WSU basketball will stay close to home early on
Washington State will begin its 2015-16 nonconference schedule with eight home games, sandwiched around a trip eight miles east to Idaho. That's welcome news for coach Ernie Kent, who felt his team suffered in his first season last year from beginning the season with two road games and only having five total nonconference home games.
After that jaunt across the border the Cougars will host Texas-El Paso and Texas State before heading to Honolulu, Hawaii for the Diamond Head Classic from Dec. 22-25.
Also of note: On Dec. 2 the Cougars will host Gonzaga for the first time since the 2012-2013 season and WSU will hold two preseason exhibition games this year, playing Lewis-Clark State on Oct. 30 and holding a "Flashback Friday" game in Bohler Gym on Nov. 6 against Pacific of Forest Grove, Oregon. The latter game will be held on "Dad's Weekend" and will harken back to the days when the Cougars played in Bohler until Beasley Coliseum opened in 1973.
Here's the release from the school.