WASHINGTON STATE COUGARS (8-1) vs SANTA CLARA BRONCOS (7-4)
Saturday, Dec. 16 at 11 a.m. PT
Phoenix, Ariz.
Footprint Center // 18,055
Radio Coverage
Matt Chazanow & Craig Ehlo
WSU Learfield Network
Television Coverage
Pac-12 Network & Washington
J.B. Long & Don MacLean

OPENING FIVE
1. The Cougars visit Phoenix for the 2023 Jerry Colangelo Classic against Santa Clara at Footprint Center with tipoff scheduled for 11 a.m. on Pac-12 Network
2. Myles Rice continued an incredible start to his freshman season, earning back-to-back Pac-12 Freshman of the Week honors, most recently grabbing seven steals and seven assists to go with 14 points - Rice is WSU's leading scorer at 16.0 ppg
3. The Cougs boast a 50.7% field goal percentage, having shot over 50% six times this season - the mark is third in Pac-12 and 14th in the country, while holding opponents to 37.0%, eighth in Division-I
4. Four Cougs are shooting over 50% from the floor, led by WSU bigs Chinyelu (.667),  Jones (.649), and Cluff (.597), with Houinsou shooting 58.8% from the floor and Rice close behind at 49.5 field goal percentage
5. WSU is one of the best rim protection frontcourts in the country, averaging 6.2 blocks per game, top in Pac-12 and tied for 10th in the country. Chinyelu leads WSU with 15 blocks and five Cougs have at least 7 blocks (Chinyelu, Cluff, Houinsou, Jakimovski, Jones)

LAST TIME VS SANTA CLARA
The Cougs clinched a postseason victory for the first time since 2011, defeating Santa Clara, 63-50, in the opening round of the 2022 National Invitation Tournament. The Cougs held the Broncos to 23 points in the opening half. When the Broncos were able to get penetration the young towers of Efe Abogidi, Dishon Jackson, and Mouhamed Gueye were there to take turns swatting away shots as WSU recorded seven first half blocks on their way to a school NIT record 10 blocks in the contest. Tyrell Roberts finished with a game-high 23 points including drilling seven three-pointers, a career high and a Coug NIT record from distance.

CURRENT COUGS VS SANTA CLARA
WSU Head Coach Kyle Smith has faced the Broncos eight times in his career. During his three year tenure at USF, Smith faced SCU six times in WCC play, including once in the WCC Tournament, holding a 3-3 record. Smith has played Santa Clara twice while leading the Cougs, falling in his first season before besting the Broncos in the opening round of the 2022 NIT. Then sophomore Andrej Jakimovski played eight minutes in the game with two rebounds.

COUGARS VS BRONCOS
Saturday's meeting marks the 10th all-time clash between the Cougars and Broncos, with Wazzu holding a 6-3 advantage. The teams last met in 2022 National Invitation Tournament opening round with Washington State defeating Santa Clara, 63-50. The Cougs held the Broncos to 23 points in the opening half. WSU recorded a school NIT record 10 blocks in the contest. Tyrell Roberts finished with a game-high 23 points including drilling seven three-pointers, a career high and a Coug NIT record from distance. In neutral site meetings, the Broncos hold a 2-1 advantage having beat the Cougs     71-79, Dec. 29, 2018 in Spokane, Wash. Kyle Smith has face SCU eight times and twice as the WSU Head Coach.

LAST TIME OUT // VS GRAMBLING STATE
WSU 83 // GSU 65 // DEC. 10, 2023 // PULLMAN, WASH.
Jaylen Wells scored 17 points, making five of six 3-point attempts, as Washington State defeated Grambling 83-65 in a nonconference game Sunday night in Pullman, Wash. Isaac Jones added 16 points and grabbed seven rebounds for the Cougars (8-1), who won their sixth game in a row. Myles Rice and Rueben Chinyelu each scored 14, with Rice contributing seven assists and seven steals. Guard Kintavious Dozier scored a career-high 34 points for Grambling (2-7), which suffered its sixth consecutive defeat. Jalen Johnson tallied 13 points. The Cougars wrapped up the home portion of their nonconference schedule.

NEXT UP // BOISE STATE
Washington State concludes the 2023-24 nonconference schedule with a neutral site matchup against Boise State, Dec. 21 at Spokane Arena in Spokane, Wash. The Numerica Holiday Hoops event is scheduled for tipoff at 8 p.m. PT and marks the third-straight season facing the BSU Broncos. Last year, the Cougars traveled to Boise for the second game of the season, falling to BSU 61-71.

RICE NAMED BACK-TO-BACK PAC-12 FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK
Redshirt-freshman Myles Rice earned Pac-12 Freshman of the Week honors for the second-straight week after guiding the Cougars to two wins. Rice has scored in double figures in seven of his first nine games. The Columbia, S.C. native dished out a career-high seven assists Sunday, the most by a Coug this season. Rice also grabbed seven steals in Sunday's win, the most by a Coug in four seasons, and one shy of WSU's all-time single-game record. Rice is currently the conference's second-leading freshmen scorer, averaging 16.0 points per game, 11th overall. Rice's recognition marks the first back-to-back Pac-12 weekly awards by a Cougar since Mouhamed Gueye was named Pac-12 Freshman of the Week in the final two weeks of the 2021-22 season.

