K-State, Apple Cup on WSU’s radar
COUGARS
A change in plans. We have a couple links for you, including our advance of tomorrow night's basketball game, so we thought we would give you those and a quick synopsis of Paul Wulff teleconference. Read on.
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• Real quickly, here are the links. We have our advance that will appear in tomorrow's S-R. The main question deals with Reggie Moore's availability. The final word? There is no final word. We won't know if he will play until tomorrow, I'm pretty sure. My gut feeling is he'll play. Though I'm not sure how effective he'll be wearing a splint on his left hand. Shooting is one thing, but ballhandling might be another. It isn't all that easy to catch and pass with something on your wrist. ... Andy Katz talked with Bone yesterday and filed this post. ... Paul Allen has become the Phil Knight or T. Boone Pickens of WSU's vet school, donating $26 million.
• OK, let's tell you what Wulff had to say. ... He feels the Cougars are reasonably prepared for Saturday and have shaken off the dust of the time off. ... The things he worries about with such a young team are the distractions and emotions around an Apple Cup. He's talked about that a lot with his group. ... Wulff was asked about Chima Nwachukwu and how he's handled the reduced playing time recently. Wulff praised Nwachukwu as a person, saying he's done wonders for Cougar football. But he sure Nwachukwu is frustrated, having gone through the injury that cost him time, then coming back to find someone has taken over his position and made it his own. ... Wulff said he hasn't shared as much Apple Cup history with this team as he did with his two previous. That's because this group functions better with less to clutter their minds. ... Yes, he thinks the Cougars will play loose but, no, he's not sure what he's going to say before the game. ... There is no chance cornerback Daniel Simmons (shoulder) will play, but Damante Horton (knee) might. ... Asked why the Apple Cup is so important to WSU players years after they've left school, Wulff talked about the time in their lives when it happens. As kids, it leaves a huge impression. I've thought about this and I would also add the underdog status Cougars have helps burn it into their mind. ... He feels the WSU players are hungry to go play a game. ... Sekope Kaufusi is healthy and should have an impact on the game. ... No, he doesn't think he has to control C.J. Mizell. Wulff said he doesn't think anything Mizell has done has been intentionally dirty, not even the hit to start the Oregon State game. He wants the freshman middle linebacker to go out and play his game. ... And that's about it.
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• That's all for now. We'll be back later with a link to our football story for tomorrow comparing and contrasting Jeff Tuel and Jake Locker. Until then ...
