Cougars name Lopes as assistant basketball coach

Men’s basketball: Ray Lopes (pictured above) has been named assistant men’s basketball coach at Washington State University, head coach Ken Bone announced Tuesday.

Lopes rejoins the WSU staff after serving on the Idaho men’s basketball staff the past four seasons, the last three as associate head coach and the first year as assistant coach. Lopes was a member of Kelvin Sampson’s Cougars coaching staff during the 1993-94 season as an assistant coach, before following him to Oklahoma to serve in the same capacity from 1994-2002.

In Lopes’ lone year with the Cougars under Sampson, WSU recorded a 20-11 overall mark, finished fourth in the Pacific-10 Conference and advanced to the first round of the NCAA tournament.

While at Idaho, Lopes helped lead the team to 69 wins over four seasons, three top-three WAC finishes and three postseason appearances.

Thompson makes team

NBA: Former Washington State University men’s basketball player and current Golden State Warrior Klay Thompson was named to the 2011-12 NBA All-Rookie first team, the NBA announced.

Thompson received 43 points in balloting, the fourth-highest total. NBA Rookie of the Year Kyrie Irving of Cleveland led all players with 58 points.

The 11th overall pick by the Warriors in the 2011 draft, Thompson led all rookies with a .414 3-point field-goal percentage.

Associated Press