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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

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Spokane’s Sankey changes his mind

COUGARS

One week to the beginning of the football signing period and all heck is breaking loose. Or maybe not. Who really knows? Read on for more.

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• Washington State: This time last year, how many of you were sure Deonte Bucannon was going to be a force in Washington State's defensive backfield in the fall? Or that Marquess Wilson would be one of the biggest downfield threats in the Pac-10? Or how to spell either's first name? I hear a lot of stuff constantly and I had no clue. Which is a roundabout way of saying last night's news Gonzaga Prep's Bishop Sankey had committed to Washington, changing his mind after spending a year professing his commitment to Washington State, shouldn't cause anyone to lose sleep. Maybe Sankey will be the greatest running back in Pac-10 history and everyone will rue the day he changed his mind. Or maybe Marcus Mason, a 5-foot-8, 175-pounder from Southern California, who committed to WSU earlier this week, will be. Who knows? You don't, I don't and neither does anyone else. ... The Cougars and the Huskies meet Sunday night in Pullman in a game that starts at 7 p.m. and should end sometime around 9. Not everyone in the Pac-10 is enamored with the idea of playing Sunday nights. Well, get used to it. When the new Pac-12 television deal kicks in for the 2012-13 season, my guess is conference teams will be playing just about every night of the week, with starting times varying from 5 to 8. That will satisfy the desire to have every game on TV somewhere but might put a dent in attendance. ...

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• Around the Pac-10: No matter how special a college basketball fan thinks his team is, there are a few universal truths. Everyone deals with injuries at one time or another and missed free throws will be considered a huge problem in a game or two. ... Stanford hopes to get well again at home, the place where the Caridnal posted its biggest win of the season. ... The flu bug that roared through Arizona State's basketball team gave Keala King an opportunity. He grabbed it and took off. ... There are two conference players at different schools that played together at a Midwest junior college. ... A couple of football notes. ... Stephen Paea gave his all for Oregon State and now it may cost him some money. ... The Ducks have found their success has helped them attract a recruiting class full of stars. ... And we end with a deadline looming at Cal. Now that's a key day for a lot of athletes.

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• That's it for this morning. We'll be back this afternoon after we talk with Klay Thompson, who is holding a conference call this week. Until then ...



Vince Grippi
Vince Grippi is a freelance local sports blogger for spokesman.com. He also contributes to the SportsLink Blog.

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