Back with my initial game story from Gonzaga's 73-53 defense-driven victory over Notre Dame tonight at the McCarthey Athletic Center.

Here's a link to the story I filed five minutes after the final buzzer. This version will run in the Idaho edition

UPDATE: As promised, my final game story.

Check back in the a.m. for my day-after post.

This one wasn't close. Certainly not as close as the final score indicates. Eastern Washington controlled Idaho from the outset, claiming a 73-66 win in Moscow in front of 1,057 at Memorial Gym.

Read on for an early version of my game story.

Gonzaga Bulldogs held Notra Dame to just 53 points in their 73-53  victory over the Fighting Irish Wednesday night in the McCarthey Athletic Center.

Gonzaga women's basketball coach Kelly Graves was right - twice. Washington State is much improved and Taelor Karr is the real deal.

After Ireti Amojo knocked down a clutch 3-pointer with 10 seconds left, Karr, the transfer from Kansas State, went coast to coast for the winning layup with 3 seconds left as the Bulldogs pulled out a thrilling 71-69 win in Pullman.

Across the border, Washington defeated Idaho.

That's the news from Beasley Coliseum, along with the WSU men rolling Grambling State. Time to drive home.

COUGARS • UPDATED: 8:45 P.M.

We're in Beasley, so we could watch the men's 67-39 beatdown of a depleted Grambling State team and as much of the women's game I can see while still writing. Read on.

COUGARS • UPDATED: 4:25 P.M.

Washington State has made an official offer to former Texas Tech coach Mike Leach to become its 32nd football coach. Though Leach has yet to accept it, sources in the athletic department told me they believe he will. No information on the offer itself or when this might reach a conclusion, but we'll try to stay on top of it.

• UPDATE: Here's the latest story we have. More after a Moos conference call at 4:30.

I've been wading through questionnaires that I sent out to area boys and girls basketball coaches so forgive me for that posting a prep thread earlier this week.

Our boys and girls basketball advances/glances will be in the paper the next two days along with our predicted order of finishes. Don't hold me to the forecasts in Greater Spokane League boys and girls hoops. The league will be deep in both this year, creating some highly competitive games.

I took in the Gonzaga Prep/Lake City boys game Tuesday. It was broadcast by SWX, which will continue to cover area games this season. KGA 1510-AM also will broadcast a GSL boys or girls game on Tuesdays through the season.

One last fall item: Coming Friday, an advance on the undefeated Almira/Coulee-Hartline football team that takes on Neah Bay in the 1B state final.

Several GU-related links this morning: The view from Notre Dame here, here and here, and more on the GU-N.D. matchup here. Here's a recap of Illinois' road win over Maryland (GU takes on Illinois on Saturday). Finally, ex-Zag Adam Morrison is headed home with hopes of hooking up with an NBA team.  

The women's basketball news for the day … Washington State has its home opener against Gonzaga,  which is now ranked in the coach's Top 25, tonight so we caught up with Cougar senior Rose Tarnowski for our weekly notebook. … Also on the Palouse, Washington visits Idaho. … Surprisingly, both these are doubleheaders with the men, Idaho women are early (before the men play Eastern), the WSU women are late (after the men play Grambling). … Meanwhile, Eastern Washington gets a great win at Portland after the Pilots beat two Big Sky Conference favorites, Montana & Portland State. … Also, Gonzaga senior Kayla Standish (above) is named to the preseason Naismith watch list.

COUGARS

We're back with some short links today – sounds like a breakfast order – mainly due to putting up the main ones last night. Read on.

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It has been a long day for a lot of people, one that started early this morning, and including what for Bill Moos was quite possibly the toughest meeting he's ever held as an athletic director, when he had to tell Paul Wulff he was no longer Washington State's football coach. We've finally put together our report for tomorrow's S-R. Read on.

The start of a tough stretch of games for the Zags begins with Notre Dame on Wednesday. Here's.my game preview that will run in the S-R tomorrow: http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2011/nov/29/now-real-fun-starts-zags/

This got buried on my to-do list. Coeur d'Alene senior quarterback Chad Chalich (pictured above) gave University of Idaho football coach Robb Akey an oral commitment during a home visit on Sunday.

Four players from last year's Spokane Chiefs roster were moved before this season. Now a third one is headed to his second team as Prince Albert trades D Tyler Vanscourt for two draft pick. Read on, we'll see if we can piece this all together.

Paul Wulff has been relieved of his duties as head football coach at Washington State, The Spokesman-Review has learned. He was told in a meeting with Bill Moos this morning. Here is the link to my story. More to come.

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We don't have a long blog post this morning for two reasons, but we won't bore you with them here. Read on.

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After all that, Bill Moos and Paul Wulff didn't even meet Monday and a press conference is scheduled for 2 p.m. Tuesday afternoon. Read on.

Attended Zags practice today and checked in with Guy Landry Edi, who is playing the waiting game as he sits out 8 games from an NCAA suspension. Like GU, Edi is still waiting to hear the results of the school's appeal.  Moe on Edi in our weekly GU notebook. 

COUGARS • UPDATE: 10:20 A.M.

There is no news to report right now on Paul Wulff's future, other than he and Bill Moos will continue their conversation sometime today. But we can pass along other items that might be of interest, so read on.

• UPDATE: Added some items from Bill Moos' radio show.

You can get an early look at the S-R game story on Eastern Washington's non-conference men's basketball win over vistin UC Davis on Sunday here. 

And by the way … this could be a pretty special year for the Eags.

COUGARS • UPDATED: 7:05 P.M.

We will have more soon, but we wanted to pass along WSU athletic director Bill Moos' statement after meeting with football coach Paul Wulff on Sunday:

“Paul and I met for an hour and a half this afternoon so I could hear his assessment of the season and where he would like to take the program from here.  Our discussions will be ongoing.”

• UPDATE: Here's a link to our story. Another link on the next page.

Gonzaga's senior leaders, Kayla Standish and Katelan Redmon lit up Portland State but the Bulldogs had a different supporting cast in a 99-69 win over Portland State Sunday afternoon.

Senior forward Cliff Ederaine scored a career-high 23 points and added a career-high seven assists, eight rebounds and three blocks in leading Eastern Washington to a 79-59 non-conference men's basketball win over UC Davis at Reese Court Sunday afternoon.

Cliff Colimon and Tremayne Johnson each added 13 points for the Eagles. 

Check back later for link to game story that will appear in Monday morning's S-R.

Eastern Washington looked sharp in building an early 17-9 lead in its non-conference matchup against UC Davis at Reese Court Sunday afternoon.

But shortly after Cliff Ederaine scored his 11th point less than 7 minutes into the game, the Eagles' offense flatlined, letting the Aggies to storm back to take a brief 24-23 lead.

Still, Eastern managed to regain a slim 31-29 advantage at intermission, thanks to a 3-pointer by Kevin Winford and a pair of free throws by Collin Chiverton in the final 3 minutes of the opening period.

