Questions or comments? Please direct them to Jessica Schmick, Assistant Director, Athletic Media Relations, Washington State University Department of Intercollegiate Athletics, at jessica_schmick@wsu.edu.
Saturday, Feb. 28 (5:45 p.m.)
Hello Coug Fans!
The second-largest crowd of the season was on hand to give the WSU seniors a proper send off. The raucous atmosphere brought back memories of the last two seasons as the crowd was on its feet almost the entire game. And what a game it was! Today's Crimson ZZU post game has everything you need to know about the Cougs' 51-49 overtime win against the Arizona State Sun Devils.
Player of the Game: Taylor Rochestie. The senior didn't have the best game of his career in his final home game, but he made the plays to lead the Cougars to victory. None bigger than the deep 3-pointer he sank with two seconds left to lift WSU to victory. That shot came more than 43 minutes after his only other field goal of the game, also a 3-pointer. In all, Rochestie was 2-for-11 from the floor, 2-for-6 from beyond the arc, but very timely. He added three from the free throw stripe to give him nine points on the night. It is the first time Rochestie has been held to single digits since scoring a season-low five points against Oregon State, also on 2-of-11 shooting. For the second-straight game, the point guard totaled five assists without a turnover. He also ripped down five rebounds and grabbed two steals. All of this while playing the entire 45 minutes, tying a season-high. It is the third-consecutive "complete game" for Taylor, and he has played at least 38 minutes in six of the last seven games.
Honorable Mention POG: Klay Thompson. The highly-touted freshman had another big game against the Sun Devils. After scorching ASU's zone defense for a career-high 28 points in Tempe, Klay followed that up with a 17-point performance. It marks the seventh time in the last eight games that Thompson scored in double figures. Tonight, ASU keyed on not allowing him open looks from 3-point range after he dropped in eight triples in the last meeting, so Klay worked to get open and flashed a midrange game. Thompson finished the making seven of his career-high 18 field goal attempts, including 3-for-8 from downtown. He also pulled down seven rebounds, five in the second half, and his effort on the offensive glass in overtime led to an over-the-back foul by James Harden, his fifth personal. His work on the glass moves him into fifth place on the freshman rebounding list. DeAngelo Casto. For the second game in a row, the freshman from Spokane was asked to guard one of the toughest match-ups in the conference. Today he was given James Harden. Not only did he help limit the Pac-10's leading scorer to 13 points on 2-of-11 shooting, but he also contributed on offense. Casto was 3-for-4 from the field and scored six points, four of them on second chances. In all, three of DeAngelo's six rebounds were on the offensive end. He also had one assist and one of the Cougars' five blocks. It was his 37th swat of the season, putting him on the all-time single-season top-10 list.
Turning Point of the Game: Not much debate about this one. The entire building was on the edge of its seat for the whole ball game tonight, because this one wasn't over until the final buzzer sounded. With 53 seconds left, the Sun Devils took control of the ball clinging to a one-point lead. After milking the clock, Rihards Kuksiks drove the lane and tried to feed Jeff Pendergraph for an easy look. Instead, Caleb Forrest reached high to knock the ball away and Taylor Rochestie jumped on the loose ball. Rochestie brought the ball up the floor with 13 seconds left and looked for an opening. The more he scanned, the closer the clock got to zero. With five seconds remaining, Taylor straightened up, took a dribble to set his feet and stepped into a 25-foot bomb from straight away. The shot found the bottom of the net and the crowd exploded. Taylor and the rest of the Cougars hustled back on defense to ensure the victory, Ty Abbott's desperation shot fell short, the celebration was on.
Stat of the Game: Sending the Seniors out in Style. Today's overtime thriller against Arizona State marked the third-consecutive senior night that the Cougars went to overtime. It's also the third-straight senior night victory for WSU. The win moves the Cougars to 2-0 in overtime games this season, and 5-4 under Coach Bennett. On the flip side, ASU had won its last six overtime games before this weekend. The Sun Devils also lost to the Huskies in overtime Thursday night.
Play of the Game: Another no-brainer. With possibly the play of the year, Taylor Rochestie is cleaining up the post-game accolades on the Crimson ZZU. His game-winning 3-pointer is definitely the play of the day. But the ever-humble Rochestie didn't want to think too much of it. "The younger guys just won the game for us," Rochestie said. "It wasn't the last shot. The defense they played, just unbelievable."
That's all from Friel Court tonight. The Cougars have a week off before they look continue their win streak in the conference finale next Saturday at 2:30 against the Huskies. We'll be here all week with the information to keep up to date on Cougar basketball.
Keep it crimson,
Mike Walsh
Thursday, Feb. 26 (10 p.m.)
Good evening Coug Fans!
What a win! I hope you all were able to catch the Cougs take down Arizona, 69-53, tonight on FSN. If not, no worries, we've got everything you need right here at the Crimson ZZU post game.
Player of the Game: Taylor Rochestie. The reigning Pac-10 Player of the Week continued his recent tear and led the Cougars in scoring for the third-consecutive game. In the first half, Rochestie struggled to find his stroke, but he stuck with it, going 3-for-11 from the floor. Two of his makes were from 3-point land, giving him eight points for the half. In the second-half, Taylor found the touch and was very efficient, while setting up his teammates as well. The senior point guard was 3-for-4 after halftime, all from beyond the arc. In all, Rochestie was 5-for-12 from deep, tying a career-best for makes and setting a career-high in attempts. As a distributor, Taylor dished out four assists in the second half, including two leading to Aron Baynes dunks. He finished with five helpers total as the Cougars tied a season-high with 22 assists in the game. Perhaps the most important facet of Rochestie's game tonight: zero turnovers. Facing an Arizona press that gave the Cougars fits in Tucson, Taylor took control of the Cougar offense and kept the Wildcats guessing.
Honorable Mention POG: DeAngelo Casto. The freshman from Spokane answered the call in what was possibly his most meaningful minutes of the season. After scoring two points in limited first-half action, Casto was forced into the game when Aron Baynes picked up his third foul with more than 15 minutes to go. Facing arguably the most intimidating low-post presence in the Pac-10, Jordan Hill, DeAngelo didn't back down. He bodied him up on defense -once drawing an over the back call -and when he got the opportunity, took it to him on offense. Casto finished with a career-high 11 points, going 5-for-6 from the floor, and his only miss was a long jumper trying to beat the shot clock. He also hauled in four rebounds and dished out a career-high five assists. Casto also recorded a block for the fifth-straight game. His rejection of Nic Wise gave him 36 swats on the season, tying him with Rob Corkrum for first all-time on the WSU single-season freshman blocks list.Klay Thompson. Usually known for his offensive games, Thompson showed he could play some defense as he shut down Arizona's leading scorer, Chase Budinger, in the second half. Budinger had just one point and turned the ball over three times as he shot 0-for-5 from the field and 0-for-3 from beyond the 3-point arc in the second period. Thompson, on the other hand, turned up his offensive game in the final 20 minutes, scoring 11 of his 16 points with one assist and just one turnover. He shot 4-for-6 from the field and 3-for-5 from beyond the arc in the second. Overall Thompson finished with 16 points, two assists, two steals and a blocked shot in 34 minutes of action. With four 3's, he tied the WSU freshman record for 3-point field goals with 62. Thompson also moved into sole possession of second place in freshman scoring with 368 points this season. The freshman guard has now hit a 3-pointer in every Pac-10 game of his career and has made multiple 3's in nine of his last 10 games.Caleb Forrest. The senior from Pagosa Springs, Colo., kept the Cougars afloat in the first half. Despite making just one field goal, Caleb led the Cougars in scoring during the first period thanks to a career night at the free throw line. Forrest got to the line seven times, just one shy of his previous career-high for attempts, and converted all of them, setting a career-high for makes. In the second half, Caleb hit two more free throws and finished the game 9-for-9. After halftime, he also hit two shots from the floor, including his signature right-corner jumper from the baseline. In all, Caleb finished with 15 points, his third-straight game in double figures. His 15 points paced the Cougar bench which outscored Arizona's reserves 28-2. He also grabbed six boards and assisted on three buckets.