COUGS FLIRT WITH TOP 25 NET RANKING
In the 2023-24 season's NET rankings released by the NCAA, Dec. 14, Washington State checks in at No. 27. The Cougars are the second-highest Pac-12 team, ranked behind national No. 1 Arizona. The NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET) rankings, include the Team Value Index (TVI), is a result-based feature that rewards teams for beating quality opponents, particularly away from home, as well as an adjusted net efficiency rating.

STIFLING DEFENSE
The Cougars' defense has fit Coach Smith's mold of winning with grit, as WSU ranks No. 1 in the Pac-12 Conference in field goal percentage defense (.370), 3-point field goal percentage defense (.275), and blocks per game (6.2). Wazzu's defensive field goal prowess ranks eighth in the country and  22nd from beyond the arc. The Cougs limit opponents to 61.9 ppg, second in the Pac-12 and 14th nationally. WSU's scoring margin (+18.6) is 16th-best in America and rebounding margin (+9.4) checks in at No. 25 in D-I.

NATIONAL RIM PROTECTORS
WSU has owned the height advantage early in nonconference play, boasting 61 blocks, 6.2 per game, to lead the Pac-12 Conference. The Cougars' average is tied for 10th nationally and the Cougs are ranked No. 4 in the country according to KenPom.com's effective block percentage. True freshman Rueben Chinyelu leads the Coug with 15 rejections. Five Cougs have at least seven blocks each (Chinyelu, Cluff, Houinsou, Jakimovski, Jones). In the Dec. 2 win over Portland State, the Cougs swatted away a season-high 10 shots, marking the first time since March 2022 with 10+ blocks in a single game.

SMOOTH SHOOTING
The Cougars have gotten off to a hot start from the floor, shooting above .500 in six of their first nine games. Wazzu is third in the Pac-12 Conference with a .507 team field goal percentage, trailing No. 1 Arizona and Colorado in shooting, and ranks 14th in Division-I basketball. The Cougs have won every game shooting above .500 and also shot an eye-watering .652 from beyond the arc in a Nov. 24 win against Utah Tech, the best since making a school record 19 threes (.655) in last fall's win over Detroit Mercy.

NOT SO FAST...
Fast break points have been hard to come by for Wazzu's opponents with just 42 transition points allowed all season. Wazzu is quick to get back on defense, outscoring opponents in fast break opportunities 10.7 to 4.7 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. Throughout nonconference, Wazzu has outscored its opponents 376-218 in the key. Against Rhode Island, WSU scored a season-high 52 points in the paint and twice has scored 50+ points in the key. The Cougars are getting over 50% of their scoring from inside the key (41.8 points per game), while holding opponents to an average 24.2 points in the paint per game.

JONES STEPS INTO LEADING ROLE
Fifth-year senior transfer Isaac Jones has found a role as a big 4, stretching the floor against bigger defenders, while working inside against smaller matchups. Jones has registered two double-doubles as a Coug, including 27 points with 11 rebounds in a win over Portland State. The Spanaway, Washington native has led the Cougars in rebounding five times and ranks fifth in the Pac-12 with 7.3 rebounds per game. Jones is the Cougs' second leading scorer with 15.0 points per game, 13th in the Conference.

JAYLEN JOINS THE CLUB
Junior transfer Jaylen Wells scored his first-career points in the Nov. 19 win over Rhode Island. The former Division-II star and All-American finished with 10 points for his first double-digit performance. Since then, Wells has found his form, scoring in double figures four times, including the first double-double of his Division-I career with 18 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Cougars over UC Riverside. Wells made eight threes over the last two games and shoots at a 43.3% clip from beyond the arc.

KYMANY THE "FRENCH ARMY KNIFE"
Sophomore Kymany Houinsou does a little bit of everything and has taken over additional guard duties with Yesufu out, dishing out a career-high six assists in Sunday's win over Grambling. Houinsou enjoyed a double-digit performance in WSU's win over Portland State, his second of the year. Starting the last three games in a point guard role, the Frenchman has distributed 12 assists, grabbed four steals, blocked five shots, and grabbed 11 rebounds, in addition to 20 points scored.

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, Nov 24. 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.

WINNING THE GLASS BATTLE
The Cougars have used their height advantage on the defense glass to hold opponents to an average of 8.2 second-chance points per game. WSU boasts a +9.4 rebounding margin, which ranks 25th nationally, and scores 14.4 second chance points per game.

MULLINS MAGIC
Senior Jabe Mullins returned for his senior season as the Pac-12 Conference's leading 3-point shooter. Mullins, a former Washington High School State Player of the Year, finished atop the Conference in 2022-23 at 43% from beyond the arc with 55 made triples.

WATTS WORKS INTO LINEUP
True freshman Isaiah Watts had his best game of his young career in a Dec. 6 win over UC Riverside. The West Seattle native finished with a career-high eight points, including a pair of crucial 3-pointers to cap a 23-0 run in the first half. Watts added two dime assists in transition and picked up his first career block.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

TOP HALF OF THE PAC
The Cougars finished fifth in the Pac-12 last season, earning Kyle Smith's highest finish in four seasons at WSU. For the first time since the 2007-08 season, Wazzu finished with back-to-back winning Conference records. Smith is the only coach in Washington State history to post a winning record in the Pac-12 era. It's the first time WSU finished in the top half of the Pac-10/12 back-to-back years since the 2006-07 and 2007-08 seasons. In the Pac-X Conference era, WSU has posted 14 winning conference records.

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
On March 9, 2023, 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 in June. 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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