Perfect Cougs can improve

PULLMAN – The Washington State men’s basketball team is in the midst of its longest layoff in the Tony Bennett era.

During the down time the Cougars have regrouped and rededicated themselves to some core responsibilities Bennett felt has been slipping a little.

His team returns to the court tonight against The Citadel in Seattle’s KeyArena.

“There are three areas where we have to be as close to excellent as possible, and transition defense is one of them,” Bennett said. “If we’re not almost flawless in that, that’s a breakdown on our part. If we’re not very good on the defensive glass, sometimes you can’t control great offensive rebounders, but we have to be really good at that, and then taking care of the ball. … When we’re good in those areas, we’re in almost all of our games, no matter what.”

Listening to Bennett, it might be tough to believe WSU is 9-0 and ranked seventh in the nation.

An examination of the season statistics shows the Cougars, after nine games this year and nine last year, are better in rebounding and just as good in taking care of the ball. The third – transition defense – is not covered by any statistical measure, but anecdotal evidence would suggest WSU, which was 8-1 after nine games last season, has been worse – Baylor comes to mind – and better – Gonzaga – than at times last season.

The area in which the Cougars have made the most strides is rebounding.

With 6-foot-10, 270-pound junior Aron Baynes leading the way (5.8 per game), WSU is plus-4.1 in rebounding margin after being minus-1.1 through nine games last year. Last season Baynes missed the first five games after off-season ankle surgery.

“Aron is a big part of (the rebounding improvement),” senior wing Kyle Weaver said, “taking up a lot of room down there, getting those big guys of the other team out of the way and allowing us guards to sneak in and get a few at times, too.”

Weaver, who is averaging 4.7 rebounds a game as compared to 4.0 last year at this time, said Baynes’ rebounding ability challenges him.

“I still have to be aggressive and do what I have to do to make us better,” Weaver said. “He even gives me a sense that I have to work a little harder, to try to get a few more, just because I know he’s going to get a few just because he’s down there anyway.”

Though opponents’ offensive rebounding has hurt the Cougars at times, WSU is doing a better job in that area.

In the first nine games last season, the Cougars’ opponents had more than nine a game. This year it’s nearly once less each contest.

At the same point last year the Cougars had 106 turnovers – the exact number after nine games this season.

But it’s the type of turnovers that is stressing Bennett – and the Cougars’ defense. A recent string of unforced errors is giving opponents extra possessions, something WSU knows it must limit in Pac-10 play.

“I wouldn’t say it’s something I’m worried about,” Weaver said. “It’s something we’ve got to keep working on. (We need to) get a little more familiar with each other and just try to stay on the same page.

“Maybe at times we try to get a pass early that might not be there, when if we’re patient it will be there. It might be there early, too, but we’ve got to know when it’s the right spot to do certain things.”

The final area Bennett is underlining, transition defense, is one that Weaver sees as a key, especially after the first of the year.

“We think it’s pretty important,” he said, “especially in our conference. Pretty much most of our teams in our conference like to get up and down and try to get a lot of easy buckets from transition. It is important for us to instill that early, to get back and set up our defense.”

Still, when it comes to the defense, Weaver isn’t worried.

“Our defense is pretty much our foundation,” he said. “I’m not really worried about us ever worrying about how many possessions we guard, because we do it all day, every day. That’s what we lean on.”

His coach, however, isn’t as sanguine.

“All you have to do is watch us and you know we don’t blow people away, it’s not our way,” Bennett said.

“We have to play well. When you play a team like Citadel, those guys will be sound and very fundamental. We’ll have to battle and play.”