at Washington (16-14, 8-11) | Thursday, March 2 | 8 p.m. PT | Alaska Airlines Arena (Seattle, Wash.)
  Live Stats | StatBroadcast
  Watch | ESPNU (Eric Rothman & Steve Wojciechowski)
  Listen | WSU Learfield Radio Network (Matt Chazanow & Craig Ehlo)

OPENING FIVE
1. WSU crosses the Cascades to play Washington, Thursday, March 2, at Alaska Airlines Arena in the second half of the Boeing Apple Cup Series. The game will be televised on ESPNU with tipoff scheduled for 8 p.m. PT. In February, UW traveled to Pullman, where the Cougs beat the Huskies, 56-51, behind 20 points from TJ Bamba and 17 points and 15 rebounds from Mouhamed Gueye. WSU has won 3-of-4 against the Huskies, and 2-of-3 in Seattle.
2. Last time out, the Cougs defeated Cal, 63-57, for a fifth-consecutive win, matching Kyle Smith's longest Conference winning streak at the helm of WSU. Mouhamed Gueye tallied a team-high 20 points, 10 rebounds, and three assists in the win, for his 14th double-double of the year. DJ Rodman added 10 rebounds and TJ Bamba poured in 14 of his 19 points in the second half. With the win WSU secured back-to-back road sweeps of the Bay Area schools since 1982 and 1983 and have won seven-straight against the Golden Bears.
3. The Cougars average 8.8 made 3-point field goals per game, more than any team in the Pac-12 and ninth among major conference programs. Individually, three Cougars are amongst the top-10 shooters in the Conference, led by Jabe Mullins with the second-best 3-point percentage at 41.7% (48-of-115). Justin Powell sits behind him in fifth at 40.8%, followed by DJ Rodman in 10th in the Pac-12 with a 38.3% clip.
4. Mouhamed Gueye leads the Pac-12 in double-doubles, with 14 double-doubles this season. Last weekend, Gueye recorded back-to-back double-doubles, marking seven in the last nine games, and three-straight. At USC, Feb. 2, Gueye dropped a career-high 31 points. The Senegalese sophomore is averaging 14.4 ppg (10th in Pac-12) and 8.6 rpg (third in Pac-12). Gueye has grabbed more offensive rebounds than any other player in the Pac-12 with 105 offensive boards, ranked 13th nationally at 3.5 offensive rebounds per game.
5. TJ Bamba has emerged as Wazzu's leading scorer at 14.8 points per game, eighth in the Conference. Against Stanford Thursday, Bamba scored a career-high against a Pac-12 opponent, netting 22 points in the win, followed by a 19-point performance at Cal. He has scored in double figures 20 times this season, including five games with 20+ points.

COUGARS VS HUSKIES
WSU concludes the regular season with a road trip to rival Washington in the second half of the Boeing Apple Cup Series. The Cougars and Huskies will tipoff from Alaska Airlines Arena in Seattle at 8 p.m., Thursday, March 2, with television coverage on ESPNU. In February, UW traveled to Pullman, where the Cougs beat the Huskies, 56-51, behind 20 points from TJ Bamba and 17 points and 15 rebounds from Mouhamed Gueye.

LAST TIME OUT – AT CALIFORNIA
WSU 63 - CAL 57 | FEB. 25, 2023 | BERKELEY, CALIF.
Mouhamed Gueye had 20 points and 10 rebounds, TJ Bamba scored 19 points, and Washington State defeated California 63-57 on Saturday for the Cougars' fifth straight win. Gueye, who finished with a Pac-12 best 14th double-double of the season, had 11 points to help Washington State grab a 29-26 at halftime. WSU completed a sweep of the Bay Area schools in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 1981-1983, when current WSU radio broadcaster Craig Ehlo played under coach George Raveling.

BOEING APPLE CUP SERIES
The Cougars have controlled the rivalry as of late having won three of the last four against the Huskies, including two of the last three games in Seattle. In February, UW traveled to Pullman, where the Cougs beat the Huskies, 56-51, behind 20 points from TJ Bamba and 17 points and 15 rebounds from Mouhamed Gueye.

NEXT UP
The Cougars will travel south to Las Vegas for the 2023 Pac-12 Men's Basketball Tournament presented by New York Life. Last season, the seventh-seeded Cougs won their opening-round matchup against No. 10 Cal, before falling to No. 2-seeded UCLA in the quarterfinals.

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.

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 14 double-doubles this year. Gueye has grabbed more offensive rebounds than any player in the Pac-12 with 105 offensive boards, ranking 13th nationally (3.5 orpg). Gueye is averaging 14.4 points per game (10th in Pac-12) and 8.6 rebounds per game (third in Pac-12). Nine times this year, he has grabbed five or more offensive rebounds. Saturday in Berkeley, Gueye scored a team-high 20 points to go with team-high 10 rebounds and team-high three assists, registering his seventh double-double in the last nine games. At USC, Feb. 2, Gueye dropped a career-high 31 points. Nineteen 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 ninth among major conference programs. Individually, three Cougars are amongst the top-10 shooters in the Conference, led by Jabe Mullins in second with a 41.7% (48-of-115) clip from beyond the arc. Justin Powell follows in fifth place at 40.8% and DJ Rodman is 10th in the Pac-12 with a 38.3% clip. Eleven times this season WSU has made 10+ threes and are 8-3 in those games.