Ederaine finished the first half with 12 points  and three rebounds, but no other Eagle scored more than seven.

UC Davis got eight first-half points from Josh Richart, and outrebounded Eastern 15-12.

There is nothing like sitting courtside for a game, as I did Saturday at the Arena when Gonzaga hiked its record to 4-0 with a 78-58 win over Western Michigan. Unlike home games at the McCarthey Athletic Center where the press table is maybe 20 rows from the court, at the Arena you hear coaches barking at officials and directing their teams. You hear players interacting. You get a true feel for the physicality of the game, and there was no shortage of that between GU and WMU.

I remember listening to John Calipari chew out future first-round draft pick Tyreke Evans when he got sloppy during an Arena game a couple years ago: “This isn’t an AAU game.” Calipari’s language was a bit more colorful.

Here's my game story and read on for my day-after Western Michigan post.

COUGARS

It's the day after the Apple Cup and the day we should learn the future of Washington State's football program. To recap: Bill Moos says all year he'll decide Paul Wulff's fate at the end of the year; WSU lost the Apple Cup to Washington 38-21 at CenturyLink yesterday to finish the season 4-8; within minutes after the game the Seattle Times posts a story that Moos has decided to let Wulff go. Read on.

It probably wasn't as easy as it should have been for the Idaho Vandals on Saturday night. But that's not necessarily a bad thing — they raced to a 20-point lead over Montana State and had answers for every Bobcat attempt to make the game really interesting.

Read on for my game story filed from Memorial Gym — a good place to be for Don Verlin's club the last four years — after UI's 76-67 win.

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The Apple Cup is over and so is Washington State's football season. Is Paul Wulff's tenure as football coach at his alma mater done as well? There is a report of that being a done deal by Bud Withers of the Seattle Times, but I can't get confirmation – or denial – of that. Read on.

 Rookie defenseman Linden Springer’s first goal of the season early in the third period lift the Prince George Cougars to a 5-4 win over the Spokane Chiefs on Saturday night.

Now the Chiefs head out for a six-game road trip, five against the Central Division, and they're 0-7 on the road. 

Stars: 3, Blake Gal. 2, Jesse Forsberg (PG). 1, Charles Inglis (PG).

Long box below.

After a holiday weekend … Christmas lights are up, anniversary present is purchased, belt loosened … it's time to catch up with women's basketball.

The biggest news is Washington State going 2-1 in the Virginia Islands after second day loss to Michigan and a rout of Prairie View in the finale, led by a career-high from Spokane freshman Tia Presley.

Read on.

Back with my game story from GU's 78-58 rout of Western Michigan in front of a fairly quiet 9,610 at the Arena. I came home to write and when I left, Arena crews were quickly transforming the basketball court into an ice rink for the Chiefs' hockey game at 7 p.m.

Gonzaga (4-0) stayed unbeaten and Robert Sacre was in double figures for the fourth consecutive game. He scored 15 points, following up on his previous efforts of 22,15 and 16. No double-double this time as he finished with six boards. Sam Dower also had 15 points and David Stockton had his second straight solid outing (10 points, four assists and two steals).

Here's my game story. Check back tomorrow for a day-after post.

COUGARS

We're in the press box at CenturyLink Field and we were going to post some video and commentary about our last football game at the Washington State beat writer, but then I thought, why change now? I haven't done that before, so why start now? Read on.

COUGARS

It's Apple Cup Saturday, which should be a state holiday, with anyone working on the day earning double-time. Well, that would happen if you folks elect me governor next year. I'll be retired. After covering Washington State the past five years, running Washington state should be a breeze. Read on.

Gonzaga (3-0) is back at it for the first time in a week, taking on Western Michigan tomorrow at 1 at the Arena in the annual Ronald McDonald House Charities Classic. Here's my preview that will run in Saturday's S-R.

Gonzaga will entertain Notre Dame at the McCarthey Athletic Center on Wednesday, but the Irish will be without one of their top players. Senior Tim Abromaitis suffered a season-ending ACL tear at practice Friday.

“I don’t know if I’ve ever been more devastated by a cruel thing for a great kid,” head coach Mike Brey told the South Bend Tribune. “I don’t know if I’ve ever had a more disappointing day.”

Abromaitis had 21 points, eight rebounds and four assists in Notre Dame's 83-79 win over GU last year. He was averaging 14 points per game this season.

More here.

COUGARS

It's Black Friday – or, as it was known back in the Stone Age when I was young, the day after Thanksgiving. Bargains are everywhere. And nothing beats the price of the information on the link. Free. But only if you have a coupon. So click the link, enter promo code %g*OD&a$Wg%#s and you can access it all for no cost. Just kidding. It's always free here on SportsLink. And you get what you pay for. Read on.

The Gonzaga Bulldogs, who entertain Western Michigan in the annual Ronald McDonald House Charities Classic on Saturday at the Arena, visited the Ronald McDonald House last night for several hours. In this picture (courtesy of Jerid Keefer), GU's Mike Hart and Kevin Pangos play cards with young patient Jose.

Good morning and Happy Thanksgiving to all.

I've been in Anchorage, Orlando, Maui and Kansas City the last few years around this time of year, but Gonzaga isn't playing in a Thanksgiving tourney this season so I'm in my living room. However, GU will be back in the tourney rotation the next few years, as part of the 2012 Old Spice Classic in Orlando and the 2013 Maui Invitational.

Other headliners in the 2012 Old Spice are Vanderbilt, West Virginia and Oklahoma. Gonzaga won the 2008 Old Spice in its last trip to Orlando, beating Oklahoma State, Maryland and Tennessee.

COUGARS

Last night we told you we would have a blog post this morning and we do. It's just not your typical morning post. Read on.

  Anthony Bardaro’s goal with less than eight minutes to play kept the Spokane Chiefs perfect against the Western Hockey League’s East Division.

Stars: 3, Kichton (g, a) 2, Lowry, SC (g,a). 1, Uher (g, 2a).

Long box below

My bad. I spent the day getting ready for Thanksgiving (and to all of you have a great day) because of a hockey game tonight and totally forgot to post women's basketball news.

Our notebook lead was Nikki Nelson, who has played two seasons and missed two seasons but is now starting for New Mexico. Read on.

COUGARS

I'm tearing up a little here. This afternoon marked the last football practice for yours truly. Though WSU practices tomorrow, we're going to be in Spokane with the family. So today was the last time I had to stand out on that turf. The last time I had to brave either searing heat or teeth-rattling cold. The last time I had to deal with sun or rain or snow. They are, if you want to know, tears of joy. Read on.

Several GU-related items around the net this morning.