Turning Point of the Game: Scoreless Six. After Klay Thompson found his outside stroke to beat the first-half buzzer and bring the Cougars within three at the break, he came right out and tied the game at 29 with another triple to start the second half. Arizona looked like it may not go away though. Zane Johnson answered right back for the Wildcats with a 3-pointer of his own. The Cougars battled back by going inside. Aron Baynes scored his first points of the game on a layup and Caleb Forrest gave the Cougars their first lead of the game, 33-32, with two more free throws to make him 9-for-9 on the evening. Meanwhile, the WSU defense put the pressure on Arizona, who shot nearly 50 percent in the first half. During the six minutes immediately after Johnson's three ball, the Cougars did not allow the Wildcats to score as they went 0-for-7 from the floor and committed three turnovers. On the offensive end, the Cougs stretched their lead by extending the defense. First it was a 3-pointer by Taylor Rochestie, then they went back inside to Forrest and DeAngelo Casto. By the time Jordan Hill made 1-of-2 free throws to put the Wildcats on the board again, the Cougars had built an eight-point lead, and it wasn't until Hill made a lay-up a minute later that Arizona had it's first field goal in nearly seven minutes. Klay Thompson answered that with a trey and the Cougars had a 10-point lead. From there, the Cougars never looked back.
Stat of the Game: Tale of Two Halves. The Cougars started the game cold, shooting just 28.6 percent (8-for-28) from the field and 23.1 percent (3-for-13) from beyond the 3-point arc, while the Wildcats shot 47.6 percent (10-for-21) from the field and 44.4 percent (4-for-9) from beyond the 3-point arc. Despite the poor shooting percentage and an 11-point deficit at the five-minute mark, WSU went into the locker room at halftime down just three points. In the second half the Cougs turned it all around. They tied their season-high shooting percentage in a half with a 68.0 clip, going 17-for-25, the exact shooting performance from the first half of the Cougs' win over UCLA Saturday. It was the best field goal percentage by the Cougs in a second half this season. Fifteen of WSU's 22 assists came in the second period, while four Cougars scored eight or more points in the half, including 11 from Klay Thompson. On the defensive end, WSU held Arizona to 34.8 percent shooting (8-for-23) from the field and 28.6 percent (2-for-7) from beyond the 3-point arc. The Cougars made nine more shots in the second half than in the first half, while shooting three fewer. They also made double the number of 3-pointers in the second period than first while shooting four fewer. Several players made an impact in the second half after being silenced in the first half, including Aron Baynes who scored all eight of his points in the second period and Marcus Capers who pulled down six of his seven rebounds and dished out four of his six assists in the second half while playing the entire second period.
Play of the Game: Baynes' Exclamation Point. After being held to just two points in the first 38 minutes, Aron Baynes made his mark on the game. First, he got a dunk off a dish from Taylor Rochestie. Then, after a turnover by Arizona, Baynes and DeAngelo Casto led the fast break and Casto shoveled a pass to Baynes underneath for another dunk. Finally, after another Wildcat turnover, the Cougars ran the clock down under a minute. Rochestie drove from the right wing and Baynes slipped to the hoop. Taylor tossed a lob to the rim and the big Aussie threw it down with authority. Baynes' eighth and final point of the night brought him to 976 for his career, just 24 shy of becoming the 30th Cougar to score 1,000-career points.
Thanks for reading the Crimson ZZU post game. We will be back with more inside information about Cougar Basketball later this week.
I'll leave you with some photos from Jacque Garza from tonight's game. The gallery can be seen HERE
.
Keep it crimson,
Mike Walsh
Wednesday, Feb. 25 (5:30 p.m.)
Good Evening Cougs!
The team was back on the court today for a little bit longer practice as it continued to prepare for tomorrow's game against Arizona. The intensity was up as well as the Cougars worked some more against full-court pressure and getting back on defense. Abe Lodwick kept the white team defense honest, draining 3's from all over the court. On the white team, DeAngelo Casto and Aron Baynes did a good job of finishing with authority on the offensive end.
Again there were quite a few people around as families are in town for `Senior Day' on Saturday, including Dick Bennett. Speaking of the seniors, the class as a whole was one of the topics for Coach Bennett in his teleconference Tuesday. Among other topics were Arizona, postseason play and the Cougars' success on the road. Quotes from the teleconference can be found HERE.
Well that does it for tonight. Just a reminder that Thursday's game is at 6 p.m., not 7 p.m. PST. The game can be seen on FSN Northwest up here and on FSN Arizona. And as always it can be heard on www.wsucougars.com. Be sure to check out Mike's postgame recap tomorrow.
Keep it crimson,
Jessica Schmick
Tuesday, Feb. 24 (10:25 p.m.)
Hello!
It's been a busy Tuesday on the Palouse between crazy weather, basketball practice and a lot of interviews for the student-athletes and Coach Bennett.
After giving up 81 points in Saturday's game and a fast-paced team in Arizona coming up, one of the main focuses in practice Tuesday was defense. The team worked hard on its set D and transition defense. Also a focal point was moving the ball against full-court pressure on offense.
With `Senior Day' coming up on Saturday, the majority of the media attention was focused on the seniors. Earlier in the day, Coach Bennett did his media obligations, including his weekly teleconference. Quotes from his teleconference can be found here at the Crimson ZZU Wednesday. Yesterday FSN was on campus to tape Runnin' with the Pac, which can be seen Thursday. We will have air dates and times Wednesday on the blog.
That does it for today. Mike and I will be back Wednesday with more.
Keep it crimson,
Jessica Schmick
Monday, Feb. 23 (7:05 p.m.)
Good Evening!
I don't know about all of you, but I'm still very excited from Saturday's upset of UCLA. I'm sure you read all of the stats, notes, etc., from the game and are aware of the significance of the win. If you missed anything, you can check out the postgame notes
HERE.
Staying with the trip this weekend, I have some photos from the trip to L.A. and the game at UCLA. When we showed up at the Moscow-Pullman Airport Wednesday, the WSU Horizon plane was waiting for the team. The Cougs got to fly the same plane back to Pullman Saturday. Also, San Diego-resident and Cougar fan Patricia Locati was kind enough to send some photos she took from the game. You can see all the photos in a gallery by clicking HERE.
