John Blanchette: Cougars’ vulnerability exploited by Trojans

LOS ANGELES – Tony Bennett rattled them off the other day – all the plusses he could see stacking up around the Washington State Cougars.

Not coming here as a play-in afterthought. The inevitable Pepcid games ahead. Being a No. 2 seed, a favorite, with the upgraded regard and expectation that brings. Simulation for the NCAA adventure ahead, the lot of it.

“All new experiences,” he said. “All good for our program.”

Well, if it truly is all about the experience, then the 70-61 loss that USC hung on the Cougars on Friday night in the Pacific-10 Conference basketball tournament semifinals figures to be the best experience of all.

It’ll reinforce just how much they don’t want to do it again.

There had been just one night this long and glorious season that the Cougs had been an obvious dud, a cold night in Salt Lake City way back in early December – back before anyone could be sure the best story in college basketball was going to be anything close to that. The Cougars stumbled against Utah that night, well away from TV cameras and the national jury. At the time, it was sized up as a first time – probably the first of a few – and not a last.

But although the Cougs would lose again – five whole times in the Pac-10 round-robin – they were a gallant little collection of overtime crushers and regulation near-misses against the pedigreed, and doubts weren’t lasting.

This one, too, came against the pedigreed – USC lost a chance to tie the Cougars for second place on the last day of the regular season and figures to be an NCAA nightmare for somebody.

But for the Cougs, this one also carried the hint – just a hint – of a dud.

There was a chance to do what they didn’t quite get done in January and February – beat the field and win a championship. And it slowly became evident, about midway through the first half, that the Cougars hadn’t shown up at Staples Center with that championship look.

And if he’s said it once this season, Bennett has said it – well, he said it 32 times, win and lose.

“We’re vulnerable,” he said, “when we’re not playing right.”

Right in this case mostly meant on defense, ground zero for the program when Tony and his father, Dick, arrived to remake it. When USC’s Gabe Pruitt got loose off a screen not quite four minutes into the game and wheeled for a 3-pointer with what seemed like an acre of open space, it was a signal, a sign, a slap in the face.

Problem was, it took the Cougars too long to wake up.

By the television timeout with 7:35 left in the half, the Trojans – Pruitt, Nick Young and Lodrick Stewart, that is – had thrown in 7 of 10 shots from beyond the arc and USC had a 10-point lead.

Some were wild, some were deep, but not many – there would be 10 by game’s end – came with much in the way of a hand in the face.

“It was 50-50,” WSU guard Kyle Weaver allowed. “Those guys worked hard to get open. They were coming off solid screens and they were looking to shoot it. But it was partially us, too. We didn’t defend the perimeter as well as we usually do tonight.”

There were other issues, too, of course. USC coach Tim Floyd battened down the interior defense on big Aron Baynes, who bludgeoned the Trojans with 25 points just six days ago (“shooting 10 for 10 will get their attention,” Weaver sighed), and the Cougars had their worst shooting night of the season – 36 percent, including just 8 of 32 after halftime.

Yet even that was something of a by-product of USC’s offensive fireworks.

“It gave them more energy on defense,” said WSU forward Robbie Cowgill.

By contrast, the Cougars had to manufacture their own. And while they did battle back – with a terrific pre-halftime run to begin with – they also missed some crucial opportunities to, as Bennett said, “make it real interesting.”

Well, now it gets real interesting. The NCAA tournament – Wazzu’s first appearance in 14 years. And where, of course, there are more teams of USC’s ilk than not.

Bennett brought his team here looking for experience and teachable moments. What did he learn?

“That it’s always a reminder, again, that if we’re not really locked in defensively, if we make just a few errors or we’re a little off, we’re vulnerable,” he said. “That kind of alertness and readiness to start a game is important – especially if you go against the athleticism that you see in the tournament – whether it’s a team from a mid-major or whoever we draw. You’ve got to be ready for that quickness on the perimeter.

“We were just hanging on for dear life for a stretch there tonight.”

Well, that’s part of the postseason package, too.

“Even the way they were shooting,” Cowgill said, “we make a couple more plays down the stretch and finish a few shots and we’re right there.”

Actually, they’re right there anyway. Now the madness begins, and the Cougars are a part of it.

Turns out that was the first item on Tony Bennett’s list all along.