other team in the Pac-12 and eighth in Power 6 conferences. Individually, Jabe Mullins is fourth in the country with a 48.8% (39-of-80) clip from beyond the arc. In the Nov. 25th game against Detroit Mercy, the Cougars set a school record with 19 made from beyond the arc. Jabe Mullins led WSU with six made 3-pointers as the Cougs finished 19-of 29 from downtown. The splash show marked the fourth time under Kyle Smith the Cougs have made 15+ from beyond the arc. The Cougars are 5-3 with at least 10 made 3-point field goals.

DEFENDING THE PERIMETER
In addition to their offensive prows from beyond the arc, the Cougars are also a top defensive team around the perimeter. WSU sits 12th in the country and best in the Conference in three-point field goal defense, limiting opponents. The Cougar backcourt is also quick to run shooters off the line, limiting opponents to 17.1 attempts from deep per game - best in the Pac-12 and 18th in Division I. Against Conference opponents, Wazzu is holding teams to 27.0% from 3-point range (3rd in Conference).

MULLINS MAGIC
After a four-game absence with minor knee injury, junior transfer Jabe Mullins has returned as one of the country's top 3-point shooters. He leads the Pac-12 and is currently fourth in Division I basketball with a 48.8% (39-of-80) 3-point field goal percentage. Mullins averages 2.6 made 3-point field goals per game, top in the Pac-12. Seven times this season he has made 3+ shots from beyond the arc. Against Eastern Washington, Nov. 21, Mullins made eight 3-point field goals - the most by a Coug since Noah Williams had eight vs Stanford on Feb. 20, 2021. It's also the most made 3s by a Pac-12 player this season and tied for the most by a high-major player in Division I. He followed the EWU game with six 3-point FGs against Detroit Mercy, as the Cougs set a school record with 19 made from beyond the arc.

JAK IS BACK
Andrej Jakimovski is finding his form, as the North Macedonian junior returned to the starting lineup after missing the first 10 games of the season with a foot injury. In the win over Stanford, Jan. 14, Jakimovski scored a season-high 17 points to lead the Cougars. The sharp shooter made 5-of-6 from 3-point range, matching a career-high for made field goals from beyond the arc. Jaki became the fourth Coug this season to make 5+ 3-pointers in a single game.

RODMAN RETURNING VETERAN
As the Cougars' veteran senior, Rodman leads the Cougars and Division-I with 21 charges drawn, more than double any teammate. On the offensive glass, Rodman has pulled in 34 offensive rebounds, second-most behind Gueye, and is second on the team with 5.6 total rebounds per game. The Newport Beach native has scored in double figures for six-straight games, including his second-career double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds at Arizona State (career-high vs Pac-12 opponent). Rodman also leads the Cougars with 16 steals this year.

TOP-15 TOUGHEST SCHEDULE & TOUGH LUCK
According to the KenPom adjusted strength of schedule, Washington State has played the 13th toughest schedule in the country. WSU is ranked 65th in the current KenPom ratings and is the only sub-.500 program in the top 70. According to the KenPom "luck rating," a measure of the deviation between a team's actual winning percentage and what one would expect from its game-by-game efficiencies, the Cougars are the 12th most-unlucky team in Division I this year, sitting at 352 out of 363 ranked programs.

WINNING BIG, LOSING SMALL
Seven of the Cougars' nine victories this season have come by at least 10+ points. Closing out close games is crucial for the Cougs, who lost to Utah, #11 Baylor, UNLV, and #11 UCLA by a combined total of 12 points. Washington State's smallest margin of victory came Jan. 14 against Stanford, a 60-59 nailbiter and the smallest margin of victory in the Kyle Smith era (first since Santa Clara Dec. 17, 2016). Five times this season the Cougars have lost by six points or fewer, including a 1-point defeat to No. 11 UCLA, Dec. 30, the first single-point loss for WSU since an overtime defeat by Colorado, Jan. 8, 2014. The Cougars are 2-5 in two-possession games this season.

POWELL'S PERFECT PASSING
Junior transfer Justin Powell has been taking care of the rock all season, with a 2.7 assist-to-turnover ratio. Powell is averaging 2.9 assists per game, 13th in the Pac-12. He is also 10th in the Conference as a 3-point shooter at 39.0% (41-of-105). Eight times this season Powell has committed zero turnovers. Three times this season Powell has tallied 7+ assists without committing a turnover. When he went a perfect 7.0 against Eastern Washington, Nov. 21, he was the first Coug with at least as many assists and no giveaways since Andrej Jakimovski tallied nine assists without a turnover against Cal, Feb. 18, 2021. The Kentucky native dished out a career-high 12 assists in his WSU debut against Texas State, Nov. 7, the most assists by a Coug in a season opener since assists became an official stat in the 1985-86 season and the most by a WSU player in any game in 13 years, when Reggie Moore tallied 12 assists against Portland State, Dec. 19, 2009. It's also the first double-double with assists since Malachi Flynn dished out 11 assists to go with 11 points against Arizona, Jan. 31, 2018.