A few news things from today. Taylor Rochestie was named the Pacific-10 Player of the Week. The honor comes much-deserved by the redshirt senior and marks his first player of the week accolades. Rochestie becomes the first Cougar to receive the honor since Daven Harmeling took home the award twice as a sophomore during the 2006-07 season. Many people find it strange, but Derrick Low nor Kyle Weaver never received Pac-10 Player of the Week during their careers. To read the release you can click HERE.
And finally, a game time for WSU's regular season finale was announced today. Television made their selections and the Cougars and Huskies will meet at 2:30 p.m. on FSN, Saturday, March 7 at Seattle's Bank of America Arena
That does it for today. Tomorrow we'll be back with practice recaps and Coach Bennett quotes from his weekly teleconference.
Keep it crimson,
Jessica Schmick
Saturday, Feb. 21 (3 p.m.)
Hello Cougar Faithful!
What a day to be a Cougar! I hope all of you were able to catch the Cougars' dramatic upset win over the No. 20/15 UCLA Bruins. Here's the Crimson ZZU's post game entry.
Player of the Game: Taylor Rochestie. The senior was unstoppable in his quest to beat the Bruins for the first time in his career. Rochestie knocked down a pair of 3-pointers as part of a 12-point first half. When the Cougars found themselves in a five-point hole five minutes after the break, they turned to senior leadership. First it was Baynes on the inside, then a quick 3-pointer from Taylor from the top of the key tied the game at 51. With the Cougars maintaining contact, Rochestie returned to his facilitator role until opportunity knocked. With just under four minutes to go, four-straight points by Darren Collison had trimmed the WSU lead in half. On the next trip for the Cougars, Rochestie held the ball on the left wing with 20 seconds left on the shot clock. He took a few slow dribbles and caught everybody off guard by putting up a 23-footer. The savvy point guard buried the shot and gave his signature fist-pump. With a five-point lead, Rochestie turned a frantic series of events into an insurmountable Cougar advantage. Coming out of a timeout, the Bruins stole the inbounds pass and had a chance to cut the lead to three, but Josh Shipp's layup rolled off and the tip didn't fall. Klay Thompson grabbed the rebound and cleared it to Taylor up ahead. Rochestie pulled up from the top of the key and drilled the transition three-ball for a 73-65 lead. Taylor then scored the next six WSU points, including four from the free throw line. UCLA kept hitting shots to stay in the game, though, so they kept fouling. Rochestie hit two more, finishing 10-for-10 from the line. When the buzzer finally sounded and the Cougars had defeated the Bruins, it was thanks in large part to Rochestie's career-high 33 points on 9-of-16 shooting, including 5-for-7 from behind the arc. Taylor also finished with five rebounds, four assists and two steals while he played all 40 minutes.
Honorable Mention POG: Klay Thompson. The freshman, in his first homecoming to Southern California, was absolutely on fire to start the game. Thompson hit a corner 3-pointer to get the scoring started. Klay hit every other shot for the Cougs before the first media timeout and scored seven of WSU's 14 points. Klay also assisted on two of the three other baskets. Near the 11-minute mark, Thompson hit back-to-back triples to stretch the Cougars' lead to 25-19. He finally came back to earth with 6:59 to go in the first half and missed his first shot. He responded by hitting a tough pull-up jumper on the baseline three possessions later to give him 15 first-half points. In the second half, the Bruins made a concerted effort to keep Thompson from getting any good shots. It worked for UCLA, as Klay did not score after the break, but he continued to play within his game and help the team. He dished out three more assists and did a number of other little things to ensure the Cougar win. In the second half, Thompson pulled in four rebounds, including a crucial one at the end of the game. Possibly more clutch was the freshman's only block that came against a driving Darren Collison trying to close the gap to two points with just 1:07 left in the game. The rejection gives Klay 17 on the season and ties him with teammate Caleb Forrest for fifth on the all-time freshman list. Aron Baynes. Despite being severely limited because of foul trouble, the big Aussie left his mark on this game. He got going early, with two assists in the first seven minutes. At the 14-minute mark, Baynes hauled in his second rebound of the game and 600th of his career. Baynes became just the 11th WSU player to reach the milestone. Then he emphatically put his name in the scorebook with a big two-handed jam and the foul. He made the free throw to complete the conventional three-point play. Aron finished the first half with seven points, going 3-for-3 from the floor. In the second half, he hit two more shots from the field and two more from the line to give him 13 points on the day. Baynes also assisted on another pair of field goals to give him a career-high four. Three more boards after intermission gave him a team-high six rebounds. Baynes also had a block in each half, giving him five this weekend.
Turning Point of the Game: Cutting Caleb. Coming out of the under-12 media timeout, the Cougars were bringing the ball up the floor having just cut the Bruin lead to one on a Taylor Rochestie layup. Rochestie dribbled up the floor to start the offense. Most of the eyes in the gym -including Ted Robinson and Marques Johnson -thought the ball was going to Klay Thompson, who had yet to get going in the second half. Klay cut hard off a low-block screen by Caleb Forrest. Taylor looked to Klay the whole way. When the Bruin defense cheated, Caleb slipped into the lane all alone and Rochestie whipped a pass to him. Forrest finished with a layup to give the Cougars their first lead since their was 30 seconds left in the first half. The Cougs never relinquished the lead, building the lead back to eight, before holding on for the one-point, upset victory.
Stat of the Game: 9-for-9. Today's stat of the game is arguably the most impressive of the season. With today's win at Pauley Pavilion, Aron Baynes, Caleb Forrest, Daven Harmeling and Taylor Rochestie became the first senior class since 1989 to defeat all nine Pacific-10 Conference opponents. Nikola Koprivica will be able to say the same thing next year, as well. The win ended the nine-game UCLA win streak. The last WSU win over the Bruins was Feb. 5, 2004, at Pauley. The win today is just the second Cougar win all-time at UCLA, both coming in the Bennett era. Today's win also gave the Cougs their second victory over a top-25 team this season and improved to 44-206 all-time against teams ranked in the Associated Press top-25, 4-35 against ranked Bruin teams.
Play of the Game: Flush and a Foul. With just over 13 minutes left in the first half, UCLA cut the WSU lead to one. The next time down the floor for the Cougars, Taylor drove the lane and drew three defenders. Rochestie stopped in the middle of the lane and sent a shovel pass to Aron Baynes on the block. The big Aussie caught, turned and elevated in traffic. He got the big two-handed dunk and drew the foul on Alfred Aboya. Baynes converted the free throw for a three-point play the hard way.
Thank you for checking out the Crimson ZZU for your post game information. The Crimson ZZU will be back tomorrow with more updates on the Cougs' huge win.
Keep it crimson,
Mike Walsh
Thursday, Feb. 19 (11:19 p.m.)
Good Evening!
I'm sure most of you saw the outcome of the Cougars' 61-51 loss to USC tonight. The replay is still going on on FSN Northwest, but here is the postgame recap.