—Sounds like Will Foster will make the roster of the D-League Idaho Stampede in Boise. Foster on his GU days: “There was a lot of frustration. It's a great program, but I found out I didn't fit into their system.” Stampede coach: “We're not developing Shaq here.” Ex-GU assistant Leon Rice (now at Boise State): “Will is all about potential. He oozes with potential.”

—Interesting scores of GU opponents (EWU-Hawaii) and ex-Zag coaches (Monson vs. Rice, 49ers vs. Broncos).

—Gonzaga is expected to return to the Maui Invitational in 2013, along with Arkansas, Baylor, Cal, host Chaminade, Dayton, Minnesota and Syracuse. GU won the 2009 event with victories over Colorado, Wisconsin and Cincinnati.

—A reminder to follow me on Twitter (Twitter.com/SRjimm) because everything on this blog ends up there, as well as numerous other items (such as Adam Morrison making a serious comeback.).

COUGARS

There are a lot of things I'm looking forward to tomorrow, not the least of which is a nice sit-down dinner with the family. There is more, sports-related, of course, so read on.

COUGARS

There is a hackneyed saying in the theater world that goes something like, bad dress rehearsal, good play. Maybe that was what Washington State was going for Tuesday. Read on for that and some Connor Halliday news.

COUGARS

Much of what is written on the link I will disavow in the future. It was written while my fingers were shaking and my head was about to explode. Read on.

COUGARS

The Cougars are done with their first Apple Cup week practice and the people missing made for some interesting combinations. Read on.

Spent a couple hours at Gonzaga on Monday, one for media day and one watching practice. I put together a notebook that will run in Tuesday's S-R. Here's a link.

Click the tab below to see the Washington prep football semifinal matchups - dates and sites.

We're down to three teams from our area: Colfax, Almira/Coulee-Hartline and Odessa-Harrington.

COUGARS

It's Apple Cup week. The final week and game of the season. The last game for Washington State's seniors and the last football game for some other folks. Read on.

COUGARS

Since Paul Wulff's press conference late this afternoon we had to hit Dissmores, mail some bills, get some dinner and try to listen to the basketball pregame show. That last thing is about over, so we can sit down and pass along what Wulff had to say about Connor Halliday and others. Read on.

COUGARS

Our reporting is finished. Washington State quarterback Connor Halliday suffered a lacerated liver in the game against Utah on Saturday. He'll be in the hospital for a couple more days and will not be available for Saturday's Apple Cup. Our story is on the link. Read on.

Got my daughter’s car running (strange how the battery dies when the dome light is left on overnight in 20-degree weather), watched most of the replay and ready to go with the day-after post following GU’s 73-54 win over Hawaii in Robert Sacre’s homecoming in Vancouver.

Here are the links: Gamers from S-R,  A.P., Star-Advertiser, Vancouver Sun and The Province. 

Read on.

COUGARS • UPDATED: 8:15 A.M.

There weren't a lot of people there to see it, but Saturday's contest at Martin Stadium had just about everything you could ask for in a college football game. Hard-hitting defense, explosive offense, clutch special teams, weather, exaltation, heartbreak, controversy and courage. Read on.

 Mac Engel made seven saves in a shootout and Mike Aviani, the ninth shooter, scored the final goal as the Spokane Chiefs pulled out a 6-5 win over the Regina Pats in a wild Western Hockey League game Saturday night.

The Chiefs had a one-goal lead three times but need a goal by Steven Kuhn with a minute left to get into overtime, where Engel saved the day with a spectacular save, forcing the shootout.

stars: 3, Engel. 2, Kuhn. 1, Weal, Reg, g, 3A.

Long box below

COUGARS

The conditions were interesting to say the least at Martin Stadium on Saturday afternoon, and the game mirrored them. From a nearly offense-free first half to a scorefest in the second – the teams combined for 14 points in 18 seconds at one point of the fourth quarter – to a disastrous overtime for WSU, the game was interesting from the opening kickoff. Read on.

At times this year, it has seemed that Robb Akey is snakebitten. His Idaho football team hasn't been able to close out at least four winnable games, and this afternoon's WAC contest with Utah State was perhaps the most winnable of them all.

We've got more on the Vandals' wild and demoralizing 49-42 loss in double OT below.

Gonzaga improved to 3-0 and for the first time this season put away an opponent, thumping Hawaii 73-54 at Rogers Arena in Vancouver.

Hawaii was within 45-44 with 12:15 left, but Gary Bell Jr.'s 3 started a 7-0 GU run. The Bulldogs outscored Hawaii 28-10 over the final 11:50.

Robert Sacre, playing in his hometown, had his third double-double of the season, finishing with 16 points and 10 rebounds. He hauled down his 10th board, an offensive rebound in the closing seconds, just before he subbed out of the game to an appreciative audience. Bell Jr. added 14 points (four 3s), Kevin Pangos 12 and Marquise Carter 10. David Stockton had a nice night with six points and three assists. Elias Harris chipped in 8 points and 8 boards.

Stokes led Hawaii with 17 points on 6 of 17 FGs.

Gonzaga shot 40 percent (pretty much its season average to this point), Hawaii finished at 38 percent. The Rainbow Warriors had 23 turnovers to Gonzaga's 11.

COUGARS

When it snows, it pours. Lots of pregame obligations today, so were keeping this post short. Read on.

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It doesn't feel like a Saturday in November. More like one in late December or January. It feels like we should be heading indoors for a basketball game, maybe one with Arizona in town and Sean Miller opining about how hard it is to get to Pullman. Read on.

 Tim Bozan’s goal a minute into the third period was the difference as the Kamloops Blazers ground out a 2-1 victory over the Spokane Chiefs in a Western Hockey League game Friday night.

The Blazers (14-6-0-0, 28 points) clamped down on the Chiefs (9-5-1-2, 21) after the home team scored less than 5 minutes into the game.

Stars: 3, Valcourt; 2, Cheveldave; 1, Bozon

Long box below

The Coeur d'Alene football team - without a doubt the best in the Inland Northwest - pulled off a 5A state championship repeat, handling Eagle 49-28 at Boise State University's Bronco Stadium Friday.

Here's my story. I'll catch the o dark 30 to go staff Central Valley at Skyline on Saturday.

Washington State women's basketball team got its first ever win against a Big Ten team and they did it on the road, pulling away from Wisconsin on a historical night for April Cook. And Post Falls grad Katelyn Loper has a monster game for Hofstra.

COUGARS

Earlier tonight we posted our roundtable interview – done, oddly enough, around a round table –  with the WSU fifth-year seniors, a piece that I had fun putting together. After the recorder was off, the guys began telling stories they didn't need to share. I was able to add one about Andrew Roxas, who attended the same high school as I did, just a “couple” years later. Read on.

Gonzaga will take on Hawaii tomorrow in Vancouver in something of a home game for GU senior center Robert Sacre. He grew up in Vancouver and played for coach Randy Storey at Handsworth Secondary School in North Vancouver.

