WSU’s Tuesday afternoon report
COUGARS
With the trip to Oregon looming this weekend, Washington State coach Ken Bone held his usual teleconferences today, talking about last week, this week and the Pac-10 tourney in another week. For more on what he had to say, along with a practice report, read on.
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• If you want to listen to Bone's answers to (mostly) my questions, you can listen to it here. But we have our thoughts as well. ... First, we dislike the Oregon trip more than any other in the Pac-10, mainly because it is the only two-game conference trip in which I can't get In-N-Out (though I gave up beef for Lent, so it's not a problem this year). ... Back to Bone's press conference. I asked him about the importance of Thursday's game and if that means there is a different approach. He said know, that the Cougars' goal is still to be playing their best basketball the next week in Los Angeles, so it's important they continue to improve this week. ... I asked a couple more questions about Oregon State – his answers included saying the Cougars don't have any surprises planned and the key to WSU's success the last time, offensively, was its ability to move the ball quickly – and Bone's emphasis was on how good the Beavers are defensively, not just because of their schemes but because they are dedicated to defense. ... He praised the recent play of DeAngelo Casto and explained why he's playing better, mentioning his improvement in catching the ball. ... Bone talked about how well the Cougars have played at times this season, noting that if they play focused for 40 minutes, they can compete with anybody. ... Who would he rather play in the tournament if they don't get caught in the 8-9 game? Doesn't matter, all three teams atop the bracket are darn good. ... Bone was asked if he ever thinks about the first Oregon game, and he said he's ignoring all that. Then he made a joke about last thinking about it 10 minutes ago. ... Asked why Reggie Moore was struggling, he talked about teams focusing more defensive attention on the freshman point guard. ... I asked about Mac Court and his thoughts. He thinks it’s a great basketball venue that reminds him of the places teams played in the 1940s and 50s. He expects the place to rocking Saturday, what with the special significance of the Senior Night game. ... The final part of the session was devoted to Klay Thompson and his shooting woes. They are continuing the same path, asking Thompson to shoot when he's open because the Cougars just aren't deep in outside shooters. They need Thompson to connect like he's capable of so it loosens up the defense. One thing Bone wants Thompson to do is be selective early so he assures himself of solid shots, not to get too anxious. ... On the Pac-10 call, Bone again talked about Moore and Thompson's shooting, saying it's possible they could have hit a wall. He also mentioned how many more outside threats he had at Portland State and how a multitude of guys who can knock it down from beyond the arc really stretches a defense. ... He was happy about the team effort WSU put in against UW. ... As for Oregon State, he said he expects Thursday's game to be different from the Jan. 2 game, as the Beavers are improved. ... The Cougars spent most of their practice time getting ready for the Beavers' defenses - they usually play a 1-3-1 matchup after made baskets and dead balls, a 2-3 or 3-2 after misses - and the different ways they want to attack them. The session was marked by an energetic attitude, which helped WSU get a lot done. And yes, Thompson hit shots.
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• That's all for now. We'll be back in the morning with our links, including one to our college baseball notebook, that leads with the Cougars' start. Until then ...
