Jacob Thorpe

Connor Halliday and Vince Mayle will find out their professional destinations today. But Xavier Cooper already knows where he's going.

PULLMAN – Arizona continued its recent offensive blitz on Friday, tattooing Washington State starting pitcher Sean Hartnett with five fourth-inning runs on the way to a 14-5 win in the first game of the Pac-12 series. The Wildcats win comes on the heels of a 17-6 win over Arizona State in Tucson, which snapped a seven-game losing streak for Arizona (26-17, 10-12).

The Cleveland Browns made a trade to move back into the third round and selected Washington State defensive tackle Xavier Cooper in the NFL Draft on Friday. The Browns acquired the No. 96 overall choice in a multi-pick deal with New England and selected Cooper, a 6-foot-3, 293-pounder who had 31.5 sacks in WSU career.

Arizona continued its recent offensive blitz on Friday, tattooing Washington State starting pitcher Sean Hartnett with five fourth-inning runs on the way to a 14-5 win in the first game of the Pac-12 series.

The Cleveland Browns traded up to select Washington State's Xavier Cooper in the third round of the NFL draft.

It was a banner night for the Pac-12, which had a record nine players selected in the first round of the NFL draft.

I'll answer any remaining questions about WSU's spring football practices at noon.

Soon to be graduated Washington State linebacker Mitch Peterson was named to the National Football Foundation's Hampshire Honor Society.

PULLMAN – Maverick McNealy set a course record at the difficult Palouse Ridge Golf Club in the final round of the Pac-12 Golf Championships on Wednesday to run away with the individual title, and it might have been the easiest thing he’s done in the past 24 hours. The Stanford sophomore celebrated his athletic accomplishment by taking a midterm in Stanford’s legendary PSYCH 135: Sleep and Dreams class, and will take an economics midterm this morning.

PULLMAN – The last gasp of organized football for the academic year is done, and soon the fans who’ve paid attention this long will let their focuses drift to annual vacations and summertime hobbies. Peyton Bender won’t have any more six-touchdown scrimmages and Luke Falk isn’t going to scramble for another touchdown until Washington State’s fall camp in August.

PULLMAN – The era will end eventually – it wouldn’t be an era if it didn’t – but Whitworth coach Dan Ramsay and his seniors are delaying the inevitable for as long as possible. Ramsay will join the program at Washington State once the season ends, which will not be for a few more weeks because the Pirates are headed to the NCAA Division-III baseball tournament after sweeping the inaugural Northwest Conference tournament as a No. 3 seed.

PULLMAN – Despite an underwhelming day on the Palouse Ridge links, Washington State had a chance to end the second day of the Pac-12 championships in the conference’s upper half with two of its best golfers yet to finish. Michael Anderson’s approach shot on the 18th hole fell a few yards short of the green. And after his third shot on the par-5 also fell short of the green, his long birdie putt missed by just inches and the WSU senior had to settle for par.

PULLMAN – The era will end eventually – it wouldn’t be an era if it didn’t – but Whitworth coach Dan Ramsay and his seniors are delaying the inevitable for as long as possible.

Washington State practiced for the 15th and final time this spring on Tuesday.

Jeremiah Allison speaks to the media after WSU's final spring practice.

Mike Leach speaks to the media after WSU's final practice of spring.

Yesterday was a pretty good day for the Washington State athletic programs.

PULLMAN – Ernie Kent won his first major men’s basketball recruiting victory for Washington State, signing a player coveted by far more established programs. Junior college center Conor Clifford sent in a national letter of intent to WSU on Monday, accepting a scholarship from the Cougars over offers from Oklahoma State, Pittsburgh, South Carolina, Utah, and many more.

PULLMAN – Jon Rahm, Cheng-Tsung Pan and the other future pros playing in the Pac-12 men’s golf championships this week will someday jockey over endorsements, sponsorship deals and, maybe, green jackets. But right now they’re all chasing Washington State’s Derek Bayley, a freshman from Rathdrum, Idaho.

Ernie Kent won his first major men’s basketball recruiting victory for Washington State, signing junior college center Conor Clifford, a player coveted by far more established programs.