Storey took some time earlier this week to talk about his memories of Sacre, who was an usher at his coach's wedding in 2007. Here's a link to the article that will run in Saturday's S-R.

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Earlier this season I wanted to talk with the five fifth-year seniors on the Washington State roster. They stepped on the Pullman campus the same time I did and went through the end of the Bill Doba era, the begining of the Paul Wulff tenure, the worst year imaginable (other than, for them, the Apple Cup), a long haul toward respectability, and, finally, a senior season marked with ups and downs. We sat down together after a team meal and they answered my idiotic questions. The responses are way too long to fit into a newspaper, but work well in this format. So hit the link and you can read their thoughts on everything from the wildest guy they played with to their most memorable play.

Idaho offensive coordinator Steve Axman has been at the center of much criticism this season, and even he understands why. The Vandals, 2-8 coming into Saturday's home finale against Utah State, are ranked 116th in the FBS in total offense and have struggled to replace Nate Enderle at quarterback.

We've got Axman's comments on this season and his future below.

Didn't get a chance to use my own computer last night to get this story earlier, but here's a story on the Spokane Chiefs Jarid Hauptman to get you in the mood for the game at the Arena tonight.

Sorry about the late post. Computer problems in Moscow and obligations this moring. But without further ado, hats off to Gonzaga coach Kelly Graves for his 300th win as a college basketball coach and a good win for Eastern Washington.

COUGARS

We started yesterday's post with a bit of news about the snow being gone. We start today's post with a bit of news about the snow being here. And there. And there. Yep, there is a bunch, my scientific term for the boatload of snow that fell overnight. OK, it was about an inch, but I was just trying to scare everyone from coming down Saturday, so I have Martin Stadium all to myself. It is my last home football game as the S-R's WSU beat writer you know. It would be great to have the press box all to myself. For once, my fat thing-I-sit-on wouldn't feel squeezed. It might be a bit lighter than usual on the Cougar side of the field as well. Read on.

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We've got our game story done, which you can read here, so we have time to really break down what went on Thursday night in Beasley Coliseum. The short version: The better team won. But not that easily. Read on.

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Our evening post is split into two parts. There is the football section, with some items from Paul Wulff's press conference and practice. And there is basketball in advance of tonight's game. Read on.

As mentioned here before, Gonzaga plans on redshirting junior Kelly Olynyk and true freshmen Kyle Dranginis and Chris Sarbaugh. I caught up with Olynyk and Dranginis as well as assistant coach Tommy Lloyd to put together this article that will run in Friday's S-R.

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The snow fell last night and covered the streets of Pullman with an icy mess. The highway to Moscow was even closed for a while, according to a tweet from the police (yes, even the police tweet). But it's now 39 degrees and it's all gone. Actually it's really nice outside, what with the sun shining. So there's your daily nowcast of the weather. Read on for sports.

Click the tab below to see the menu.

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You know when snow is really fun? When you are sitting in your living room, cup of coffee on the table, a fire roaring, and nowhere to go. You can sit and watch it all day. You know when snow isn't fun? When you have to stand at football practice for two hours while it falls sideways due to the wind. That was the case this evening at football practice. Read on.

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It's been a long slog up the mountain, but we've finally made it to Wednesday. Now it's time to strap on the skis and ride the powder downhill to Saturday's football game. Sort of. Read on.

Eastern Washington knocked off visiting South Dakota 70-61 in its home opener at Reese Court Saturday night, give first-year head coach Jim Hayford his first NCAA Division I victory.  You can get an early look at the game story that will appear in Tuesday morning' s S-R here.

With a commitment Wedneday morning, instead of waiting for the women's basketball post, we'll get to it early.

Tomorrow's notebook features Idaho success story Ana Overgaard. Read on for more.

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Football practice is done. Paul Wulff's press conferences are done – despite someone's best efforts to disrupt his local one. For more on all that, read on.

Cliff Ederaine scored five of his nine first-half points during a 10-2 run Eastern Washington University used to close the opening period of its its home opener against South Dakota at Reese Court Tuesday night.

That run gave the Eagles, who got a game-high 11 first-half point from first-year JC transfer Collin Chiverton, a 38-24 halftime lead over the visiting Coyotes, who were paced offensively by Louie Krogman's nine points.

Eastern, after making only one of its first seven shots, finished the first half shooting 42.9 percent (15-35) from the field and forced 13 USD turnovers.

Sleep is overrated.

Late night/early morning after witnessing Gonzaga’s entertaining 89-81 victory over Washington State, watching the replay 'til 2:30 a.m. and up early for a radio interview with KJR in Seattle. No chance of a nap with three cups of coffee in me, so I’ll get the day-after post up and running.

Between my personal 3-hour fight with the wireless at the McCarthey Athletic Center, there were a few moments of Internet clarity and I was deluged (per usual) with tweets. Most of them were far more clever than the dozens of signs in the Kennel Club (best of the KC: It takes 2 to tango, but only 1 to Pangos.)

From an old friend and current college coach: Zags are playing ‘H-O-R-S-E’ right now, look like Zags of old. This one cracked me up: Pangos > Jimmer.

Read on.

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We're not going to bore you with the details, but it suffices to say starting a basketball game at 9 p.m. here on the Left Coast isn't the best formula for getting information to newspaper readers. Or even to blog readers, when your target audience is already in bed when there is finally time to post. Oh well, read on.

Back with the game story from Gonzaga's 89-81 victory over Washington State.GU was in command, leading by as many 21, 20 with 10:45 left and 15 with 5:11, but the Cougars staged a rally that trimmed to 3 on two occasions.

Kevin Pangos put on a show with 33 points and six assists. He made 9 of 13 3s, six treys in the first half. His 33 points is believed to be a Gonzaga freshman scoring record.

Here's my game story and John Blanchette's column. 

Check back tomorrow for a day-after post.

Kyle Barone had a double-double (11 points, 10 rebounds) and three other players had double-digit points to help nudge Idaho past NAIA foe Concordia (Ore.) 77-61 at Memorial Gym. The win in their home opener pushes the Vandals to 1-1.

Concordia's Kevan West had 29 points on 11-of-18 shooting. The Vandals led by just two points late in the first half before going on an 18-5 run.

We're down to just football in Idaho and Washington. The state title games in Idaho are this weekend.

Central Valley travels to Skyline of Sammamish on Saturday. Game time has been set at 1 p.m. Originally CV was going to request a mid afternoon kickoff time and travel over on game day, but the Bears will go over on Friday to avoid possible travel problems over Snoqualmie Pass.

So use this thread to talk about what's left in football or to celebrate what has occurred in other sports last weekend.

After starting quarterback Taylor Davis passed for minus-6 yards at BYU, Idaho football coach Robb Akey said today that he will open up competition for the starter's job — yet again.

Read on for more details.