Player of the Game: Caleb Forrest. The 6-9 forward scored 12 points, 10 of them in the first half and the first six WSU points of the game. He played a career-high 37 minutes and added a blocked shot and a steal without a turnover. Forrest shot 5-for-10 from the field and was a perfect 2-for-2 from the free throw line. He recorded his sixth double-digit scoring performance of the season and the 12th of his career. Honorable Mention POG: Taylor Rochestie. The 6-1 point guard led WSU in scoring (16 points), rebounds (five), assists (four), steals (one) and minutes played (39). He became the first Cougar player this season to lead WSU in those five categories. Although he was just 6-for-13 from the field, Rochestie was 3-for-3 from the free throw line including a 3-point play. Rochestie scored nine of his 16 points in the second half and made one of WSU's two 3-pointers on the night. The point guard had just one turnover. DeAngelo Casto. The freshman forward came off the bench to score seven points in 15 minutes, including a 3-point play in the second half. Casto recorded two blocks, moving within two blocks of the WSU freshman record. He added four rebounds, all in his 12 minutes in the second half.
Marcus Capers. Although he didn't score (0-for-2 from the field and 0-for-2 from the free throw line), Capers' 21 minutes were valuable for the Cougars, especially in the second half. In the fourth start of his career, he grabbed five rebounds, four of them in the second half.
Turning Pont of the Game: USC's free throws in the final two and a half minutes. After Daniel Hackett gave USC the momentum with a 3-pointer with 4:13 to go in the game for a 55-48 lead, Klay Thompson answered with his only one of the game to cut the lead back to four at 55-51 with 3:03 to go. The Cougars immediately called a timeout. On the next possession, the officials called a foul on Marcus Capers, putting Dwight Lewis on the free throw line. Lewis hit both to extend the lead to six points. WSU was forced to foul at that point and Lewis made his next two free throw attempts and Hackett added two of his own. The Cougars went 0-3 from the free throw line in the final minute as USC clinched the win at the charity stripe.
Stat of the Game: 3-point shooting. The Cougars shot 11.1 percent from the 3-point line, going 2-for-18. The Trojans made the same number of 3-pointers, shooting 15 fewer with a 66.7 3-point field goal percentage on 2-for-3 shooting from beyond the arc. Daniel Hackett was 1-for-2 from the 3-point line, while Dwight Lewis made his only attempt. For the Cougars Klay Thompson and Taylor Rochestie were each 1-for-6, while Caleb Forrest and Abe Lodwick were each 0-for-1 and Daven Harmeling was 0-for-4.
Play of the Game: Baynes' 3-point-dunk play. In the Cougars' opening possession of the second half, Taylor Rochestie dished the ball off to an open Aron Baynes on the left side of the hoop . Baynes had a wide-open look at the basket and dunked it in, drawing the charge by USC's Dwight Lewis. Baynes converted on the free throw for the old-fashioned 3-point play.
That does it for tonight. I'll be back with more from L.A.
Keep it crimson,
Jessica Schmick
Thursday, Feb. 19 (2:35 p.m.)
Good Afternoon!
The team made it to L.A. and the weather is beautiful down here. We're about five hours from tip-time tonight at the Galen Center. I just wanted to fill you all in on the television situation. Tonight's game against USC is going to be shown live on FSN Prime Ticket (and is available in the L.A. area) and then on tape delay on FSN Northwest at 10 p.m. (following the UW-UCLA game).
I will be back tonight with the postgame blog.
Keep it crimson,
Jessica Schmick
Tuesday, Feb. 17 (10:05 p.m.)
Welcome back!
As promised, we have some quotes from Coach Bennett's weekly teleconference today. Some of the topics of discussion included USC, the loss to Oregon State and the play of freshman Klay Thompson. To read what Coach Bennett had to say, click HERE.
I'll be back later from Los Angeles.
Keep it crimson,
Jessica Schmick
Tuesday, Feb. 17 (6 p.m.)
Good evening Coug fans!
The Cougars hit the practice floor today with a lot of energy, coming off the President's Day three-day weekend from classes.
Practice started with a lot of 5-on-0 offensive work with the Cougars getting back to basics and focusing on fundamentals. Quick cuts and strong ball fakes were an emphasis.
Once the coaches felt the team was ready for some defense, they brought on as much as the offense could handle. The Cougs started with a 3-on-4, half-court drill in which three offensive players had to make 10 passes against four defenders before they could take a break. The offense had to be sure with the ball and fight to get open when they didn't have it.
Continuing the 'moving without the ball' theme, the Cougars broke into a 3-on-3 drill next. One catch: no ball screens. Once again the offense really had to work together to run off screens and free up one another.
After that, it was primarily 5-on-5 for the remainder of the two-hour-plus practice. First the Cougars prepared to play against USC, the team that held Pac-10 leading scorer James Harden to a career-low four points earlier this season.
Later, the Cougs put it all together in a controlled scrimmage. Each team (red and white) got two possessions before play was stopped and they would reconvene with the coaches to diagram plays for the next series. The game turned into a very competitive, back-and-forth affair. DeAngelo Casto's energy led the white team to an early lead. Casto made a number of spectacular plays near the rim, one that sticks out in particular. Early in practice, Caleb Forrest threw down a nice reverse jam, and during this drill he soared toward the rim again, but DeAngelo cut him off and pinned the dunk attempt against the backboard.
The red team stormed back, behind the leadership of Taylor Rochestie and Aron Baynes, to make it a one-point game. Then the white team tried to pull away as Abe Lodwick was splashing 3-pointers from left and right, but Daven Harmeling was answering right back for the reds. Ultimately the white team pulled out a narrow victory.
The squad finished practice with a half-court defensive drill, focusing mostly on being disciplined while fatigued.
The Cougs will hit the court a little early tomorrow before departing for L.A. Check back with the Crimson ZZU for quotes from Tony Bennett's press conference today. Also, it was announced today that the Cougars' final home game against Arizona State, Feb. 28, will be at 2 p.m. and will be broadcast on FSN Northwest and FSN Arizona.
Keep it crimson,
Mike Walsh
Sunday, Feb. 15 (9:05 p.m.)
Good Evening!
I hope you all enjoyed your Valentine's Day, despite the Cougars' loss on Saturday. As promised, I have the Q&A with Kyle Weaver. Weaver answered 13 questions for the Crimson ZZU after Friday's WSU practice. The rookie has played in 28 games for the Oklahoma City Thunder this season, starting seven. He's averaging 3.6 points and 1.8 assists in 17.3 minutes played per game. Weaver scored a career-high 11 points and grabbed four rebounds in a loss to the L.A. Lakers in L.A. Feb. 10.
1. Q: What's the biggest difference between playing in the NBA and playing in college?
KW: I would say the biggest difference is speed.
2. Q: What do you miss most about Pullman?
KW: The college atmosphere.
3. Q: What's been your most exciting moment so far in the NBA?
KW: My first start.
4. Q: What's the biggest difference between Pullman and Oklahoma City?
KW: Everything. Just the size is probably the biggest difference. There's just more in general there. More food, more shopping, more everything. I'd say the size.
