COUGARS

FROM PULLMAN -- So it's not the Apple Cup. But the Battle of the Palouse -- tonight's basketball game between Washington State and Idaho -- is an interesting enough rivalry in its own right, I suppose. Read on.

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So if WSU wins tonight and then beats the Vandals in September's football game, will WSU students chant "Just like basketball?" No? ... We're going to push our live chat back a few hours to 6 p.m. tonight as a way to preview the basketball game. Football questions are welcome, too. Just don't show up at 1 p.m., like usual. We won't be here. ... In today's newspaper we wrote about Ray Lopes' Idaho connection, then posted on the blog with more of his answers from our interview this morning. ... ESPN.com's Ted Miller posted the 2013 Pac-12 football schedule rotation. WSU will miss UCLA and Colorado after missing USC and Arizona the past two years. And the Cougars got the short end of the stick with only four conference home games (and one of those, Oregon State, will be played in Seattle). So that leaves WSU with just three Pac-12 games in Pullman next season. ... Keith Gilbertson, the former Idaho and Washington head coach (and father of WSU quarterback David Gilbertson), tells the S-R's Josh Wright that he spoke with UI about its head coaching position, but he isn't a candidate. ... Howie Stalwick has a preview box on tonight's basketball game. Vandal Nation looks at the game, too.

Around the Pac-12 ... One of the Arizona schools will be fighting hunger in San Francisco in a few weeks. ... Does Arizona's running back deserve a Heisman vote? ... Some notable names are popping up in California's coaching search. ... Interesting development in the USC/NCAA sanction story. ... A rematch in football is a unique challenge. UCLA players think Jim Mora was overlooked in Coach of the Year voting. ... Steve Kelley says UW should be going to a better bowl in Steve Sarkisian's fourth season. ... A former Colorado coach isn't happy about the firing of Jon Embree. ... Which bowl would you prefer if you were an Oregon State fan? ... What about Oregon? ... A look at returning starters around the conference.

There was one basketball game last night -- Colorado outlasted Texas Southern, 85-80, in double overtime.

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

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