COUGARS

Talk about frost on the pumpkin. Well, it is almost the ides of November, so I guess a little cold at night is to be expected. What might not have been expected is, with two games remaining in its football season, WSU still has a chance to play in a bowl game. And, yes, the basketball season gets underway tonight. Read on.

The definition of a good weekend: A miserable day outside so you have time when your best friend visits town, with lots of interesting games on in the background; a good day outside so you can get a lot of things done after your friend leaves, plus a radio on to keep up with the games. Oh, yeah, no work, no computer, which means there is a lot to catch up with. For women's basketball news, read on.

Gonzaga and Washington State are the opening contest of the College Hoops Tip-off Marathon on ESPN's family of networks. GU and WSU tip at 9 p.m. Monday, the first of 11 games on ESPN during a 25-hour hoops festival that will include 19 men's games and two women's games. Northern Iowa at Saint Mary's follows the GU game at 11 p.m.

Here's a link to a short preview that will run in Monday's S-R.

COUGARS • UPDATED: 8:15 P.M.

We have talked with Paul Wulff and got his perspective on Saturday's win over Arizona State. For that, read on.

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Got a solid, three-and-a-half hours of sleep before waking with a start. Looked outside and, though it was dark, it was still possible to see the snow was gone. Had Saturday, from the calming ride down the back way from Spokane, as we call it, to the snow, to talking with Steve Gleason, to a Washington State football victory built on the not-so-wide shoulders of a redshirt freshman quarterback, to the incessant sound of my computer's keyboard until after midnight, had it all been a dream? Sadly, no. I still had to get out of bed and pound out a morning post. Better put on the coffee. Read on.

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I would love to go back to apartment, take the shoes off, grab a cold beverage, sit down and exhale. But I can't. Not after that game. Not after that performance. Read on.

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Sorry this is so late but there is a very good reason. Read on.

The Skyline Spartans took advantage of key Mead mistakes in a 27-17 decision in a 4A state football playoff first-round game Saturday afternoon. Here's my story.

Central Valley will travel to Skyline next week in the quarterfinals.

The basketball season opens today for the Vandals, and the football season moves one step closer to wrapping up. We've got details on both below.

Read on.

A very good night for Central Valley football. Here's a link to our story.

Here's a link to our Coeur d'Alene story. The Vikings will play Eagle in the state championship game next Friday.

Here's our area football roundup.

Pictured above is CV quarterback Gaven Deyarmin.

Well, that was a tough one. Yes, the game, and YES, THE DEADLINE.

Not a big fan of 8 p.m. starts, 11 p.m. deadlines, 33 fouls by the visiting team, 51 GU free throws and post-game interviews that begin at roughly 10:30. I jotted down some notes from Mark Few, talked to Marquise Carter for about a minute and Robert Sacre for roughly 30 seconds. Kelly Olynyk, scheduled to redshirt, wasn't in the locker room when I entered so we'll try to catch him later.

John Blanchette ran down additional quotes so I have more material for the day-after post and Monday's preview of the GU-WSU game. Can't wait — that one starts at 9 p.m.

Read on.

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Woke up to a light snowfall, though it's expected to get warm enough for a while today it will all melt off. But by game time tonight, expect a rematch, with snow winning once again. It's a busy day in college sports, so read on.

Back with my game story from Gonzaga's 77-69 victory over EWU. The Eagles hit 13 3-pointers, led by Collin Chiverton's six 3s, while GU did much of its damage at the foul line. The Bulldogs were 36 of 51 (five Eags fouled out). Robert Sacre and Marquise Carter combined to make 26 of 36 FTs.

I'll be back tomorrow with a day-after post.

Wondering how the Gonzaga women would do without Courtney Vandersloot?

Wonder no more.

Both teams are on the floor warming up and the question of who is scheduled to redshirt for GU appears to be answered. Kelly Olynyk, Kyle Dranginis and Chris Sarbaugh aren't suited up and it sounds like the plan is to redshirt them, provided no injuries occur.

For in-game updates, head to twitter.com/SRjimm. I'll post a game story here about 90 minutes after the final buzzer.

I'll be tweeting updates tonight from the 4A first-round game between Ferris and Central Valley. I'll also be tweeting Saturday at the Mead/Skyline game.

Please send me score updates so I can pass those along. Either text me at 509-844-8168, email at gregl@spokesman.com or tweet me at srpreps.

Painted too late and it took too long to cleanup, but that's a good excuse for a morning post to gather up the information that wasn't available early on the eve of the (women's) basketball season. Read on.

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Believe it or don't, there is a home football game this week. Yep, one actually in Pullman, Washington. What has it been, three-and-a-half years since the last one? Read on.

Feels like it's been about eight weeks since I left the Pepsi Center in Denver following GU's loss to BYU in the NCAA Tournament. It's actually been nearly eight months and now the Bulldogs are 24 hours from opening the 2011-12 season when Eastern Washington visits the McCarthey Athletic Center.

Here's my short game preview that will run in Friday's S-R. For what it's worth, Gonzaga's game release lists projected starters as Stockton, Bell, Carter, Harris and Sacre. That would be my guess, but I would also guess there's going to be several starting lineups before Few and Co. settle on a first five and eventually a rotation.

The release also states that Guy Landry Edi played in the French Pro A League, which is the reason the NCAA ruled him ineligible for eight games, prior to enrolling at Gonzaga. The school is appealing the decision, but hasn't heard back from the NCAA.

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Night is falling in Pullman, with a large, round moon slowly rising over the northeast stands of Martin Stadium. That was the backdrop for the Cougars practice this evening, as they continued their prep for Saturday night's Arizona State game. We have notes from that along with some items from Paul Wulff's press conference. Read on.

It's time for some basketball - and a welcome home to Kate Loper (above) - so hunker down for some serious reading about the area Division I women's teams.

Good morning. As previously mentioned, GU senior center Robert Sacre was the coverboy for the S-R college basketball section. Here's my article on one of the most interesting characters to come through the program during its rise to national prominence. (Since his mother, Leslie, called him Robert throughout an interview, I'm going to try to write Robert in the S-R all season instead of Rob!).

There's more below, with a list of Sacre's favorites, a look at the schedule and at GU's difference maker (Elias Harris). Sacre's hometown paper in Vancouver also had an article on the 7-foot center and there are previews of Saint Mary's here and here.

We also had a Gonzaga preview with its season opener approaching Friday night vs. Eastern Washington.

UPDATE: Here's a link to the entire college basketball section (tons of info on all the area schools): http://www.spokesman.com/sections/college-basketball-2011-2012/

Click the tab below to see today's menu.

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The sporting nation's attention is on State College, home of Penn State and, in a bit of coincidence, where the WSU women's basketball team is headed for a weekend season-opening tournament. Our attention is on football, basketball and Pullman, where Washington State will host Arizona State this Saturday night. Read on.

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Not a lot to share today, as opposed to yesterday, but there is some, so read on if you like. We have basketball and football news.

