Washington State Cougars men's basketball

The Washington State Cougars men's basketball team represents Washington State University and competes in the Pac-12 Conference (Pac-12) of NCAA Division I. The Cougars play their home games on campus in Pullman at Beasley Coliseum, which has a capacity of 11,566.

Washington State Cougars men's basketball
2019–20 Washington State Cougars men's basketball team
UniversityWashington State University
Head coachKyle Smith (1st season)
ConferencePac-12
LocationPullman, Washington
ArenaBeasley Coliseum
(Capacity: 11,566)
NicknameCougars
ColorsCrimson and Gray[1]
         
Uniforms
Home
Away
Alternate
Pre-tournament Premo-Porretta Champions
1917
NCAA Tournament Runner-up
1941
NCAA Tournament Final Four
1941
NCAA Tournament Elite Eight
1941
NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen
2008
NCAA Tournament Round of 32
1983, 2007, 2008
NCAA Tournament Appearances
1941, 1980, 1983, 1994, 2007, 2008
Conference Regular Season Champions
1917, 1941

History

Washington State began varsity intercollegiate competition in men's basketball in 1902. The Cougars were retroactively awarded the 1917 National Championship by the Helms Athletic Foundation and the Premo-Porretta Power Poll.[2][3] The team played to large crowds in the late-1970s when George Raveling was head coach.

For the better part of seven decades, the Cougars were a consistent contender in the Pac-10 and its predecessor, the Pacific Coast Conference. After a dark period in the late 1990s and early 2000s, there was the beginning of a resurgence under coach Dick Bennett. The 2004–05 season saw a large increase in student support as the team finished within a few wins of a .500 record (along with a stunning upset win against Arizona, an eventual Elite Eight team). Bennett retired at the end of the 2005–06 season and was replaced by his son, Tony.

Tony Bennett tied the all-time WSU record for wins (26) in two of his three seasons as head coach before leaving for Virginia Cavaliers in 2009. Washington State had recently cancelled a trip to the 2009 Final Four for Bennett and his staff, and was considering dropping chartered recruiting trips which had been started one year prior at Bennett's request.[4]

2006-07
Main article: 2006–07 Washington State Cougars men's basketball team

The Cougars earned a #3 seed in the NCAA Tournament and beat Oral Roberts 70–54 in the first round. The Cougars then lost to Vanderbilt in the second round 78–74 in double overtime. Their final record was 13–5 in the Pac-10 and 26–8 overall, which tied the school record for most wins in a season. During the 2006–07 season, the Cougars swept rival Washington, Arizona, Arizona State, USC, Oregon State, and California. In the tournament, the coaching staff wore a pin saying TAY, which stood for Turn-Around Year. After the season, Coach Tony Bennett received the Naismith Coach of the Year award, the highest honor for a college basketball coach.

2007-08
Main article: 2007–08 Washington State Cougars men's basketball team

In 2008, the Cougars returned to the NCAA Tournament. The Cougars earned a #4 seed and were matched up against #13 seed Winthrop University. The Cougars dominated in the second half after a 29–29 tie in the first half to finish 71–40, far beyond the 9 point margin they were favored by.[5]

After two straight victories in the NCAA Tournament, the Cougars headed to the Sweet Sixteen for the second time in school history. In the Sweet Sixteen, Washington State was matched against the #1 overall seed North Carolina. During the first half, both teams seem evenly matched, but North Carolina took control in the second half and won by a score of 68–47.[6] The Cougars finished the 2007–08 season with a record of 26–9.

Head coaches

Head coach Tony Bennett announced that he was leaving for Virginia following the 2008–09 season.[7] Bennett, who became head coach after his father Dick Bennett's retirement, finished the season with a 17–16 record. In the previous two years, he led the Cougars to consecutive NCAA tournament appearances; father and son coached the Cougars for three seasons each.

