WASHINGTON STATE COUGARS (4-1) vs EASTERN WASHINGTON (1-4)
Monday, November 27 at 7 p.m. PT
Pullman, Wash.
Beasley Coliseum // 11,671
Radio Coverage
Matt Chazanow & Craig Ehlo
WSU Learfield Network
Television Coverage
Pac-12 Network & Washington
Ben Creighton & PJ Carlesimo

OPENING FIVE
1. Washington State faces Eastern Washington for the 71st all-time meeting between the schools, Monday, Nov. 27 with tipoff scheduled for 7 p.m. on Pac-12 Network
2. Myles Rice continued his strong freshman start, scoring in double figures in 4 of his first 5 games, including a 21-point performance against Mississippi State
3. The Cougs shot an eye-watering 65.2% from 3-point range against Utah Tech with 15 made 3-pointers - it is the sixth best 3-pt percentage this century and the most made shots from beyond the arc since setting the school record with 19 made 3-point field goals last November against Detroit Mercy
4. WSU leads the country in rim protection, boasting 37 blocks, 7.4 per game. The Cougars' average is second nationally and No. 1 in the country according to KenPom.com's effective block percentage. All four primary frontcourt players have at least seven blocks each (Chinyelu, Cluff, Jakimovski, Jones)
5. Jaylen Wells scored his first-career points in WSU's win over Rhode Island, since then increasing his career high to 16 against Utah Tech with eight rebounds

LAST TIME VS EASTERN WASHINGTON
The Cougars and Eagles met twice last year, once in a neutral site game in Spokane, before being paired for the opening round of the NIT. The Cougars blitzed EWU, 82-56, at Spokane Arena with hot 3-point shooting, led by Jabe Mullins with a career-high 24 points. Eastern would get revenge with a win at Beasley Coliseum in March, beating the Cougs 74-81, as Wazzu went without big-man and eventual second-round NBA Draft pick, Mouhamed Gueye.

KYLE SMITH VS EASTERN WASHINGTON
WSU Head Coach Kyle Smith has coached against the Eagles seven times as a head coach and holds a 5-2 record. Smith went 3-0 against the Eags while at USF and has split the the series 2-2 with Eastern since arriving on the Palouse.

CURRENT ROSTER VS EASTERN WASHINGTON
Fourth-year senior Jabe Mullins has the best career performance against the Eagles in a Cougar uniform, dropping a career-high 24 points with eight made 3-pointers in last November's win. In the Cougs' NIT defeat, Mullins added 15 points. Fourth-year senior Andrej Jakimovski has the most experience playing the Eagles. Jakimovski has faced the Eagles three times with a 1-2 record. In November 2020, then-freshman Andrej played 31 minutes with six points and six rebounds in a tight Cougar victory. In 2021, the North Macedonian scored seven points with three rebounds. Jakimovski sat with a foot injury in WSU's routing of EWU last November in Spokane. In last spring's rematch in the NIT, Jakimovski scored 11 points with three rebounds. Then-freshman Kymany Houinsou had four points and three rebounds in last fall's meeting, repeating the stat line in March's game.

COUGARS VS EAGLES
This year's meeting between Washington State and Eastern Washington marks the 71st all-time meeting between the sides, which dates back to 1907 and a clash between Washington State College and Cheney Normal. WSU holds a 57-13 edge in the programs' history, while EWU have take two of the last three from the Cougs.

LAST TIME OUT // VS UTAH TECH
WSU 93 // UTU 53 // NOV. 24, 2023 // PULLMAN, WASH.
Andrej Jakimovski scored 17 of his 20 points in the first half when Washington State built an 18-point lead and the Cougars cruised to a 93-53 victory over Utah Tech on Friday. Jakimovski was 6-of-13 shooting, including a career-high 5 of 8 on 3-pointers. Four of his 3-pointers came in the first half when WSU took a 45-27 lead. Freshman Myles Rice scored 18 points, his fourth double-figures game this season, and Jaylen Wells, with four 3-pointers, scored a career-high 16. Rueben Chinyelu had a career-best 10 rebounds and three blocks to go with eight points.

NEXT UP // PORTLAND STATE
Washington State will begin the final month of the year hosting Portland State, Saturday, Dec. 2, at Beasley Coliseum. Tipoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. PT on Pac-12 Network. The Cougars hold a 9-0 record against the Vikings, including 7-0 in Pullman. The last meeting between the sides came Dec. 13, 2020, in Kyle Smith's second season with a 69-60 WSU win.

NATIONAL RIM PROTECTORS
WSU has owned the height advantage early in nonconference play, boasting 37 blocks, 7.4 per game, to lead the Pac-12 Conference. The Cougars' average is second nationally and the Cougs are ranked No. 1 in the country according to KenPom.com's effective block percentage. True freshman Rueben Chinyelu leads the Cougs, twice swatting away three shots in a single game. All four primary frontcourt players have at least seven blocks each (Chinyelu, Cluff, Jakimovski, Jones).

SMOOTH SHOOTING
The Cougars have gotten off to a hot start from the floor, shooting above .500 in four of their first five games. Wazzu is second in the Pac-12 Conference with a .512 team field goal percentage, trailing only No. 3 Arizona in shooting and 15th in Division-I basketball. The Cougs have won every game shooting above .500 and also shot an eye-watering .652 from beyond the arc last Friday against Utah Tech, the best since making a school record 19 threes (.655) in last fall's win over Detroit Mercy.