Idaho women's basketball program added four players today, highlighted by local product Abigail Quinnett. (Link to story will be added as soon as it's up.)

Quinnette, a 6-1 post from Moscow, whose father Brian played at Cheney and for Washington State before a brief career in the NBA.

The Vandals also got a 6-2 post from Woodinville, Wash., in Ali Forde, whose brother Max plays football for the Vandals.

The other two recruits are from California, 5-9 guard Concepcion “Connie” Ballestero from Orange, and Christina Salvatore, a 5-11 wing from Anaheim.

Ty Egbert, a 6-foot-8 forward from Lake Roosevelt High in Washington, has signed with the University of Idaho. Egbert is the No. 5 prospect in Washington and the 40th-best prospect in the West, according to ESPNU Recruiting. Egbert's coach, Brad Wilson, told me earlier in the day that Egberg “has always gotten better” through his high school career. The current senior has started at Lake Roosevelt since he was a freshman. “I think he'll be a real asset (to Idaho),” Wilson said.

Added UI coach Don Verlin, “It’s great to get a Northwest big man of Ty’s quality. His upside is enormous and his a young man who wants to be good. Brad Wilson has done a great job developing Ty into a dominant high school big man.”

More here.
  

So Spokane Chiefs fans, would you like to work up a little outrage at the Western Hockey League?

Everett's Lucas Grayson, who received a 5-minute boarding major with 4 minutes left in the Spokane Chiefs' 8-1 pounding of the Silvertips, was given a four-game suspension today. (Took long enough, don't you think.)

Grayson road Dominik Uher into the boards as Uher was scoring the seventh goal. Uher was hurt, no question, and the way he was helped off the ice it appeared he had the famed lower body injury, no weight on his right leg. Turned out he has a famed upper body injury. He may have been out cold. Of course, we can't pin point that, that might mean a concussion and some neanderthal may try to hit him in the head when he comes back. Uher is listed as out for 2 weeks.

Does the crime fit the punishment?

Tell me. In the season opener at Tri-City, Uher gets a major and game misconduct for putting a guy into the wall. The American player barely misses a shift and Uher gets a three game suspension. When the Chiefs went back to Tri-City about 10 days ago, Blake Gal sent an American into the wall, and it looked rather innocent. That player didn't miss a shift, Gal got three games.

BTW, Friday's game in Portland, Gal's last game in street clothes, will be on KJRB, 790AM radio, instead of its usual spot.

Eastern Washington women's basketball program only signed two players but they got some bang for the buck.

The Eagles are adding 6-foot-4 center Hanna Mack from Eugene, Ore., and 6-foot CeCe Pearl from Peoria, Ariz.

Washington State threw out a large net and landed six new women basketball players for next season.

The new class is focused on the backcourt with five guards, which is the strength of this year's team, which opens at Penn State on Friday.

The haul includes a pair of guards from Hawaii, 5-7 Dawnyella Awa from Lailua-Kona and 5-6 Emalia Galderia from Kamuela, two from California, 6-foot Mariah Cooks from Santa Maria and 5-9 Alex Williamson, from Chino Hills, and 5-11 Taylor Emondson from Carlsbad, N.M.

The lone forward is 6-1 Whitney Tinjum from Stacy Minnesota.

Gonzaga women's basketball signs three. Elle Tinkle, a 6-2 guard from Missoula (yes, daughter of Wayne, former Ferris star and Montana's men's coach; Sister of Josyln, a junior at Stanford.)

Kiara Kudron, a 6-2 forward from New Boston, Mich.

Chelsea Waters, 6-1 guard/forward from Lewiston.

COUGARS

I thought I would leave last night's post as the most-recent WSU one for a little longer today, just to induce some traffic. That's why we're a bit later than usual with our morning post, not because somebody overslept. No, really that's why. Promise. Read on.

Update 10 a.m.:  How's this for a little notoriety and a lot of pressure? ESPN.com picks Gonzaga's Katelan Redmon as one of the top small forwards in the game. The 6-1 senior from Lewis and Clark is rated No. 3 in a category that has 6-5 Elena Delle Donne at No. 1 and Tennessee's 6-2 Shekinna Stricklen No. 4.

Our first women's basketball notebook for the season, it's a long trip home for Kate Loper but she made it early as the sophomore at Hofstra plays at Gonzaga on Friday to open the season and stays for a game Sunday at Eastern Washington, giving family and friends from Post Falls a chance to watch her.

We have also confirmed that Washington State “executed an amendment” to coach June Daugherty's contract, extending her through the 2015-16 season. Since she was under contract through next season, that amounts to a two-year extension, which would put her tenure at the school to nine seasons.

Today is National Letter of Intent Day. All four area Division I teams should have an announcement about the signing of two or three future players. However, the news won't be released until all signed letters have arrived and for some that may take a few days. We'll update as they come.

Thursday is our college basketball preview, which includes junior college through Division I. That includes a some information about the women's programs. Stay tuned.

The national previews continue at espn.com - where there will be a Gonzaga story tomorrow -  and espnw - which has its Pac-12 preview, with a note about the Cougars having a tough non-conference schedule.

Lots of Zag stuff from here and there this morning and more coming tomorrow with the S-R's college basketball section. John Blanchette wrote about Gonzaga's inexperienced backcourt and here's an update on Josh Heytvelt's career overseas. S-R alum Dave Boling previews the Zags here.

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We have a lot to share tonight, from Paul Wulff's press conferences to Ken Bone's – tomorrow is signing day – to football practice. But before we get there, I want to share some personal thoughts about the person who is going to be filling this position come the first of the year. Please read on.

UPDATED

Just wanted to get this thread up in case you wanted to start talking about accomplishments last weekend or things ahead.

First, what a great showing by area cross country teams and individuals at state. Cheney's girls, Lakeside's boys and girls and North Central's boys (who didn't have a senior on the team). And how about NC's Katie Knight? That was fabulous. She shook a heavy monkey off her back.

Second, state volleyball is upon us. Mead will challenge for a state title and Colville, in 1A, will be a serious contender. The 4A, 3A and 2A tournaments this year are in the Olympia area and the 1A, 2B and B are in Yakima.

Third, we have some impressive football teams at all levels still playing.

So, take a moment and type out your thoughts on anything prep related.

Checked in with Elias Harris a couple weeks ago and again before Monday's practice. As I've mentioned before, Harris has a new leaner look this season, thanks to an offseason of conditioning and diet.

There are other reasons, beyond the conditioning aspect, GU coaches anticipate Harris is primed for a big year. He worked on his game, individual moves, etc., when he was in Spokane this summer. Coaches and teammates say they've seen growth in terms of maturity and commitment. Harris also refers to hard lessons learned from his tough sophomore season. Said coach Mark Few of Harris: “He's all in.” 

