#22 WASHINGTON STATE COUGARS (24-8, 14-6) vs COLORADO (23-9, 13-7)
Friday, March 15, 2024
7:30 p.m. PT // Las Vegas, Nevada
T-Mobile Arena  // 18,000
Radio Coverage
Cougar Radio Network // KXLY 920AM
Matt Chazanow & Craig Ehlo
Television Coverage
FS1
Jason Benetti // Casey Jacobsen // Allison Williams
 
OPENING FIVE
1. No. 22 WSU advances to the Pac-12 Tournament semifinals for the first time since 2008, facing Colorado at 7:30 p.m. PT live on FS1 from T-Mobile Arena
2. Myles Rice was named the 2024 Pac-12 Freshman of the Year,  becoming the first Coug in school history to win the award, after setting the WSU freshman single-game and single-season scoring records, averaging 15.2 points per game, 4.0 assists per game, and 1.5 steals per game, while garnering All-Pac-12 honors
3. Three Cougars earned All-Pac-12 nods for the first time since 1980, led by Isaac Jones and Myles Rice on the All-Conference First Team, while Jaylen Wells picked up honorable mention
4. The John R. Wooden Pac-12 Coach of the Year, Kyle Smith has guided the Cougs to their best season of the Pac-12 era, surpassing 250 career wins, and led WSU to a 23-8 regular season finish. Smith guided the Cougs to 14 Conference wins, matching the WSU all-time League wins record set in 1980 and 1983. Smith is the only coach in Cougar history to earn two top-10 wins in the same season, beating Arizona twice
5. The Cougars return to the Conference tournament semifinals for the fourth time in school history and first time since playing in the 2008 Pac-10 Tournament semifinals - WSU has never won two tournament games

SERIES HISTORY WITH COLORADO
Washington State and Colorado met intermittently throughout the 20th century beginning in the 1952-53 season, becoming regular opponents when the Buffs joined the Pac-12 prior to the 2011-12 season. The Cougs and Buffaloes have met 27 times, with WSU holding a 8-19 record. WSU and CU last met in a neutral site contest at the 2020 Pac-12 Tournamentm with WSU beating the Buffs in the final complete college basketball game before the pandemic ended the season. WSU and CU have a 2-2 split in neutral site.

LAST TIME AT COLORADO
Jaylen Wells had 17 points and 10 rebounds, his first double-double in Pac-12 play, and Isaac Jones added 13 points and 11 rebounds, as WSU beat Colorado 78-69 in Pullman, Wash. The double-double marked Wells' second of the year and continued a streak of eight-consecutive double-digit scoring performances. Rice added 17 points with 12 points in the second half. Several of Rice's baskets came in pivotal moments late in the game.  Isaac Jones had 13 points on 50% shooting from the field and 11 rebounds for his seventh double-double as a Coug. KJ Simpson led the game in scoring with 25 points.

CURRENT COUGS VS COLORADO
WSU Head Coach Kyle Smith is 3-6 all-time against Colorado,with all nine matchups during his Cougar tenure. The Cougars won at home during the 2021-22 season, and also the final complete college basketball game before the COVID pandemic that ended the 2019-20 season in Smith's first year. In addition to four-year veteran Andrej Jakimovski has scored in double figures in four-straight games against CU, while Isaac Jones tallied double figures twice with one double-double against the Buffs.