Ken Bone replaced Bennett as head coach of the WSU Cougars Men's Basketball Team in February 2009.[8] Bone served as head coach until 2014 and he was followed as head coach by Ernie Kent.[9] Kent served as head coach until 2019 and he was followed in that position by current head coach Kyle Smith.[10]

Postseason

NCAA Tournament results

The Cougars have appeared in six NCAA Tournaments, with an overall record of 6–6.

Year Seed Round Opponent Result
1941Elite Eight
Final Four
National Final		Creighton
Arkansas
Wisconsin		W 48–39
W 64–53
L 34–39
19805 MERound of 48(12) PennL 55–62
19838 WRound of 48
Round of 32		(9) Weber State
(1) #4 Virginia		W 62–52
L 49–54
19948 ERound of 64(9) Boston CollegeL 64–67
20073 ERound of 64
Round of 32		(14) Oral Roberts
(6) Vanderbilt		W 70–54
L 74–78 2OT
20084 ERound of 64
Round of 32
Sweet Sixteen		(13) Winthrop
(5) #15 Notre Dame
(1) #1 North Carolina		W 71–40
W 61–41
L 47–68

NIT results

The Cougars have appeared in five National Invitation Tournaments (NIT). Their combined record is 7–5.

Year Round Opponent Result
1992First Round
Quarterfinals		Minnesota
New Mexico		W 72–70
L 71–79
1995First Round
Second Round
Quarterfinals		Texas Tech
Illinois State
Canisius		W 94–82
W 83–80
L 80–99
1996First Round
Second Round		Gonzaga
Nebraska		W 92–73
L 73–82
2009First RoundSaint Mary'sL 57–68
2011First Round
Second Round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals		Long Beach State
Oklahoma State
Northwestern
Wichita State		W 85–74
W 74–64
W 69–66 OT
L 44–75

CBI results

The Cougars have appeared in one College Basketball Invitational (CBI). Their combined record is 4–2.

Year Round Opponent Result
2012First Round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
Finals Game 1
Finals Game 2
Finals Game 3		San Francisco
Wyoming
Oregon State
Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh		W 89–75
W 61–41
W 72–55
W 67–66
L 53–57
L 65–71

Retired numbers

The Cougars have retired two jersey numbers in program history, most recently Klay Thompson’s number 1 in 2020.[11]

Number Player Years
1Klay Thompson2008–2011
55Steve Puidokas1973–1977

Rivalries

Gonzaga

Gonzaga University is a Jesuit university in Spokane, about 75 miles (120 km) north of Pullman.[12] As of the 2013–14 season, Washington State has a 98–50 (.662) lead in the series against the Bulldogs; the series began in 1907 and has most recently been played annually since 2001.[13] The game in December 2007 marked the first time the two met as ranked teams.[14] Visiting Washington State was ranked #6 in the AP Poll and won 51–47 over #19 Gonzaga at the McCarthey Athletic Center.[15]

Idaho
Main article: Battle of the Palouse § Men's basketball

A non-conference series since 1959, Washington State has played the Idaho Vandals of neighboring Moscow annually since 1906 in a rivalry dubbed the Battle of the Palouse; the U of I is less than eight miles (13 km) east of Pullman. They often met four or five times per season until 1964, reduced to twice a season for the next decade. It has since become an annual event early in the schedule (except for the mid-1990s, when two games per season were played). The continuing rivalry is the oldest in the western United States,[16] four years older than WSU's series with the Washington Huskies.

The two played the first-ever regular season basketball game in the newly-enclosed Kibbie Dome in January 1976, won by the Cougars.[17] The rivalry was at its peak in December 1982 when 11,000 were in the same venue for a Saturday night overtime thriller, won by the Vandals.[18][19][20][21]

Washington State has a 163–110 (.597) lead in the series through December 2017, when Idaho won 91–64 in Moscow, for a third win in four years.[16] Before that, WSU had won 11 straight and 19 of the previous 21 meetings.[22][23]

Washington
Main article: Washington–Washington State men's basketball rivalry

The University of Washington is located in Seattle, nearly 300 miles (480 km) west of Pullman. As of 2019, the Washington Huskies have a 183–104 (.638) lead in the series that began in 1910.[24]

Record vs. Pac-12 opponents

The Washington State Cougars have the following all-time series records vs. Pac-12 opponents. They lead the series vs. four opponents and are exactly even in one other series.