Here's more on Harris, who is on the Naismith Award preseason watch list for the second straight season, with a note on the bottom regarding potential redshirts. Kelly Olynyk, one of the players mentioned as a possible redshirt, was back on the practice floor, cleared for contact.

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Most Tuesday morning posts are pretty dry, cut down from the weekend and not a lot of meat on their bones. But not today. Even the Washington State entry has some surprise items. Read on.

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I'm kind of bummed out. Feeling old. If you want to know why, and what went on at Washington State's practice tonight, read on.

Clck the tab below to see the semifinal matchups in the Idaho state playoffs and the first-round matchups from 4A to 2B in Washington. The 1B won't be set for another week.

Some dates for games may change and I'll update as the WIAA posts updates.

Everybody believes Brittney Griner is No. 1, or at least the 6-8 junior makes Baylor No. 1.

Minus Courtney Vandersloot, sportswriters (AP poll) and coaches (ESPN/USA Today poll) don't believe Gonzaga is one of the Top 25 programs in the nation, but the writers for ESPN.com do. They have Gonzaga in at No. 23 as the website Top 25 comes out as part of their season preview. (This goes on all week, so check back. And now there is ESPNW as part of the mix as well.)

COUGARS

At times, it's tough to get up in the morning. Not today. Rolled out of bed at 7 a.m. sharp and headed downstairs humming a Beatles' tune (“When I'm 64,” which has special meaning in my family today). Opened up the computer ready to write and realized something. Was out of town yesterday. The clocks in the house are still on daylight savings time. Could have slept a bit longer. Damn. Read on.

The Spokane Chiefs were in control from the beginning but didn't put the game away until they got a break, which opened the door to an 8-1 win over the Everett Silvertips.

The break, a miscue by the Silvertips' goalie, gave the Chiefs a 3-1 lead entering the third period, when they scored five goals.

Three young players scored their first goals for Spokane.

Stars, 3, Jarid Hauptman (first career goal); 2, Marek Kalus (set up Hauptman); 1, Mike Aviani (2 goals, assist, centering this young line).

Long box below.

The dates and times have been set for the State 4A first-round football playoff games involving the three Greater Spokane League teams.

Defending state champ Ferris (9-1) and Central Valley (8-2) square off Friday at Joe Albi Stadium. Kickoff is at 6 p.m.

Mead (9-1) plays host to Skyline (7-3) Saturday afternoon at Albi. Kickoff is at 1.

For CV, it’s a chance at redemption. CV led Ferris 10-7 at halftime before the Saxons pulled away late for a 28-10 win in early October.

In Skyline, the Panthers face a team that won a 3A state title in 2008 before winning back-to-back titles when it moved up to 4A the following year. Ferris knocked off Skyline in the final last year.

COUGARS

We promised we would be back after Paul Wulff's press conference – why, I'm not really sure – so we are. Read on.

COUGARS • UPDATED 11:25 A.M.

Is it appropriate today is the day everyone in the state of Washington falls back? You can discuss that amongst yourself as we present, in this go round, the links to yesterday's Washington State football game. And basketball coverage. Read on.

• UPDATE: We've added Pac-12 links before we get on the plane, along with the answer to a question posed last night, which can be found at the bottom of the post.

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You've probably already gone to bed but if you haven't you may want to spend some time reading more on the football game and a couple basketball links. Read on.

For the Idaho Vandals, the first quarter was a nightmare. And that's putting it mildly. They trailed 17-0 after three turnovers and eventually fell behind 20-0 early in the second period. But UI's offense — behind new starting QB Taylor Davis and senior tailback Kama Bailey — came alive in the fourth quarter, helping the Vandals snap a six-game losing streak in a 32-29 victory at San Jose State.

Read on for more.

If you're having trouble finding the Cougars game on the normal Root channel try this:

Direct 688

Dish 449

…it's on the usual Comcast channel for Root…32

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After a 45-minute wait for a shuttle that took all of five minutes – and I probably could have walked in 10 – we're at AT&T Park for today's game. A few thoughts on the links, so read on.

UPDATED

Wow, what a showing by the Greater Spokane League 4A teams.

I said earlier in the year that I thought the GSL 4A would prove to be better than the Columbia Basin Big Nine 4A teams, and the GSL confirmed it last night.

Mead was ever so impressive in its 68-22 shellacking of Davis. Ferris' playoff savvy proved pivotal as the Saxons pulled out a 38-31 win over Eisenhower. And Central Valley pulled off a stunning 24-0 win over CBBN champ Chiawana at Pasco, setting up a rematch with Ferris this week.

In 3A play-in games, the CBBN shut out the GSL.

Here's our area roundup.

Coeur d'Alene had its closest game this season, topping Mountain View of Meridian 27-14 in a State 5A playoff opener while Lake City got throtted at Eagle.

NEXT WEEK: Just talked with GSL secretary Herb Rotchford. Ferris and CV would like to play Friday at 6 p.m. at Albi. The date/time for Mead/Skyline won't be set until Monday, Rotchford said. It appears it will likely be a Saturday afternoon game at Albi.

QUESTON: What are your thoughts about Friday's games?

COUGARS

It's game day once again and I'm sure the Cougar flag is flying in Alabama, Louisiana or some other southern state where they are holding this week's “Game Of The Century!” But we're not sure. The TV is off just yet so we can concentrate on bringing you the best of the links. Read on.

If you can't be there in person, there are several high football games that you can watch anyway Friday night.

From Albi Stadium, SWX has Mead vs. Davis at 5:30 and Ferris vs. Eisenhower at 8 p.m.

idahosports.com has Lake City at Eagle at 6 p.m. and Mountain View at Coeur d'Alene at 7

The Tri-City Herald is streaming Mt. Spokane at Kennewick at 5:30 and…

 http://www.ustream.tv/channel/mt-spokane-at-kennewick

also Central Valley at Chiawana, 7 p.m.

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/central-valley-at-chiawana

Entertaining football game at Millwood last night. West Valley kept Cheney from capturing the Great Northern League championship with a 27-21 decision in overtime. Pictured above is WV running back Dylan Ellsworth scoring a touchdown in the second quarter.

NOTE: I'll be tweeting updates tonight from the 4A play-in games at Joe Albi Stadium. You can follow me on twitter at: srpreps

If you're headed to another game - say University or Mt. Spokane's in Kennewick or Central Valley's at Chiawana or any of the Idaho playoff games - tweet updates to me and I'll re-tweet them. And it will be a happy tweet-filled world.

COUGARS • UPDATED: 10:20 A.M.; 1:30 P.M.

We're on the early flight to Seattle out of Spokane, so we'll post our Washington State links, then catch up with the rest of the Pac-12 after we get into the Emerald City (does anyone call it that anymore?). Read on.

• UPDATE: We're finally in a spot where we can share other links with you. We have added the Pac-12 links and a basketball one.

