NCAA basketball

The timing and planning of Gonzaga’s new basketball facility more than two decades ago was spot-on, mirroring so many of the key aspects that launched the program’s ascension to national prominence.

The Zags would probably feel comfortable filtering through a nine-man rotation most nights this season and they could actually go even deeper than that.

Can the Watts propel WSU to wins in those contests and beyond? It helps that their games seem to complement each other. 

David Riley reconstructed this Washington State team by bringing along a few of his best EWU players, including wings Cedric Coward and LeJuan Watts and centers Ethan Price and Dane Erikstrup. He maintained a commitment from guard Marcus Wilson and secured a new one from Lapwai guard Kase Wynott. He added Cal transfer ND Okafor and Washington transfer Nate Calmese, then added a few players from overseas: Iceland guard Tomas Thrastarson, Latvian wing Rihard Vavers and Serbian center Dimitrije Vukicevic.

Last year, it was the departure of BYU. This year, it’s the addition of Washington State and Oregon State.

One has to wonder if picking the Gonzaga women’s basketball team to win the West Coast Conference regular-season championship is something automatic for opposing coaches.

McCarthey Athletic Center has been home to 262 victories for the Gonzaga women’s basketball team since its opening in 2004-05. A look back at the top 20 memories/moments since the first dribbles and baskets in the 6,000-seat arena.

The Washington State women’s basketball team has yet to play in the West Coast Conference. Judging by what the WCC coaches anticipate, though, the Cougars will challenge for the conference championship.

The landscape has changed much in the West Coast Conference.

In the Eastern Washington men’s basketball program, it’s a fresh start for everyone. How well all those pieces come together is the question as the Eagles prepare to defend their league title.

After a couple of years coaching a veteran roster, Joddie Gleason has been enjoying the opportunity to lead a younger team heading into this women’s basketball season.

In his first season as Idaho’s coach, Alex Pribble led the Vandals to an 11-21 record, 5-13 in the Big Sky Conference that included notable league wins over Montana State, Sacramento State and Idaho State. Heading into season two, Pribble believes Idaho laid the groundwork then for a big jump forward.

In a new season, Idaho is looking forward to a fresh start. Arthur Moreira, an assistant coach last year, takes over for Carrie Eighmey, who led the Vandals to a 15-16 record in her lone campaign as UI coach.

Sixth-ranked Gonzaga returns one of the most experienced rosters in college basketball, bringing back four of its five starters from a team that advanced to the Sweet 16.

They each spent the 2023-24 season at brand-name college basketball programs, commanded significant attention from opposing teams both on the court and in pregame scouts and heard their names called early in the 2024 NBA draft, representing 50% of the players taken within the top-10 picks.

You don’t turn down dress rehearsals, not even the Gonzaga women’s basketball team.

The rebirth of the Pac-12 began with the death of its football scheduling partnership with the Mountain West. At least, that’s how Boise State Athletic Director Jeramiah Dickey described the sequence that propelled the Broncos and four other Mountain West schools into the Pac-12 beginning in the summer of 2026.

PULLMAN – Washington State’s men’s basketball team will be packing its bags for Hawaii next fall.

From staff reports