Back with WSU news

Where were we? Oh ya, in basketball season. Well, we’re back and will be until the final shot is taken this season – unless something unforeseen happens. Today, we’ve got some catching up to do. Read on.

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• Washington State: We will have a story this afternoon previewing tomorrow’s Kennewick game with Portland State. But for now, let’s look back at the week that was in Pullman. … Probably the biggest news came Wednesday, on the first day of the junior college letter-of-intent signing period. The Cougars announced the signing of two offensive tackles from the crucible that is California junior college football. Though both were on the program’s wish list, I can tell you that Wade Jacobson, the 6-foot-6, 310-pound left tackle from Gavilan CC in Gilroy – the garlic capital of the world and the home of the garlic festival – was the must have. This is the guy the Cougars felt they needed to make strides on the offensive line next season. Expect Jacobson to be given every shot at starting when spring practice opens March 25. … Also, Cougfan is reporting Maxx Forde, son of former WSU linebacker Brian, has committed, giving WSU 20 verbal commitments. With the 6-4, 240-pound Woodinville lineman committing, there isn’t much more room at the inn left. … Former WSU athletic director Jim Livengood was named to the same position at UNLV, though there is some speculation former Cougar football player – and Oregon AD – Bill Moos was the top candidate (and current WSU senior associate AD John Johnson was also a finalist). Read this Oregonian story about that. There is no way UNLV is a BCS school by anyone’s definition. If this is true, the Oregon administration is a bunch of, well, I’ll bite my tongue.

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• Around the Pac-10: No basketball games last night, but Wednesday, oh boy. Oregon State lost again – the Beavers, who I thought would be pretty darn good this year are 4-5 – in Chicago to a team, Illinois-Chicago, that was on a six-game losing streak and hadn’t defeated a Division I school this season. Stanford also lost, though the 5-4 Cardinal’s 71-70 defeat at home against 9-1 Oklahoma State is not a bad loss. … Three Pac-10 schools are under .500 (UCLA, OSU and Arizona), three are within a game of .500 (USC, Stanford and Oregon) and only UW is ranked (24th). WSU has the best record at 8-2, with its two defeats coming to No. 15 Gonzaga and No. 17 Kansas State, both on the road. … No conference teams are playing tonight – it’s finals week at most places – but there are eight games Saturday (only Arizona and Cal don’t play).

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• That’s all for now. We’ll be back this afternoon with our short advance. Until then …