A Friday morning post from Pullman
COUGARS • UPDATED: 9:45 P.M.
It's been a couple days since we had anything substantial to pass along, but that's changed, so read on.
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• Our college baseball notebook in the S-R today led with the story of Washington State senior Chad Arnold, who will walk on to Bailey-Brayton Field for the final time this weekend. Arnold won't be pitching, though, since some tingling in his throwing arm has forced him to the sidelines for the rest of the season. Arnold had a chance to leave Pullman after last season, decided to come back for his fifth year, got his degree and is looking forward to healing from a snakebit season and moving on with his career. ... The Ducks are in town this weekend. ... Heard some news while I was working on the Arnold story yesterday, including football coach Paul Wulff saying defensive back Daniel Simmons' shoulder is much better and Simmons had been cleared for more workouts. That's important, as Simmons, a starter when healthy, lost the final part of last season and all of spring football to the nerve problem in the shoulder. ... Academically, the Cougars are in much better shape than was feared midway through spring. There is a question about only two players, both of whom have the summer to get back on track. ... By the way, the APR numbers will be released by the NCAA next Tuesday and though WSU's football and basketball teams didn't win any awards, they will both be OK, with football almost out of the hole built by the awful season a few years ago. ... The NBA's draft camp is on ESPNU again this morning, with Klay Thompson in attendance. CougCenter's Jeff Nusser summarized yesterday's conversation about Thompson during the network's coverage and it wasn't all that much about basketball. ... Elsewhere in the Pac-12, Utah has finished its basketball roster makeover under new coach Larry Krystkowiak and it includes a couple of transfers with Washington ties. And by Washington, I mean the state, not the school. ... Finally, the Oregon/Oregon State rivalry through the eyes of Mike Riley.
• UPDATE: Got some news this evening about the health of Louis Bland, the middle linebacker who missed all of last year with a knee injury. Bland rehabbed for almost a year, finally returning for spring ball while we were at the Pac-10 basketball tournament. Then he tweaked his knee again and set out the rest of the spring. Well, Bland's knee is bad enough he needs more surgery – what type I don’t know – and his rehab is expected to take six to eight months. And yes, that means he probably won't be playing this fall. A tough blow to Bland and to the Cougar defense.
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• That's all for this morning. We'll be back when events warrant. Until then ...
