vs. No. 6/8 Arizona (17-3, 6-3) | Thursday, Jan. 26 | 8 p.m. PT | Beasley Coliseum (Pullman, Wash.)
  Live Stats | StatBroadcast
  Watch | FS1 (Rich Waltz & Matt Muehlebach)
  Listen | WSU Learfield Radio Network (Matt Chazanow & Craig Ehlo)

OPENING FIVE
1. The Cougars host No. 6/8 Arizona Thursday, Jan. 24, at Beasley Coliseum in Pullman, Wash. Tipoff is scheduled for 8:10 p.m. with coverage on FS1. WSU is looking for its first sweep of the Tucson program since the 2009-2010 season after beating then-No. 5/4 Wildcats in Arizona, Jan. 7, 74-61. Mouhamed Gueye finished with a 24-and-14 double-double. Jabe Mullins, Justin Powell, and DJ Rodman all scored in double figures and the Cougars snapped UofA's 28-game home-winning streak. Asuolas Tubelis went for 29 points and 14 rebounds in the loss.
2. Last time out, Washington State fell in a 55-58 heartbreaker in Boulder Sunday afternoon. Colorado's KJ Simpson hit a straight-away three with 4.8 seconds left to take the lead and TJ Bamba's last-second shot missed off the backiron. Bamba scored 18 points in the loss, 14 coming in the second half. Andrej Jakimovski added 12 points, a team-high seven rebounds, and two steals  Mouhamed Gueye played just 20 minutes with foul trouble and minor hamstring injury and did not score for just the second time in his career.
3. The Cougars average 8.6 made 3-point field goals per game, more than any other team in the Pac-12 (12th in major conferences). WSU leads the Conference in 3-point percentage at 36.1%. Individually, Jabe Mullins leads the Pac-12 Conference with a 47.1% (40-of-85) clip from beyond the arc. Against Detroit Mercy, Nov. 25, the Cougars set a school record with 19 made 3s, including six from Mullins. Eight times this season WSU has made 10+ threes.
4. TJ Bamba returned from a three-game absence with injury and scored a team-high 18 points in WSU's loss at Colorado. Bamba has emerged as Wazzu's leading scorer at 15.2 points per game, ninth in the Conference. Bamba has scored in double figures 14 times this season, including three games with 20+ points. Against Boise State, Nov. 12, Bamba scored a career-high 24 points - the first 20-point game of his career.
5. Justin Powell averages 2.95 assists per game with a 2.8 assist-to-turnover ratio. Powell's distribution rate ranks 12th in the Pac-12. Nine times this season Powell has not given up a turnover. The Prospect, Ky., native is also eighth in the Conference shooting from beyond the arc with a 38.4% clip.

COUGARS VS WILDCATS
The Cougars host the Wildcats Thursday, Jan. 24, at 8 p.m. in Pullman, Wash. The game will be carried on FS1 from Beasley Coliseum with play-by-play coverage from Rich Waltz and color analysis by Matt Muehlebach. Washington State is looking for its first season sweep of Arizona since the 2009-10 season. Earlier this month, Wazzu traveled to Tucson and defeated then-No. 5/6 Arizona, 74-61, and snapped the program's 28-game home-winning streak to claim WSU's first all-time road win against an AP Top-5 team. It was the Cougs' first win against Arizona since a 69-55 win in Tucson, Feb. 9, 2019. Mouhamed Gueye finished with 24 points and 14 rebounds. Jabe Mullins, Justin Powell, and DJ Rodman all scored in double figures and the Cougars made 12 threes. Asuolas Tubelis went for 29 points and 14 rebounds in the loss.

LAST TIME OUT – AT COLORADO
WSU 55 - CU 58 | JAN. 22, 2023 | BOULDER, COLO. 
Tristan da Silva scored 27 points on 11-of-13 shooting, KJ Simpson hit a straight-away 3-pointer in the closing seconds and Colorado beat Washington State 58-55 Sunday. Andrej Jakimovski hit a 3-pointer and TJ Bamba made back-to-back baskets to give the Cougars a 54-53 lead with 40 seconds to go. Simpson hit two free throws before Bamba made 1 of 2 from the foul line to make it 55-all with 25 seconds left. Simpson hit the winning 3 with 4.8 second left. Bamba missed a contested 3 from the right wing off the back of the iron as time expired. Bamba led Washington State with 18 points, 14 in the second half. Jakimovski hit 5 of 7 from the field and finished with 12 points, seven rebounds and two steals.