5. Q: Do you get to watch this year's WSU team much?
KW: I do, I do get to watch them. I try to TiVo some of the games when I can. When I'm at home I try to watch them. It's tough on the road sometimes, especially on the weekend. I watched the USC game, I saw the LSU game and I saw another one...Washington.
6. Q: What do you think about the Cougars this year?
KW: Young, lack experience...talented though.
7. Q: Who's been the toughest player you've gone up against in the NBA?
KW: I don't want to discount anybody. Every night it's somebody tough. But I'd say Kobe, had to be Kobe...had to be.
8. Q: What do you do for fun?
KW: I chill with my teammates. We go out to eat, go bowl. It's rare that we go out, out, because we're so tired that when we get some time off we just want to chill. I see family sometimes when I'm on the road too, going close to home or somebody I know in the area, just hang out with them. So I don't do much.
9. Q: What was your first purchase after signing your contract?
KW: I live in a home. I didn't buy it though. I'm renting right now, so it's kind of like mine though. But my first purchase, purchase. Probably my car, I'd say my car.
10. Q: What's your favorite city that you've traveled to for a game?
KW: Miami so far. I haven't been everywhere yet though.
11. Q: What's the coolest arena you've played in so far?
KW: There are a lot of cool ones. I thought the Garden was neat in New York.
12. Q: What do you hope to accomplish throughout your NBA career?
KW: Longevity. I hope to play in the league for as long as possible. Stay healthy, keep learning and growing as a player. I'd say that's the biggest thing, try and be there as long as I can.
13. Q: What is the NBA accomplishment that you're most proud of?
KW: Getting a starting role. It's a big accomplishment. It's rare that rookies come in and get big minutes like that. Starting is definitely one of the biggest accomplishments I've had so far. Making it to the league. Just getting on the team and getting settled in, it's a big accomplishment for me. And being able to help my family and friends with advice. Not always financially, I know everybody thinks that, just help just any way I can. Obviously that too, but...I'd say those three are the biggest things.
That's all for today.
Keep it crimson,
Jessica Schmick
Saturday, Feb. 14, 2009 (7:30 p.m.)
Hello again Cougar fans!
Before we get to the blog post, we have a photo gallery from tonight's game, thanks to Jacque Garza. Click HERE to take a look.
Welcome to the Crimson ZZU post game. It was an exciting night here at Friel Court, but the Cougs dropped a nail-biter to the pesky Beavers. Hopefully you were able to catch it on FSN, but whether you did or not, here's what the broadcast may not have told you.
Player of the Game: Klay Thompson. The freshman once again stepped up as the Cougar leader. For the first time in his young career, Thompson went for 20 points in back-to-back games. Thursday night Klay torched the Ducks for 25, and today he looked well on his way as he dropped 10 in the first half against the Beavers' zone defense. He knocked down two triples in the half and two jumpers. One of which proved that he just keeps adding to his repertoire, this time with a nifty spin move and hook shot from about 12 feet over the 6-10 Roeland Schaftenaar. When Thompson came out in the second half, the Beavers keyed in on him. He was able to shake free to score a layup and his third 3-pointer of the game in the first five minutes. Then OSU went on a run to take control of the game, but at the 3:30 mark, it looked as if Klay had given the Cougars a boost that would put them over the top. He got the ball on the left wing, drove to the middle, hesitated, and continued to the paint where he met Schaftenaar, but Klay snuck under his outstretched arms and flipped the ball up off the backboard and in. Beavers' Coach Craig Robinson said after the game, "I told (Klay), `That circus layup was one of the best shots I've ever seen.' And, he knew what he was trying to do, so it's almost not a circus shot." After that shot drew the Cougars within five, the Cougars came back down the court and Klay drained a deep three ball from the corner that made it a two-point game. Unfortunately, the Cougars couldn't close the gap anymore. Thompson finished with 20 points and six rebounds, both game highs. He also dished out three assists, blocked a shot and registered a steal.
Honorable Mention POG: Marcus Capers. Getting playing time for his defense, the freshman from Florida gave the Cougars a lift at both ends of the floor today. Capers scored four points in the first half, including a monster jam that got the crowd alive. He also brought down three rebounds. In the second half, Marcus played 16 minutes, playing sound defense against the Beavers' backdoor cuts. Capers also converted a tough, driving layup with five minutes left to give him six points on three made field goals. The scoring total tied his career-high and he set a new career-high for made field goals. Marcus also grabbed an offensive board in the second half to bring his total to four, the most he has had since Jan. 22, vs. UCLA. He swatted one shot, his first block of the Pac-10 season and, more importantly, had zero turnovers to three assists in his 29 minutes.
Turning Point of the Game: The Beavers' 18-1 second-half run. After the Cougars thwarted three early attempts by Oregon State to cut into the WSU lead, the Beavers didn't give in. At 14:39 Taylor Rochestie got into the scoring column with a second-chance 3-pointer that stretched the Cougar lead back to 11. Then the Beavers heated up. During the next eight minutes, OSU was 6-for-11 from the floor and scored 16 unanswered points to take a 47-42 lead. The Cougars got one back, but Calvin Haynes hit a jumper to give the Beavs a six-point lead.
Stat of the Game: 20-point halves. It was most definitely a tale of two halves tonight between the Cougars and the Beavers. In the first half it was the Cougars controlling the game on both ends of the floor. They were knocking down tough shots and limiting the Beaver offense. Ball movement was also a big key for the WSU offense. In the first half, the Cougs had 10 assists on their 13 field goals. Meanwhile, OSU struggled to find the bottom of the net and went into the locker room with 20 points and a 12-point deficit. Then the tables turned. After the break, it was the Beavers making big shots and playing suffocating defense. The teams were nearly exact opposites in the first and second halves. After shooting 13-for-23 and scoring 32 points in the first half, the Cougars were 8-for-24 in the second with just 20 points. The Beavers, on the other hand, scored their 20 first-half points on 8-for-21 shooting, but scratched out 34 points on 13-for-26 shooting in the second half. Most important for the Beavers' second-half efficiency, one turnover, and it came at the 16:32 mark.
Play of the Game: The Cape Crusader Soars. With the shot clock winding down midway through the first half, the Cougars were looking for somebody to put the ball in the hole. Daven Harmeling took the ball from the left corner and drove baseline. The middle of the Beaver zone cut him off just outside the key. Harmeling spun back to the sideline and caught Marcus Capers darting from the top of the key to the hoop. Capers' defender was cheating towards Harmeling and lost vision. Daven whipped a pass into the lane and Marcus caught the ball and exploded towards the rim, finishing with a ferocious two-handed dunk.
Thanks for coming by, we will bring you more updates on Cougar basketball tomorrow, including a special Q & A with Kyle Weaver.
Keep it crimson,
Mike Walsh
Friday, Feb. 13 (10:05 p.m.)
Happy Friday the 13th!
After the Cougars' big win Thursday over Oregon, they were back on the court to prepare for Oregon State on Saturday. With just a day to prepare, the team worked hard, beginning practice with a film session before walking through plays and working on shooting and ball handling.
