at Stanford (11-16, 5-11) | Thursday, Feb. 23 | 8:10 p.m. PT | Maples Pavilion (Stanford, Calif.)
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  Watch | Pac-12 Networks (Ted Robinson & Matt Muehlebach)
  Listen | WSU Learfield Radio Network (Matt Chazanow & Craig Ehlo)

OPENING FIVE
1. The Cougars visit Stanford, Thursday, Feb. 23, to begin a three-game road trip to conclude the regular season. The Cougars make the return trip for an 8 p.m. tipoff on Pac-12 Network for Maples Pavilion. The Cardinal traveled to Pullman, Jan. 14, dropping a 60-59 nailbiter to Wazzu. The Cougars were led by Jakimovski with 17 points and Rodman with 15 points. WSU has won three of the last four games against Stanford, and haven't lost in Palo Alto since January 2020. The last four meetings have been decided by an average of fewer than 6 points.
2. Last time out, the Cougs closed out the home schedule with a win over Oregon, 68-65. WSU completed the home sweep of the Oregon schools for the second-straight season with the Senior Day win. Mouhamed Gueye led all scorers with 18 points and 12 rebounds - for his league-leading 12th double-double of the year. Gueye was one of four Cougs in double figures, including TJ Bamba and Justin Powell with 11 points and Andrej Jakimovski with 10.
3. The Cougars average 8.8 made 3-point field goals per game, more than any team in the Pac-12 and 10th among major conference programs. Individually, three Cougars are amongst the top-10 shooters in the Conference, led by Jabe Mullins in third with a 42.6% (46-of-108) clip from beyond the arc. Justin Powell sits just behind him in fourth at 41.6%, followed by DJ Rodman in eighth in the Pac-12 with a 39.6% clip.
4. Mouhamed Gueye leads the Pac-12 in double-doubles, with 12 double-doubles this season. Last Sunday against Oregon, Gueye scored 18 points and grabbed 12 rebounds for his fifth double-double in the last seven games. At USC, Feb. 2, Gueye dropped a career-high 31 points. The Senegalese sophomore is averaging 14.2 ppg (11th in Pac-12) and 8.3 rpg (third in Pac-12). Seventeen times this year Gueye has led the Cougs in rebounding, and he has grabbed more offensive rebounds than any other player in the Pac-12 with 97 offensive boards. Eight times, Gueye has grabbed 5+ offensive rebounds in a single game.
5. TJ Bamba has emerged as Wazzu's leading scorer at 14.5 points per game, 10th in the Conference. Bamba has scored in double figures 18 times this season, including four games with 20+ points. Feb. 11 against the Huskies, Bamba scored 20 points, a career-high against a Pac-12 opponent.

COUGARS VS CARDINAL
WSU concludes the regular season on a three-game road swing, beginning next Thursday, Feb. 23 at Stanford. The Cougars make the return trip for an 8 p.m. tipoff on Pac-12 Network for Maples Pavilion. The Cardinal traveled to Pullman, Jan. 14, dropping a 60-59 nailbiter to Wazzu. The Cougars were led by Jakimovski with 17 points and Rodman with 15 points. WSU has won three of the last four games against Stanford, and haven't lost in Palo Alto since January 2020.

LAST TIME OUT – VS OREGON
WSU 68 - ORE 65 | FEB. 19, 2023 | PULLMAN, WASH.
Mouhamed Gueye had 18 points and 12 rebounds, Justin Powell scored 11 points, including a layup that capped the scoring, and Washington State beat Oregon 68-65 Sunday for the Cougars' third win in a row. TJ Bamba also scored 11 points for Washington State and Andrej Jakimovski added 10 points. Gueye has five double-double in the last seven games and his 12 this season. The Cougars tied their season low with six turnovers.

NEXT UP
WSU continues its three-game road swing to conclude the regular season, visiting Berkeley to play Cal, Saturday, Feb. 25 at 2 p.m. The Cougars and Golden Bears will meet at Haas Pavilion with coverage on Pac-12 Network. Cal traveled to Pullman, Jan. 11, with Wazzu winning 66-51, behind 14 points each from DJ Rodman and Mouhamed Gueye. Justin Powell added 12 points as the Cougs made nine 3-pointers and shot 46% from the floor.

RODMAN'S RETURN
During Sunday's Senior Day celebration ahead of tipoff against Oregon, senior forward DJ Rodman announced he would be utilizing his COVID eligibility rule and returning to WSU for a fifth season in 2023-24. Since returning for his senior season, Rodman has more than doubled his scoring output, while pulling in 5.5 rebounds per game.

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 14-5 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.

TAKING CARE OF THE ROCK
The Cougars have made significant adjustments in ball control throughout the season, reducing the number of turnovers per game from 13.9 in the first 14 games and just one game with fewer than 10 turnovers, to 10.8 turnovers per game in the last 14 games and six games with fewer than 10 turnovers.

GUEYE TAKING OVER THE CONFERENCE OF CHAMPIONS
Sophomore Mouhamed Gueye, a preseason All-Pac-12 selection and All-Freshman honoree last season, leads the Pac-12 Conference with 12 double-doubes this year. Gueye has grabbed more offensive rebounds than any player in the Pac-12 with 97 offensive boards. Gueye is averaging 14.2 points per game (11th in Pac-12) and 8.3 rebounds per game (third in Pac-12). Eight times this year, he has grabbed five or more offensive rebounds. Last Sunday against Oregon, Gueye scored 18 points and grabbed 12 rebounds for his fifth double-double in the last seven games. At USC, Feb. 2, Gueye dropped a career-high 31 points. Seventeen times this year Gueye has led the Cougs in rebounding.