Opponent Wins Losses Pct. Streak
Arizona 28 47 .373 WSU 1

1

6
Arizona St. 41 36 .532 WSU 1
California 48 80 .375 Cal 4
Colorado 9 8 .529 Col 1
Oregon 125 172 .421 Oregon 4
Oregon St. 156 137 .527 WSU 1
Stanford 69 71 .493 Stanford
UCLA 42 94 .309 UCLA 3
USC 69 69 .500 WSU 1
Utah 8 7 .533 Utah 1
Washington 101 178 .362 UW 3
  • Note all-time series includes non-conference matchups.
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References
  1. Washington State University Athletics Department Brand Identity Guidelines (PDF). April 18, 2013. Retrieved April 6, 2017.
  2. List of Helms Champs
  3. ESPN, ed. (2009). ESPN College Basketball Encyclopedia: The Complete History of the Men's Game. New York, NY: ESPN Books. p. 534. ISBN 978-0-345-51392-2.
  4. Bennett Virginia's New Men's Coach, accessed December 8, 2017
  5. The Daily Evergreen Online - News - Local
  6. Hansbrough, UNC roll past Wazzu into Elite Eight
  7. Virginia to name Bennett coach
  8. Withers, Bud (April 7, 2009). "Ken Bone is new WSU men's basketball coach". The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on May 12, 2009. Retrieved February 12, 2010.
  9. Thorpe, Jacob (March 31, 2014). "Ernie Kent is new WSU men's basketball coach". The Spokesman-Review. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
  10. Lawson, Theo (March 27, 2019). "Washington State tabs Kyle Smith to restore long-dormant basketball program". The Spokesman-Review.
  11. Lawson, Theo (September 30, 2019). "Klay Thompson jersey retirement at Washington State to coincide with Jan. 18 game versus Oregon State". The Spokesman-Review. Retrieved January 18, 2020.
  12. Kaplan, Ben (December 3, 2012). "Gonzaga and Washington State prepare to meet again". KXLY. Retrieved December 4, 2014.
  13. "All-time opponents: Gonzaga", 2014-15 Washington State Basketball, Washington State Cougars, p. 36
  14. Geranios, Nicholas K. (December 4, 2007). "Cats and 'Dogs, ranked together: Washington State, Gonzaga meet as Top 25 teams for first time". USA Today. Associated Press. Retrieved December 4, 2014.
  15. "No. 6 Washington State Defeats No. 19 Gonzaga, 51-47". wsucougars.com. Associated Press. December 5, 2007. Retrieved December 4, 2014.
  16. Lawson, Theo (December 6, 2017). "Brayon Blake's 26 points lead hot-shooting Idaho past Washington State for third-largest win in Battle of Palouse". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Retrieved December 9, 2017.
  17. Missildine, Harry (January 22, 1976). "Cougars best Idaho before record crowd". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). p. 37.
  18. Devlin, Vince (December 3, 1982). "George bristles over '81 UI win". Spokane Chronicle. (Washington). p. 19.
  19. Killen, John (December 4, 1982). "Idaho vs. WSU". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). p. 1B.
  20. Devlin, Vince (December 6, 1982). "For Cougs, it was a foul night". Spokane Chronicle. (Washington). p. 23.
  21. Killen, John (December 5, 1982). "Vandals nip Cougars in OT, 62-58". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). p. 1B.
  22. "Vandals win!". Idaho Vandals. December 3, 2014. Retrieved December 3, 2014.
  23. "All-time opponents: Idaho", 2014-15 Washington State Basketball, Washington State Cougars, pp. 36–37
  24. "Pac-12 opponents: Washington", 2014-15 Washington State Basketball, Washington State Cougars, p. 34
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