• UPDATE NO. 2: We've got some basketball news to pass along for tomorrow's exhibition game in Pullman vs. Lewis-Clark State (and no, we're not going to be there). The Cougars will be without starting guards Reggie Moore (groin) and Faisal Aden (concussion), according to assistant athletic communications director Jessica Schmick. They both were injured in last week's closed scrimmage vs. Montana. Also injured in that scrimmage was post Brock Motum, who has recovered and will play this weekend. With Moore and Aden out, expect to see a lot of freshman DaVonte Lacy and Fresno State transfer Mike Ladd.

COUGARS

Washington State's Thursday walk-through is over so that means the preparation for California is pretty much over as well. We have some on that and how it relates to what coach Paul Wulff had to say at his short news conference as well. Read on.

The Idaho State Board of Education today gave Boise State the OK to pursue membership in the Big East as a football-only member, a move that could have major implications for the Western Athletic Conference and the University of Idaho. If Boise State moves to the Big East, its other sports could move to the WAC, West Coast Conference or another conference that makes geographic sense. BSU president Bob Kustra said he's in discussions with one conference in particular to house the Broncos' Olympic sports.

Kustra also told the State Board that Conference USA could grab current WAC members New Mexico State and Louisiana Tech if the Big East adds Houston, SMU and Central Florida in its expansion, while the Mountain West could take Utah State. San Jose State has also been rumored to the MWC.

With all this conference movement still in flux, Idaho AD Rob Spear declined to comment when reached by The Spokesman-Review. “As you can imagine, we are exploring mutiple scenarios,” Spear said in an email.

For your hockey reading please a couple of stories about former Spokane Chiefs.

The WHL has an alumni spotlight on Minnesota defenseman Jared Spurgeon.

TheCarolina Hurricanes talk to Drayson Bowman after the winger is called up from the minors.

You know the drill. Click the tab below to see this week's menu.

And feel free to make comments.

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Another morning, another morning post. There aren't many things in the universe this regular. Now the quality of each one, that's up and down more often than United Airlines. But, as folks like to say these days, it is what it is. Read on.

I spoke with Robb Akey after Wednesday's practice, and he was hoping to make a decision on who will start at quarterback for the Vandals — Brian Reader or Taylor Davis — by tonight or tomorrow. 

Read on for more.

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In the years I've been doing this job, I don't remember many practice days colder than this one. The wind was blowing, not too hard but it was steady, and it was biting. Despite wearing a sweatshirt and two jackets, I felt it wasn't enough. So how did the Washington State players respond? Read on.

Former Spokane Chiefs captain Jared Cowen scored his first National Hockey League goal Tuesday night, a bittersweet moment because Ottawa's winning streak came to an end.

The Chiefs have reassigned 17-year old rookie Cody Nelson, who only played in three games.

Another story about Chiefs' rookie Liam Stewart.

Here's a video of the hit that got Blake Gal suspended … and 3 games are too many because the player getting hit made a wrong move and, fortunately, was not hurt. The responsibility goes both ways, as Spokane coach Don Nachbaur says.

Just got off the phone with Shock team president Adam Nebeker, who is stepping down to become executive director of Cancer Patient Care.

Nebeker is one of three members of the original ownership group that brought arena football to Spokane in 2006. He will remain one of the five in the current ownership group (which includes the original three by the way), but he obviously won't be involved in the team's day-to-day business with his new job.

(UPDATE: Shock release on Nebeker.)

His responsibilities will be absorbed by other members or the organization, particularly majority owner Brady Nelson. The two have known each other since they were 8 years old and were college roommates at BYU.

“It will be a line of work that will be very rewarding on a personal level,” Nebeker said. “It's been an incredible experience and I'm super proud of everything we've done here. These people are like family. It'll be tough to leave, but I'm excited for the change.

“Brady is one of my best friends in the world, he has been and will continue to be. It's been a blast working with one of my best friends and that's another reason that makes it hard to step away, but that friendship isn't going anywhere.”

Nebeker's last day with the Shock will be Friday.

COUGARS

Just noticed one interesting fact about the Pac-12 this week. Every game is a divisional game. First time this season that's happened. Read on.

UPDATED

A lot - and I mean a lot - going on in area sports this week. Idaho finished up all of its fall sports last weekend with Coeur d'Alene's boys winning the 5A state cross country championship and the CdA girls taking second. Timberlake's girls won a third consecutive 3A title, and the Post Falls volleyball team garnered a runner-up state finish.

FOOTBALL: The 4A and 3A play-in games are this Friday. Davis won the 3-way tiebreaker Tuesday and will meet Mead on Friday at Albi Stadium at 5:30.

In crossovers, Gonzaga Prep goes to Wenatchee and Lewis and Clark travels to Richland. Both are Friday at 7.

The Great Northern League concludes Thursday with a big game - Cheney at West Valley. Deer Park, Cheney and WV are all moving on to postseason, but the league title and seeding are still to be decided.

In Idaho, Coeur d'Alene plays host to Mountain View of Meridian on Friday. while Lake City travels to Eagle after beating Post Falls and Lewiston in a tiebreaker Monday. It's unbelievable that Lake City is in the playoffs for a 15th straight year. This could be the third-worst LC team in school history. I know, I've seen them all. Let's put it this way: it's the least talented team to make the playoffs.

VOLLEYBALL: The 4A Regional tourney is Saturday at Mead and the 3A Regional is at West Valley of Yakima.

CROSS COUNTRY: The Washington state meeets are Saturday at Sun Willows Golf Ccourse in Pasco.

So lots going on. Here's your thread to start talking.

COUGARS

Sitting out at practice this evening I was thinking about the Nov. 12 Arizona State game. It wasn't 7:30 yet (still isn't as I write this) but it was getting awfully cold out there. And it's still 11 days yet until the Sun Devils come to Pullman. Eleven days closer to winter. As for the practice Tuesday and Paul Wulff comments on his press conferences (and a special video added attraction), read on.

Washington prep star battling leukemia picks Washington over Gonzaga in women's basketball recruiting battle. Katie Collier is expected to make a full recovery.

The Spokane Chiefs and Gonzaga women's basketball team are No. 1.

The Chiefs are No. 1 in a Yahoo poll of junior hockey teams worth checking; as usual, the Bulldogs are favored to win the West Coast Conference again … but it's only the fourth straight time they're favored but they're going for their eighth-straight title.

For the Zags, Kayla Standish and Katelan Redmon, all-WCC as juniors, were voted to the preseason all-league team.

For the Chiefs, not surprisingly, Blake Gal was given a three-game suspension for a boarding major and game misconduct against Tri-Cities on Saturday. He'll miss the Chiefs home games on Saturday and Sunday and the first of back-to-back games at Portland the following weekend.

COUGARS

The 2011 calendar has turned another page. It's November, the month of Thanksgiving, college basketball tournaments and crunch time for Washington State football. Read on.