BOMBS AWAY
The Cougars aren't afraid to pull the trigger from deep. As a team, WSU makes 8.8 3-point field goals per game, more than any team in the Pac-12 and 10th among major conference programs. Individually, three Cougars are amongst the top-10 shooters in the Conference, led by Jabe Mullins in third with a 42.6% (46-of-108) clip from beyond the arc. Justin Powell follows in fourth place at 41.6% and DJ Rodman is eighth in the Pac-12 with a 39.6% clip. Ten times this season WSU has made 10+ threes. 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 7-3 with at least 10 made 3-point field goals.

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 is 18th in the country and best in the Conference in three-point field goal defense, limiting opponents to 5.5 made 3-pointers per game. The Cougar backcourt is also quick to run shooters off the line, limiting opponents to 17.4 attempts from deep per game - best in the Pac-12 and third among major conferences. Against Conference opponents, Wazzu is holding teams to 31.4% from 3-point range (5th in Pac-12).

BAMBA BRINGS THE BUSINESS
TJ Bamba, who has nursed a left hand injury since early January, scored a team-high 20 points against Washington Feb. 11. Bamba has emerged as Washington State's leading scorer at 14.5 points per game, 10th in the Pac-12. Bamba has scored in double figures 18 games this season, including four games with 20+ points. Against Boise State, Nov. 12, Bamba scored a career-high 24 points - the first 20-point game of his career.  Bamba has also proven to be a formidable force, getting to the free throw line more than any Cougar. The Bronx native has made 82 of his attempts at the charity stripe, tied for eighth in the Pac-12.

WINNING BIG, LOSING SMALL
Nine of the Cougars' 13 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, Colorado, and #6 Arizona by a combined 20 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). Seven 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 4-7 in two-possession games this season.

RODMAN'S NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION
Despite missing two games to illness, DJ Rodman has scored in double figures seven times since Christmas, including a season-high 19 points in the Cougs' 1-point loss to No. 11/8 UCLA. The Newport Beach, Calif., native has averaged 11.6 points per game after averaging just 4.6 ppg through his first 12 games. Rodman is shooting 47.7% from 3-point range over that 13-game span (31-of-65).  The senior veteran is eighth in the Conference in 3-point shooting with a 39.6% clip (44-of-111).

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. Powell is averaging 2.8 assists per game, 14th in the Pac-12. He is also fourth in the Conference as a 3-point shooter at 41.6% (64-of-154). Twelve 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.

JUSTIN'S DREAM DEBUT
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.

MULLINS MAGIC
After a four-game absence in the early season with minor knee injury, junior transfer Jabe Mullins has returned as one of the country's top 3-point shooters. He sits third in the Pac-12 with a 42.6% (46-of-108) 3-point field goal percentage. Mullins averages 1.92 made 3-point field goals per game, ninth 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 made 3s by a Pac-12 player this season and tied for third-most by a high-major player in Division I.  The Snoqualmie, Wash., native also rarely misses from the line, having missed just three since arriving at WSU (25-of-28) at 89.3%.

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 Arizona State, Jan. 28, Jakimovski scored a career-high 22 points, leading WSU with his first 20-point game of his career. The North Macedonian has made four or more 3-pointers three times. In the win over Stanford, Jan. 14, Jakimovski scored a then-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 third Coug this season to make 5+ 3-pointers in a single game.

COUGS CREATING SECOND CHANCES
The Cougars have become a prominent offensive rebounding team, leading to second-chance scoring opportunities. Washington State averages 11.0 offensive rebounds per game, which has led to an average of 11.1 second-chance points per game, compared to just 8.3 second-chance points per game for Cougar opponents. Wazzu leads the Pac-12 Conference in limiting opponents' offensive rebounds, offering up just 8.4 offensive rebounds per game on average.

GETTING TO THE GLASS
Despite the Cougars lack of frontcourt experience, they hold a 2.6 rebounding margin this season (seventh in the Conference) and seven times they have posted a 10+ rebounding margin or better. 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.

ADRAME ANNOUNCES HIMSELF
Twice this season freshman Adrame Diongue showcased his defensive length with three rejections. Against No. 6 Arizona, Jan. 26, the Senegalese freshman registered three blocked shots, after swatting three attempts away against No. 11 UCLA, Dec. 30. Diongue ranks second on the team behind Gueye with 12 blocked shots and is averaging just shy of one blocked shot per Conference game (0.92).

RODMAN RETURNING VETERAN
As the Cougars' veteran senior, Rodman leads the Cougars and Division-I with 26 charges drawn, more than double any teammate. On the offensive glass, Rodman has pulled in 50 offensive rebounds, second-most behind Gueye, and is second on the team with 5.5 total rebounds per game. The Newport Beach native has scored in double figures seven of his last 13 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 26 charges drawn this season. He is also fourth on the team in steals (18).

TOP-15 TOUGHEST SCHEDULE & TOUGH LUCK
According to the KenPom adjusted strength of schedule, Washington State has played the 15th toughest schedule in the country. WSU is ranked 60th in the Feb. 17th KenPom ratings. 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 11th-unluckiest team in Division I this year, sitting at 353 out of 363 ranked programs.

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.