Links for a Tuesday morning

COUGARS

FROM PULLMAN — Nine days remain until Washington State travels to Provo for its season opener. The Cougars continue practice today at 3:45 p.m., and we will again be there. But first, you know the drill.

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We concluded our 2012 position preview by taking a look at Washington State’s quarterbacks , one of whom appears to have taken a big step toward starting the season opener. As usual, we have notes from practice posted on the blog, as well. …

Around the Pac-12 … Arizona is trying to fill its seats this season. … Some more on Arizona State’s quarterback situation. … A Washington defensive tackle is trying to make up for his lack of size. … Analyzing Utah’s offensive playmakers . … A junior defensive back is quietly setting himself up for a big season for Colorado. … Run defense is still a focus for Oregon State. … Oregon’s offensive line is starting to come together. … Stanford still hasn’t named a starting quarterback. … Jeff Tedford is starting to get into the social media groove. … A UCLA defensive back is ready to make his mark at linebacker. … USC is hoping a freshman receiver can be a lot like a couple of former All-Americans. … In basketball news, Washington’s new assistant — a former Cougar — is adjusting to his new role.

If you ever met George Hickman, even just once, you will understand why the news of his death on Sunday was such a sad event. If you ever covered a game at Husky Stadium, at Hec Edmundson Pavilion, at CenturyLink Field (and all of its various nomenclature), odds are George greeted you with a handshake, a smile and some kind words. His genuine kindness was something many people treasured, and his greetings were a highlight of any day. His 88 years led him from segregated St. Louis to the U.S. military as a member of the Tuskegee Airmen, and eventually to Seattle, where he made a career at Boeing and began ushering at UW football and basketball games. As Steve Kelley writes in this Seattle Times column , George was a ray of “eternal sunshine,” and he will be missed by many.

All for now.

Christian Caple can be reached at christianc@spokesman.com . Twitter: @ChristianCaple