There was a lot going on at practice today as a combined four former and current NBA players were at the Cougars' practice today. Those included head coach Tony Bennett (of course), along with Klay Thompson's father, Mychal Thompson, Craig Ehlo, who is doing the color commentary for Saturday's game on FSN NW and former Coug and current Oklahoma City Thunder starter Kyle Weaver, who is visiting Pullman during the all-star break. The Spokesman's Vince Grippi came up with the stat today that the four NBAers had played a combined 1,988 games in the league.
I was able to catch up with Weaver following practice and will have a Q&A with him here at the Crimson ZZU on Sunday.
That does it for tonight. The Cougars and Beavers are set for a 4 p.m. tip-off at Friel Court Saturday. The game can be seen on FSN Northwest and, as always, listened to online and on the radio.
Keep it crimson,
Jessica Schmick
Friday, Feb. 13 (12:30 a.m.)
Welcome to the Crimson ZZU post game entry. By now, hopefully, you know the Cougars coasted to a 67-38 victory of the Oregon Ducks. A couple notes before the blog you've all been waiting for. The Ducks' 38 points is the fewest the Cougars have surrendered to a Pac-10 opponent since holding California to 37 Jan. 14, 1988. Also, WSU shot 9-of-14 from the floor in the second half, 64.3 percent, the team's best second-half shooting performance this season. With former Washington State standout and current starter for the NBA's Oklahoma City Thunder, Kyle Weaver on hand, the Cougars took care of business early and often. Here's the wrap-up.
Player of the Game: Klay Thompson. The freshman who celebrated his 19th birthday Sunday, feasted on the Ducks all night. Thompson got the Cougar offense rolling with the first four WSU points with two silky smooth jumpers. Klay continued his onslaught with a 3-pointer to stretch the Cougar lead to 11-2. Then, just when it looked like Oregon had some momentum after ending WSU's 19-2 run with a Drew Wiley three ball, Thompson buried a triple from Stadium Way. Klay grabbed a defensive board on the other end and hustled back to stick his third deep ball of the game, this time towards the end of the shot clock and with a hand in his face. Klay's barrage gave him 13 of the Cougars' first 25 points and the rout was on as WSU had a 25-5 lead at the 7:36 mark in the first half. The Ladera Ranch, Calif.-native finally cooled off a little , missing his next two shots, but sank another jumper with a minute and a half left to give him 15 in the first half. After the break it was much of the same as the Cougars looked to Thompson right out of the gate and seven seconds later he had another bucket. From that point until the 15:43 mark, he had outscored the Ducks 17-15. After being a distributor for the next 10 minutes, Klay notched his second-career 20-point performance with another 3-pointer. Thompson rounded out his day converting on two free throws (making him 24-for-24 as a Coug) and draining his fifth trey to stretch the lead to 30, before resting for the last five minutes of the game. Thompson finished with a team-high 25 points, it is his best performance at home this season and just three off his career-high.
Honorable Mention POG: Taylor Rochestie. The senior leader joined Thompson on the offensive end tonight, and helped jumpstart the Cougar scoring. Rochestie hit a deep two-point jumper to open his scoring, then he knocked down back-to-back 3-pointers from each wing to give the Cougs a 15-point lead just 10 minutes into the game. Those eight points were his first-half total as he and Klay combined for 23 of the Cougs' 29 points before intermission. In the second half, Taylor played just 13 minutes because he was in foul trouble and because Coach Bennett wanted the younger players to get experience. He was extremely efficient, though. The Santa Barbara, Calif.-native only took two shots, both behind the arc, but made them both, including a 25-footer at the end of the shot clock to give the Cougars their biggest lead of the game, 63-30, with 4:32 remaining. Taylor finished with 16 points and five assists.
Turning Point of the Game: Leaving the Ducks in the Dust. The Cougars looked like they were in for a battle when Klay Thompson's jumper to start the scoring was answered by Oregon's LeKendric Longmire slashing through the lane for a floater. After that it was all WSU. The Cougs used smart shot selection and stifling defense to go on a 17-0 run during the next 9:20. The spurt was capped by Daven Harmeling knocking down a mid-range jumper that really got the crowd into the game.
Stat of the Game: Just Keep Shooting. That's about all the Oregon coaching staff could tell the Ducks today, and they didn't fail for lack of trying. The visitors hoisted 11 more shots than the Cougars but made 11 less than the home team. Oregon finished the game 10-for-48 from the floor, including a 5-for-26 performance in the second half. The Ducks' 19.2 percent second-half field goal percentage is the lowest by a WSU opponent in the second half this season. The biggest reason Oregon was able to muster 48 shot attempts was its 17 offensive rebounds. Unfortunately for them, they only managed four second-chance points compared the Cougars' 14 second-chance points on nine offensive rebounds. On the flip side, because the Cougars were so offensively proficient, shooting 21-for-37, the Ducks could only haul in 10 defensive rebounds.
Play of the Game: Clamping Down. It's not the normal flashy play that earns tonight's Play of the Game honors. It was a gritty defensive performance early in the game that really allowed the Cougars to put a stamp on the game and get the crowd into it. With 11:44 left in the first half, Taylor Rochestie hit his first 3-pointer of the game to stretch the Cougar lead to 12 at 14-2. On the Ducks' ensuing possession, the WSU defense gave Oregon nothing. When the shot clock wound down with Tajuan Porter still handling the ball out top, the Cougar defense extended and Daven Harmeling perfectly hedged a ball screen to force Porter even farther outside. The final seconds of the shot clock ticked away and the buzzer sounded before Porter could get a clean look at the hoop. After the 35-second violation, the Cougars came back on offense and patiently ran their offense before Rochestie drained another triple with less than five seconds left on the shot clock.
Play of the Pre-Game: Take a Seat. In the spirit of the NBA All-Star Weekend (which is why Kyle Weaver was able to attend tonight's game) and its inaugural H-O-R-S-E competition, I'm bringing you a special section for today. Before the game, the Cougars were shooting around from all spots on the floor, and, for Taylor Rochestie, spots off the floor. Sitting on the visitor's bench, Rochestie coaxed his teammates into passing him a ball. Taylor heaved a shot from his rear end and sent it right through the net. Rochestie got out of the chair, palms to the sky and walked to the locker room as James Watson tried to match the trick shot, but came up well short earning an H.
Thanks for stopping by. We will be back with an update tomorrow.
Keep it crimson,
Mike Walsh
Wednesday, Feb. 11 (5:33 p.m.)
Hello!
It's just under 26 hours till tip time and the Cougs were back on the court for a shorter practice today. The team had a less physically strenuous practice, working more on fundamentals, offensive plays and defensive sets.
The team started practice with some light shooting, followed by ball handling drills. After that the Cougs broke into teams (consisting of starting five, first five subs, etc.), and worked on their offense. Most of the practice was spent in three separate teams, as the first two teams practiced against Oregon's defensive set. At practice today were Aron Baynes' parents, who made the trip from Australia for the first time.
Since the Cougars are back at home this week, that means another game day program sold at the games by the WSU Spirit Squad. This week's issue features a Day in the Life story on the Spirit Squad and 10 Questions with freshman Klay Thompson, among other stories. Thompson answered 16 questions, below are the six short-answer questions not included in the program.
