Cougs face Key game in Seattle

PULLMAN – With an 11-day layoff in the rear-view mirror, the Washington State Cougars take to the road once more – to play a home game.

For the fourth time this season, WSU will play away from Beasley Coliseum but be listed as the home team, tonight in the Cougar Hardwood Classic against The Citadel at Seattle’s KeyArena.

“We know it’s been hard to be a (Cougar) basketball fan in Seattle,” WSU head coach Tony Bennett said this week. “It’s tough to make it here (for a game). Playing in Seattle really made sense. I think it’s positive, especially with the students gone.”

The Citadel comes to Seattle with a 4-5 overall record. Fourteen of its 16 players are freshmen or redshirt freshmen, with only senior Demetrius Nelson and junior Jonathan Brick keeping the Bulldogs from fielding an all-rookie squad.

“They’re obviously young,” Bennett said. “But I know they played Davidson close for a while and I think they are playing better ball.”

The Bulldogs have played one Pac-10 team, USC, losing 74-47 at home early in the season. Nelson, who is second on the team in scoring with a 12.1 average and leads in rebounding at 5.7, probably won’t play. He injured his foot in a loss to UT-Chattanooga and isn’t expected back until later this month.

Freshman Cameron Wells, a 6-foot-1 guard from Bellaire, Texas, leads The Citadel with a 15.7 scoring average and 33 assists. Without Nelson, the Bulldogs start five freshmen and one player taller than 6-6.

Citadel coach Ed Conroy expects the Northwest journey to be a challenge.

“Seattle is going to be a great trip for our group,” Conroy said after defeating Atlanta Christian 79-55 Saturday. “Washington State is a very good team and we will have to play exceptionally.”

Notes

Conroy’s cousin Pat is the well-known novelist (“The Great Santini,” about his father, “Lords of Discipline” and “My Losing Season”) and is also a Citadel grad and a former Bulldogs basketball player. … There is going to be a busy halftime tonight. New football coach Paul Wulff will be introduced to the crowd and quarterback Alex Brink will be honored, and there will be a special presentation to former Cougar Tony Harris’ family. Harris, who played for WSU in the early 1990s, died recently in Brazil.