BAMBA BRINGS THE BUSINESS
TJ Bamba, who has nursed a left hand injury since early January, scored a Pac-12 career-high 22 points at Stanford, Feb. 23. Bamba has emerged as Washington State's leading scorer at 14.9 points per game, eighth in the Pac-12. Bamba has scored in double figures 20 times this season, including five games with 20+ points. Against Boise State, Nov. 12, Bamba scored a career-high 24 points - the first 20-point game of his career.  

TURNING THE TIDE
After beginning the season 2-6 in two-possession games, WSU has now won four-straight games decided by 6 points or fewer. The Cougars are now 6-7 in two-possession games. Nine of the Cougars' 15 victories this season have come by at least 10+ points. Closing out close games is crucial for the Cougs, who lost to Utah, No. 11 Baylor, UNLV, No. 11 UCLA, Colorado, and No. 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).


KYLE'S QUICK CONFERENCE SUCCESS
Since arriving at WSU four seasons ago, Kyle Smith has quickly become one of the most successful coaches in program history. With last weekend's wins in California, the Cougars completed a road sweep over the Bay Area schools for the second-straight season for the first time since the 1981-83 seasons and matched Smith's longest winning streak in Pac-12 play. Coach Smith has won 34 Conference game in four seasons, more than any other WSU coach in their first four years (Bennetts - 31) and boasts a better winning percentage in the first four years of tenure (.447) than any previous WSU coach (Bennetts - .431). The Cougars are guaranteed back-to-back .500+ conference records for the first time since the 2006-08 seasons.

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 10.6 turnovers per game in the last 16 games and seven games with fewer than 10 turnovers.

POWELL'S PERFECT PASSING
Junior transfer Justin Powell has been taking care of the rock all season, with a 3.0 assist-to-turnover ratio. Powell is averaging 2.8 assists per game, 15th in the Pac-12. He is also fifth in the Conference as a 3-point shooter at 40.8% (69-of-169). Fourteen 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.

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 5.6 made 3-pointers per game. The Cougar backcourt is also quick to run shooters off the line, limiting opponents to 17.5 attempts from deep per game - best in the Pac-12 and fourth among major conferences. Against Conference opponents, Wazzu is holding teams to 31.7% from 3-point range (fifth in Pac-12).

WHAT, NO LOVE?
Washington State is one of only two programs in the Conference to not receive a Pac-12 Weekly Performance Award, as voted by members of the media – the other being Stanford. This comes despite a league-leading 14 double-doubles from Mouhamed Gueye and the Pac-12's leader in offensive rebounds. The last time Washington State did not receive a weekly honor over an entire season was 2017-18, before there were freshman honors, and WSU finished 4-14 and 11th in Conference play.

SLOW AND STEADY
The Cougs run one of the slowest offenses in the country, with the 329th tempo in the country, according to KenPom. Despite the pace of play, WSU boasts a top-80 offensive efficiency (79th), and a top-60 defensive efficiency (54th).

RODMAN'S RETURN
During WSU's Senior Day celebration ahead of tipoff against Oregon,  Feb. 19, 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 5.6 rpg.

TJ'S JUNIOR JUMP
Bamba has proven to be a formidable force to contain, doubling his scoring output since his sophomore season. The junior has also doubled his assists per game and increased his rebounding average. Bamba gets to the free throw line more than any other Cougar. The Bronx native has attempted 121 shots at the charity stripe, making 87 of his attempts, ninth-most in the Pac-12.

SEASON SWEEP OF BAY AREA SCHOOLS
With last weekend's wins at Stanford and California, the Cougars completed a season sweep of the Bay Area conference schools and swept the pair on the road in back-to-back seasons for the first time since the 1982 and 1983 seasons.

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 10.5 points per game after averaging just 4.6 ppg through his first 12 games. Rodman is shooting 44.9% from 3-point range over that 15-game span (31-of-69).  The senior veteran is 10th in the Conference in 3-point shooting with a 38.3% clip.

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 is second in the Pac-12 with a 41.7% (48-of-115) 3-point field goal percentage. Mullins averages 1.9 made 3-point field goals per game, 11th 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 (27-of-30) at 90.0%.

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 10.8 offensive rebounds per game, which has led to an average of 11.0 second-chance points per game, compared to just 8.0 second-chance points per game for Cougar opponents. Wazzu leads the Pac-12 Conference in limiting opponents' offensive rebounds, offering up just 8.2 offensive rebounds per game on average.

TOP-20 TOUGHEST SCHEDULE & TOUGH LUCK
According to the KenPom adjusted strength of schedule, Washington State has played the 20th toughest schedule in the country. WSU is ranked 59th in the Feb. 28 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 329th luckiest team out of 363 ranked programs.

GETTING TO THE GLASS
Despite the Cougars lack of frontcourt experience, they hold a 2.8 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.