Six Questions with Klay Thompson Q: What is your favorite thing to do when you're not playing basketball?
A: Go to the movies.
Q: What is the biggest difference between home and Pullman?
A: The weather.
Q: What made you decide to come to WSU?
A: The coaching staff.
Q: Was there a basketball player you tried to emulate growing up?
A: As a kid I really liked Eddie Jones and Penny Hardaway.
Q: How many pairs of shoes do you own?
A: I'd say around 15.
Q: What kind of car do you drive, or would want to drive?
A: I drove an Envoy back home.
That does it for today. Mike will be back with the postgame recap following tomorrow's game with Oregon. Just a reminder the game will not be televised, but can be heard on the radio and online. Tip is set for 7 p.m.
Keep it crimson,
Jessica Schmick
Tuesday, Feb. 10 (9:07 p.m.)
Good Evening!
The Cougars continued preparation for the Oregon schools today at practice. After four-straight games on the road, it will be nice for the team to return to the friendly confides of Beasley Coliseum. Thursday's game will not be televised, but tip is set for 7 p.m. Saturday's game with Oregon State is set for 4 p.m. and can be seen on FSN Northwest.
As many of you know, Oregon is looking for its first Pac-10 win of the season, having lost its last 11 games while holding a 6-17 overall record. Coach Bennett discussed what it is like playing a team looking for its first Pac-10 win in his teleconference. Also discussed were the play of freshmen Klay Thompson and Marcus Capers and postseason play. Some comments from the teleconference can be read HERE.
Also up on the web are the game notes for Thursday's game against Oregon. The Cougs are looking for their fifth-straight win over the Ducks after snapping a 13-game losing streak to Oregon last season. The game notes can be found HERE.
That's all for today. Mike and I will be back Wednesday with more at the Crimson ZZU.
Keep it crimson,
Jessica Schmick
Sunday, Feb. 8 (1:15 a.m.)
Hopefully most of you got to see the game tonight (last night) against Califonia. The Cougars, just as they have all season, battled all game and overcame a few Golden Bear runs, but couldn't get over the hump as they dropped the second game of the season series 71-63. Now get the low-down on what happened from the Crimson ZZU post game.
Player of the Game: Taylor Rochestie. Once again the senior leader stepped up when the Cougars needed him most. Rochestie scored a team-high 19 points on 7-of-12 shooting. In the first half he did all of his damage from the outside. Taylo finished 3-for-3 from behind the arc for all nine of his points, including a deep triple to give the Cougs a 33-30 lead as the teams went to the locker rooms. In the second half, Rochestie hit a jumper that ended a California 9-0 run to stat the period. For the next 10 minutes, the point guard retreated to a distributor role racking up two of his game-high six assists. At the nine-minute mark, with the Cougars down five, he took over again and drove the lane for a lay-up and a foul. When the 89 percent free throw shooter completed the conventional three-point play it was the first and only WSU free throw of the night. He hit another jumper on the next possession to tie the game at 52. With the Cougars down by six with about four minutes left, the Santa Barbara-native made what looked like it could have been the play of the game. He came down and missed a jumper but tracked down the offensive rebound and kicked it to Klay Thompson for a 3-pointer from the corner. The next time down, the Cougs ran a set play and Taylor dished to Thompson for another 3-pointer in virtually the same spot to tie the game at 60. Rochestie finished the game with 19 points, five rebounds and six assists. It is his 14th double-figure scoring performance of the season.
Honorable Mention POG: Klay Thompson. The freshman continues to impress in conference play. With 15 points tonight, he scored in double figures for the eighth time in the last 10 Pac-10 games. The seven points he scored in the first half were sporadic and included knocking down his only 3-point attempt. In the second half he scored all eight of his points in a row, six coming on back-to-back 3-pointers that brought the game to a tie at 60. Caleb Forrest. Before leaving the game late in the second half with an extremely unfortunate injury, Forrest was leading the Cougars in scoring and hustle points. After a 15-0 Cal run in the middle of the first half gave the Bears a 20-16 lead, the Cougars turned to Caleb. The senior answered the bell and ended the run with a jumper and scored another five points to end the half with a team-high nine points on 4-of-5 shooting, including the ninth 3-pointer of his career. In the second half the Bears stopped giving Forrest so much space when they double-teamed Aron Baynes, but he still found ways to score. His most impressive bucket came at the 13:32 mark in the second half as he finished an acrobatic layup to draw the Cougars within three. See the Play of the Game section for more on this hoop. Caleb finished with 13 points, two rebounds and a career-high four assists. Nikola Koprivica. The junior from Serbia played 29 minutes which equals the most he has played in a conference game this season. He played very productive minutes tonight as he registered a career-high five assists. Koprivica also slashed to the basket when the lanes were open and tallied four points for his efforts.
Turning Point of the Game: Hustling Harper. Just after Klay Thompson tied the game at 60 with two-straight 3-pointers for the Cougars, California came back down the floor trying to regain the momentum. Patrick Christopher missed a shot, but grabbed his own rebound and got fouled on a put back attempt. After making the first free throw to take the lead, he missed the second but Cal's Harper Kamp tracked down the loose ball. After running the clock down to the two-minute mark, Jerome Randle was fouled and knocked down two free throws to extent the Golden Bear lead to 63-60. From there, the Bears scored four more points before a Taylor Rochestie 3-pointer cut the lead to 67-63. The Cougars elected not to foul with a minute left and Theo Robertson buried a fade away 18-footer as the shot clock expired to effectively end the game.
Stat of the Game: Free throws. For the first time this season the Cougars did not attempt a free throw in the first half of a game. Also for the first time this season, a Cougar opponent did not attempt a free throw in the first half. Unfortunately for the Cougs, they only took one free throw in the second half, coming when Taylor Rochestie converted a three-point play. The Golden Bears got to the line 16 times and made 13 of them. One free throw is the fewest the Cougars have attempted this season. The Bears' 12 made free throws advantage is the greatest discrepancy since Pittsburgh made 17 more than the Cougars in the final of the Legends Classic in November.
Play of the Game: Falling Forrest. As mentioned above, senior Caleb Forrest made the play of the day near the midway point of the second half. Taylor Rochestie pulled down one of his five rebounds and sent his eyes down court. Rochestie spotted the sprinting Forrest and darted a perfect outlet pass. Caleb hauled in the pass as he flashed through the lane and went up with a defender on his back. By the time he shed the contact and put the shot up, Caleb was outside the lane and falling to the floor. Despite not being able to see the hoop, Forrest banked it in and crashed to the deck.
That's going to do it from the Crimson ZZU. Thanks for checking in, we will be back Monday.
Keep it crimson,
Mike Walsh
Thursday, Feb. 5 (11:30 p.m.)
Good Evening!
I know most of you didn't get to see it, but the Cougs fell to Stanford, 65-54 tonight. The Cougs jumped out to a quick lead, but couldn't hold on to it, trailing by one at halftime. Here is the Crimson ZZU recap.