NEXT UP
Washington State concludes competition with the Arizona schools, hosting the Sun Devils of Arizona State, Saturday, Jan. 28 at Beasley Coliseum. Tipoff is scheduled for 5 p.m. PT with coverage on ESPNU. The Cougars traveled to Tempe to face ASU, Jan. 5, falling to the Sun Devils, 71-77. Jabe Mullins led WSU with 19 points with 5 made 3-pointers. DJ Rodman added 16 points and 12 rebounds for his second-career double-double.

COACHES VS CANCER - SUITS & SNEAKERS WEEK
This week marks Suits And Sneakers Week, the signature initiative of the American Cancer Society and NABC's Coaches vs. Cancer program. The nationwide campaign unites coaches across all levels of basketball to raise funds and awareness about the fight against cancer and promote the American Cancer Society as a source of inspiration and hope for those facing cancer.

RODMAN'S NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION
Since the Cougars' Dec. 25th game against Utah State, DJ Rodman has scored in double figures in six of eight 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 13.5 points per game after averaging just 4.6 ppg through his first 12 games. Rodman is shooting 52.3% from 3-point range over that eight-game span (23-of-44).  The senior veteran is fifth in the Conference in 3-point shooting with a 38.7% clip (36-of-93).

BOMBS AWAY
The Cougars aren't afraid to pull the trigger from deep. As a team, WSU makes 8.6 3-point field goals per game, more than any other team in the Pac-12 and 12th in major conferences. Individually, Jabe Mullins leads the Conference with a 47.1% (40-of-85) 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.

BAMBA BRINGS THE BUSINESS
TJ Bamba returned from a 3-game absence with left-hand injury to lead the Cougars with 18 points at Colorado. Bamba has emerged as Washington State's leading scorer at 15.2 points per game, ninth in the Pac-12. Bamba has scored in double figures 14 games this season, including three games with 20+ points. Against Boise State, Nov. 12, Bamba scored a career-high 24 points - the first 20-point game of his career.

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. Gueye has grabbed more offensive rebounds than any player in the Pac-12 with 67 offensive boards. Gueye is averaging 13.3 points per game (16th in Pac-12) and 7.9 rebounds per game (3rd in Pac-12). 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 (Jan. 9, 2016).

DEFENDING THE PERIMETER
In addition to their offensive prowess from beyond the arc, the Cougars are also a top defensive team around the perimeter. WSU sits 13th in the country and best in the Conference in three-point field goal defense, limiting opponents to 5.1 made 3-pointers per game. The Cougar backcourt is also quick to run shooters off the line, limiting opponents to 16.9 attempts from deep per game - best in the Pac-12 and 14th in Division I. Against Conference opponents, Wazzu is holding teams to 28.8% from 3-point range (third 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 with a 47.1% (40-of-85) 3-point field goal percentage. Mullins averages 2.4 made 3-point field goals per game, third 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. The Snoqualmie, Wash., native also rarely misses from the line, having missed just once since arriving at WSU (20-of-21) at 95.2%.

POWELL'S PERFECT PASSING
Junior transfer Justin Powell has been taking care of the rock all season, with a 2.8 assist-to-turnover ratio, top in the Pac-12 Conference. Powell is averaging 2.9 assists per game, 12th in the Pac-12. He is also eighth in the Conference as a 3-point shooter at 38.4 % (43-of-112). Nine 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.

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. Against Colorado, Jan. 22, Jakimovski finished with 12 points, a team-high seven rebounds, and two steals. 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 38 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 six of the last eight games, including his second-career double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds at Arizona State (career-high vs Pac-12 opponent). Unofficially, Rodman leads Division I in charges drawn with 21 charges drawn this season. He is also second on the team in steals (16).

TOP-10 TOUGHEST SCHEDULE & TOUGH LUCK
According to the KenPom adjusted strength of schedule, Washington State has played the eighth toughest schedule in the country. WSU is ranked 67th in the current KenPom ratings and is the only sub-.500 program in the top 90. 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 fourth most-unlucky team in Division I this year, sitting at 360 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, #11 UCLA, and Colorado by a combined total of 15 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). Six 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 2-6 in two-possession games this season.

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 8.5 second-chance points per game for Cougar opponents on 8.7 offensive rebounds per game.

GETTING TO THE GLASS
Despite the Cougars lack of frontcourt experience, they hold a 3.0 rebounding margin this season (seventh 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.

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.

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 17,865 aeronautical 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.