COUGS CREATING SECOND CHANCES
The Cougars have become a prominent offensive rebounding team, leading to second-chance scoring opportunities. Washington State averages 11.1 offensive rebounds per game, which has led to an average of 11.2 second-chance points per game, compared to just 8.6 second-chance points per game for Cougar opponents on 8.8 offensive rebounds per game.

GETTING TO THE GLASS
Despite the Cougars lack of frontcourt experience, they hold a 3.4 rebounding margin this season (fifth in the Conference). When WSU faced Northern Kentucky, Dec. 7, the Cougs held the Norse to four first-half rebounds and just 12 rebounds in the game. It marked the fewest rebounds by a Washington State opponent since Dec. 29, 1992 when Princeton pulled in seven rebounds. The last time a WSU opponent was held below 20 rebounds was when Idaho State gathered 16 boards in Kennewick, Wash., Dec. 29, 2012. The Cougars finished with a +29 rebounding margin against Northern Kentucky, the largest margin since Nov. 15, 2008 when WSU went +34 (53-19) on the glass against Mississippi Valley State and only the second time in the last 25 years. WSU followed with another dominate rebounding performance against UNLV, limiting the Runnin' Rebels to 20 total boards (five in the first half) and finished with a +13 advantage on the glass.

NEXT UP
WSU visits Boulder, Colo., to play the Colorado Buffaloes, Sunday, Jan. 22 at 3 p.m. MT (2 p.m. PT) at the CU Events Center. Sunday's game will be carried on ESPNU with the call from Eric Rothman and Adrian Branch. Sunday's matchup marks the lone meeting between WSU and CU this season. Last year, the Cougs and Buffs split the series. Jan. 6, 2022, WSU fell in Boulder 78-83. TJ Bamba was one of three double-digit Cougar scorers with 14 points. Washington State returned the favor with a 70-43 routing in Pullman, Jan. 30. In a defensive showcase, WSU held Colorado to 28.6% shooting from the floor and Andrej Jakimovski finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds.

THIS YEAR AGAINST CALIFORNIA SCHOOLS
The Cougars have already faced all four Pac-12 California schools once this season, with a 3-1 record. WSU completed a home sweep against the Bay Area schools for the third time in the Pac-12 era and second time under Coach Smith (2011-12 & 2020-21). Their lone loss to a California school came at the hands of No. 11/8 UCLA in a 66-67 heartbreaker after the Cougs led for over 35 minutes.

BAMBA BRINGS THE BUSINESS
The Cougars have been without junior TJ Bamba for the past two games with a left hand injury. Bamba has emerged as Washington State's leading scorer at 15.1 points per game, ninth in the Pac-12. Bamba has scored in double figures 13 games this season, including three times with 20+ points. Against Boise State, Nov. 12, Bamba scored a career-high 24 points - the first 20-point game of his career - and back-to-back 20-point games for the first time in his career with 22 points against Northern Kentucky (Dec. 7) and 20 points versus UNLV (Dec. 10).

ROSARIO'S RETURN
Junior Carlos Rosario made his return for the Cougars in the season opener versus Texas State. It had been 627 days (Feb. 18, 2021) since Rosario last played for Wazzu, having to medically redshirt his sophomore season after playing just seven games his freshman season due to medical issues. In his return to the court, Rosario scored his first-career field goal and finished with a career-high six points and three rebounds.

FREQUENT FLYERS
The Cougars have spent plenty of time in the air this year. WSU has made two separate trips to Texas this year, in addition to a trip to Hawaii. Since the start of the season, WSU has flown over 16,711 aeronautical miles and will complete the Rocky Mountain road trip with over 17,865 miles.

INJURY BUG BITES EARLY
The Cougs have been short-handed since the start of the season due to injury. Prior to the season starting, the Cougars announced they will be without junior Dishon Jackson or redshirt freshman Myles Rice. Both are out indefinitely due to medical issues. Rice announced publicly in October he has been diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma and is undergoing treatment. Jackson did not disclose his medical issue and asked for privacy. WSU was also without Jakimovski (foot) for the first 10 games of the season, before making his return against George Washington, Dec. 22. Junior transfer Jabe Mullins, one of the hottest shooting guards in the country, missed four games with a knee injury. In addition, Bamba, Darling, Diongue, Rodman, and Rosario have each missed at least one game at different times due to illness or injury.