Player of the Game: Klay Thompson. The freshman guard not only led the team in scoring with 18 points but was also the only Cougar starter to not a commit a turnover. Thompson finished the game 7-for-14 from the field and 2-for-3 from beyond the 3-point arc. He added three rebounds, an assist and tied his career high with three steals, all in the first half. Thompson also went 2-for-2 from the free throw line and has yet to miss a free throw shot in his collegiate career at 22-for-22 from the charity stripe.
Honorable Mention POG: Aron Baynes. Despite six turnovers, the 6-10 center came one rebound short of his fifth double-double of the season with 16 points and nine boards. He went 6-for-10 from the field and 4-for-6 from the free throw line, adding two assists in 33 minutes of action. Nikola Koprivica. The 6-6 guard played a solid game for the Cougs, putting in 23 minutes of action. He went 2-for-3 from the field with four points and added three assists. Koprivica did not a commit a turnover and showed what he does best, cutting and driving to the basket.
Turning Point of the Game: Stanford's 7-1 run in the second half. Each time the Cougars would get close, Stanford found ways to pull away. That was the case in the second half. Once Stanford pulled to its first double-digit lead of the game at 10 points with 12 minutes to go, WSU used a 5-0 run to cut the lead to five at 48-43 with 9:16 to go in the game. Following the Cougars' run, Stanford used its own run, a 7-1 run with five of the points coming from the Cardinal's hot hand, Lawrence Hill, to take an 11-point, 55-44 lead with 6:17 to go. The lead became 13 points two minutes later and 15 just under the two-minute mark. WSU couldn't recover from the deficit.
Stat of the Game: Shooting percentages. Despite shooting their best field goal percentage since a .479 clip against UCLA Jan. 22, the Cougars were out-done by the sharp-shooting Cardinal Thursday night. As a team Stanford shot .548 from the field (23-for-42) and an impressive .692 from beyond the 3-point arc (9-for-13). Both marks were season bests for a WSU opponent, as the Cardinal shot better from beyond the 3-point arc than it did from the free throw line (.667, 10-for-15). Individually, Lawrence Hill shot .889 from the field (8-for-9) including a perfect 2-for-2 from beyond the 3-point arc. Hill didn't miss his first shot until the 14:15 mark of the second half, making his first six shots. Stanford entered the game shooting just .358 from beyond the 3-point arc, the sixth-best mark in the Pac-10.
Play of the Game: Aron Baynes' dunk. With 17:27 to go in the game and the Cougars trailing by four at 34-30, Daven Harmeling put up a jumper from the left baseline. The shot bounced off the rim and Aron Baynes went up for it and with just his right hand, and slammed the ball down from the right side of the basket for the dunk to pull WSU within two points. Baynes' dunk was arguably the most impressive of his career as he showed great athleticism and precision. That's it for tonight. The team made it safely to Berkeley to begin preparation for Saturday's game.
Keep it crimson,
Jessica Schmick
Wednesday, Feb. 4 (2:05 p.m.)
PRACTICE GYM PHOTO GALLERY
Good Afternoon!
The Cougars are practicing right now before heading to Palo Alto later this afternoon. I don't have much to report right now, but I wanted to put up a photo gallery of the practice gym in PEB 146 which was completed this summer. I want to thank former manager and current director of basketball operations at Seattle University, Mitch Reaves, for coming up with the idea. The link to the gallery is above. The photos are from October, they're the most up-to-date I have right now. I will be back later with updates from Palo Alto.
Keep it crimson,
Jessica Schmick
Tuesday, Feb. 3 (10:15 p.m.)
Hello!
The Cougars continued their preparation for the weekend in the Bay Area at practice Tuesday held in the practice gym in PEB. The men's and women's teams split the gyms, as the team that's playing at home that week practices at Beasley and the team on the road practices in PEB (this is during the Pac-10 season). The Cougs opened practiced with some fundamentals, working on ball handling and dribbling in pressure.
After getting fundamentals under control, the team worked on its defense, including set and transition defense. The Cougs ended with work on their offense, using different combinations on the red team. Aron Baynes' hook shot looked particularly good, as he hit several over defenders.
Coach Bennett held his weekly teleconference today. He discussed the halfway point of the Pac-10 season, what he's been happy with thus far and the play of Taylor Rochestie. To read what he had to say, click HERE
The team takes off for Stanford tomorrow following practice in the afternoon. The Cougars are set to arrive shortly after 7 p.m. That's all for today, I'll be back with a travel update Wednesday.
Keep it crimson,
Jessica Schmick
Monday, Feb. 2 (6:15 p.m.)
Good Evening!
The Cougars made it back safely from Arizona Saturday night, getting back into Pullman around 11:45 p.m. It was a long travel day for the team as it bussed two hours up to Phoenix from Tucson, took a two and a half hour flight from Phoenix to Spokane, then bussed the hour and a half down to Pullman. The Cougars will be hitting the road again this week for rare back-to-back road trips. This time the team heads down to the Bay Area to take on Stanford Thursday and California Saturday. Both games will start at 7:30 p.m., with just Saturday's game being televised.
Some news regarding Tony Bennett's father and uncle, Dick Bennett and Jack Bennett. UW-Stevens Point announced today that it will honor both former Pointer coaches by naming the men's basketball court "Bennett Court." The naming ceremony will take place Feb. 7 at halftime of the UW-Stevens Point vs. UW -Superior men's basketball game.
The court naming in honor of the Bennetts for their dedication to basketball, leadership, and character is part of a recent successful campaign at UWSP aimed at showcasing the storied tradition of greatness in athletics and the Pointer basketball program. Fundraising for this project started fall 2008 and all of the funds from the campaign will be used for the floor naming, Quandt gym renovations, and remodeling of Quandt lobby. For more information click HERE.
Here are fact sheets on both Wisconsin coaching legends courtesy of UW-Stevens Point:
Dick Bennett, who started his college coaching career at UW-Stevens Point in 1976, spent nine seasons at the helm of the Pointer men's basketball team, compiling 173 wins. In his final three seasons (1982-85), the he guided the team to a 79-13 record. He was also named NAIA Coach of the Year after the 1983-84 season, leading the team to a 22-3 mark and a national runner-up finish. After Stevens Point, he went on to coach at UW-Green Bay from 1985-1995, leading the Phoenix to three NCAA tournament appearances. He then led UW-Madison to three NCAA tournament appearances including the Final Four in 1999-2000. After two years away from basketball, Dick returned to the court in 2003, spending three seasons as the head coach of the Washington State Cougars before retiring after the 2005-06 season.
Jack Bennett's coaching career spanned 34 years throughout Wisconsin high school and collegiate basketball. He began in 1971 at Park Falls High School before stops at Marinette and Wisconsin Rapids High Schools. After five seasons as an assistant coach at UW-Eau Claire, Bennett coached seven years at Rhinelander High School prior to replacing Bob Parker at UW-Stevens Point in 1996-97. In nine seasons at UW-Stevens Point, he led the Pointers to five Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference titles, five NCAA tournament appearances and two national championships en route to becoming the school's all-time winningest coach with a 200-56 record. His all-time career head coaching record, including high schools, is 480-175.
The Cougars hit the court once again Tuesday. We will be back with a practice recap and some quotes from Coach Bennett's teleconference Tuesday morning.
Keep it crimson,
Jessica Schmick
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