DEFENDING THE PERIMETER
Kyle Smith's lengthy backcourt has caused problems for opponents' shooters early, so far leading the Pac-12 in 3-point defense, limiting opponents to just 25.5% from beyond the arc. WSU leads the Pac-12 in 3-point percentage defense, and ranks 23rd nationally.

TALENTED IN TRANSITION
Fast break points have been hard to come by for Wazzu's opponents with just 17 transition points all season. Wazzu is quick to get back on defense, outscoring opponents in fast break opportunities 10.4 to 3.4 points in transition per game.

GETTING PAINT TOUCHES
Kyle Smith has made it clear the Cougs thrive when everyone on the team gets paint touches. Through five games, Wazzu has outscored its opponents 202 to 126 in the key. Against Rhode Island, WSU scored a season-high 52 points in the paint. The Cougars are getting over 50% of their scoring from inside the key (40.4 points per game).

JAYLEN JOINS THE CLUB
Junior transfer Jaylen Wells scored his first-career points in last Sunday's win over Rhode Island. The former Division-II star and All-American finished with 10 points for his first double-digit performance. The Sacramento native also grabbed a team-best seven rebounds against the Rams. Wells followed the performance with new career highs in the win over Utah Tech, finishing with 16 points on four made 3-pointers and eight rebounds.

MYLES' MIRACLE RETURN
Redshirt-freshman Myles Rice waited two seasons on the sideline before getting to play his first college basketball game. After redshirting his true freshman year during 2021-22, Rice was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma prior to the 2022-23 season and underwent chemotherapy treatment throughout the academic year. Last spring, Myles received his last chemotherapy treatment and was declared in remission. The Columbia, S.C. native got the starting nod in the season opener and played 29 minutes in the win. Since then, Rice has scored in double figures four out of five games, including a 21-point performance against Mississippi State last Saturday. Rice is the top-rebounder in the backcourt, grabbing 3.0 boards per game. He also dishes out 2.6 assists per game.

JAK IS BACK
Senior Andrej Jakimovski returned as the Cougars' only 4-year veteran and entered the season fully healthy for the first time since his freshman year. Jakimovski exploded for a game-high 21 points in the season opener, one shy of his career high. The North Macedonian made his 90th game appearance and started his 50th career game against Utah Tech, last Friday. He made five 3-pointers for the second time in his career and became the first Coug with five triples in a single game since Justin Powell made five at UCLA last February. Jakimovski scored 20 points for the second time this season and the third time in his career.

LIMITING SECOND CHANCES
The Cougars have used their height advantage on the defense glass to hold opponents to an average of 8.4 second-chance points per game. WSU grabs over 28 defensive rebounds per game and boasts a +8.2 rebounding margin both in the top half of the Pac-12 Conference rankings.

KYLE STARTING WITH SUCCESS
Kyle Smith is the first head coach in Washington State men's basketball history to finish with a .500+ record in his first four seasons on the Palouse. Tony Bennett posted three-consecutive winning seasons before leaving the program.

WATTS WORKS INTO LINEUP
True freshman Isaiah Watts played 10 minutes off the bench in WSU's win over Idaho, marking his collegiate debut. The Washington native made two crucial 3-pointers in the contest, finishing with six points, one rebound and a blocked shot. Watts matched his early career high with six points in the win against Utah Tech.

COACH KYLE - KING OF THE PNW
Since arriving on the Palouse prior to the 2019-20 season, WSU Head Coach Kyle Smith has dominated his fellow Pac-12 Pacific Northwest opponents. Against Oregon, Oregon State, and Washington, Coach Smith is a combined 15-5 and defeated all three regional rivals in succession for the first time since 1993-94 under Kelvin Sampson. The Cougars have swept the Huskies, Ducks, and Beavers in Pullman for two-straight seasons and are 6-1 at Beasley Coliseum against Conference PNW opponents under Coach Smith.

HOMEGROWN ROSTER
The Cougars boast six student-athletes on the 2023-24 roster from the state of Washington, including three former Washington State Players of the Year. Senior Jabe Mullins was named the WIAA 4A Player of the Year in 2020, followed by sophomore Dylan Darling in 2022, and incoming freshman Parker Gerrits last spring.

HOME SWEET HOME
Washington State will complete its entire nonconference schedule without a true road game. WSU will host seven nonconference games at Beasley Coliseum, while participating in four neutral-site games before kicking off conference play. The scheduling quirk marks the first time since the 2020-21 season that the Cougars do not play a true nonconference road game.

TWO COUGS SIGN TO PLAY FOR WAZZU
WSU announced two new Cougars who signed National Letters of Intent to play college basketball in Pullman next fall. Evan Stinson signed as the No. 2 prospect in Washington State, a small forward from Cheney, Washington. Marcus Wilson, a native of Albuquerque, signed as a combo guard currently competing at highly-regarded Bella Vista Prep.

GUEYE HIGHEST COUG DRAFT PICK SINCE KLAY THOMPSON
Sophomore Mouhamed Gueye, an All-Pac-12 First Team selection was drafted in the second round of the 2023 NBA Draft at No. 39 by the Charlotte Hornets. Gueye, who led the Pac-12 Conference with 15 double-doubles and grabbed more offensive rebounds than any player in the Pac-12, was traded to the Atlanta Hawks, where he played significant minutes throughout NBA Summer League and made his NBA regular season debut last weekend.

RING THAT BELL, MYLES IS CANCER FREE
Last spring, Myles Rice received his final chemotherapy treatment for Hodgkin's Lymphoma. He rung the victory bell at the treatment center in Moscow, Idaho and was declared cancer-free and in remission. He received a medical redshirt for this season and entered the 2023-24 season with four years of eligibility, plus a COVID relief exemption.

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