A Grip on Sports: ‘Wait until next year’ is harder to sell these days in college sports
A GRIP ON SPORTS • Growing pains. Most of us had them. They were, well, a pain. But worth it. The idea of being bigger and better on the other side made them so. At least that’s what mom said.
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• Nowadays, mom wouldn’t be right. Hard to accept, isn’t it? But when it comes to college sports – and we’re all about college sports – growing pains don’t seem to hold much reward anymore.
The idea of a young team taking its lumps because “next year we will win those games” seems to be as dry and dusty as the Pyramids. Thanks to a sea change built on a wave of NIL and the tsunami of the transfer portal, taking lumps seems to be just setting up young teams for a flood of lumps down the road.
We saw that setting up again last night in Pullman. The Cougars, once again rebuilding their roster under fourth-year coach Kyle Smith, had a chance to upset 11th-ranked UCLA in Beasley Coliseum. A chance? Heck, “were poised” would be a better term.
And they didn’t get it done.
See, the golden boys of college hoops can build something. Find a core, keep it together and grow into contenders. That’s what the Bruins have done. Tyger Campbell. Jaime Jaquez Jr. David Singleton. Jaylen Clark. Guys who have tread the bricks around Westwood for three, four years. They were on the floor at the end of the game while the Bruins rallied past WSU 67-66 as Bill Walton looked on in admiration.
The Cougars? Their veterans lifted them into the lead, most notably senior DJ Rodman, who had the game of his life. But down the stretch, when decisions have more import and the little things matter, they couldn’t get it done.
The game’s final play encapsulated the struggle.
Mouhamed Gueye, the sophomore who was once again a force inside with 18 points and 18 rebounds, came free down the middle off a pick-and-roll as time ran down. TJ Bamba’s pass was on time, but Gueye caught it with his feet perpendicular to the basket. Two smaller Bruins, Jaquez and Campbell, came over to contest.
Next year, after Gueye has added another 10 pounds of muscle to his frame, the outcome may be different. This year? He couldn’t gather, square and rise up for what would have been a game-winning dunk. Instead, he tried to pass out, the ball was tipped and, after a couple more touches, finally ended in Rodman’s hands. His contested 3-pointer rattled off and UCLA had survived.
But it was Gueye unable to finish at the rim that sunk the Cougars.
No matter, right. Washington State is just going through growing pains. Next year it will be different. Except, there are no guarantees. Sure, Gueye and Kymany Houinsou and Adrame Diongue could be back. But will they? There are so many factors involved in building from year-to-year for a school like Washington State, it just seems nearly impossible to look ahead.
Smith has done a good job of mining unknown bigs. Of bringing them to the Palouse. Working with them. Getting them better. Think Efe Abogidi. Volodymyr Markovetskyy. Gueye.
It was a great strategy five years ago. Now? As soon as the season ends, recruiting has to begin all over again.
NBA? Overseas? The G-League? A Power 5 school with deeper pockets and bluer blood? Heck, a fair-to-middling school with more NIL money available. They all beckon.
It’s a siren song that makes putting an experienced band together so much harder.
The Cougars came within an eyelash of posting an upset that could have keyed a conference run. Instead, all that was left was the thought of brighter days ahead. Even that is tarnished in these times.
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WSU: Colton Clark took in a basketball doubleheader yesterday. Both games featured the 11th-ranked teams. Both featured the Cougars. And both ended in tight Washington State losses. The men we touched on above. The women? They played without conference leading scorer Charlisse Leger-Walker and with a shoplifting charge hanging over center Bella Murekatete but rallied in the second half to put a scare into Utah. … Elsewhere in the Pac-12 and college football, Jon Wilner has a mailbag in the Mercury News. … No matter what happens in Monday’s Rose Bowl, Utah has had a special season. And if Cam Rising comes back, will be poised for another. … UCLA was about as unlucky as a team could be and still led with less than a minute left. But Pitt kicked a game-winning field goal for a 37-35 Sun Bowl victory. … Caleb Williams expects to be at full strength for USC’s appearance in the Cotton Bowl. … The Alamo Bowl win capped a special season for Washington. … In basketball news, an 11-0 second-half run helped USC put away Washington 80-67 in Seattle. … Colorado is hoping for a weekend road sweep. … The biggest game today is in Tempe, where Arizona State hosts fifth-ranked Arizona. … Every Northwest women’s team lost, with Colorado topping Washington, UCLA winning a top-20 matchup with Oregon and USC taking a win against Oregon State.
Gonzaga: The West Coast Conference season is upon us. Which means the Bulldogs play teams they have beaten like a cymbal for the past decade-plus. First up is Pepperdine, the school with the great views and the former Washington Pac-12 coaches. Lorenzo Romar (UW) and Ken Bone (WSU) lead the Waves into the Kennel today, carrying a 43-game losing streak against GU. Jim Meehan has the preview and the key matchup. … Theo Lawson has a story about a French recruit who took in a recent game in the company of Killian Tillie. … The women continue their WCC-opening road trip in Los Angeles today, playing Loyola Marymount. Jim Allen has that preview. … Elsewhere in the WCC, this is BYU’s final year in the conference. What can be expected from the men’s team?
EWU and Idaho: Around the Big Sky, Weber State is trying to get better at the little things.
CCS: The Sasquatch men picked up a road victory last night against Highline.
Preps: Dave Nichols offers up a roundup of Friday’s high school play.
Chiefs: It was a good Friday night at the Arena, with Spokane holding off Tri-City 2-1. Kevin Dudley has the story.
Seahawks: Tyler Lockett is ready to be back. Less than two weeks after suffering a hand injury that required surgery. The Hawks need him.
Kraken: Not a good Friday night in net or on the scoreboard. Seattle lost 7-2 to the Oilers.
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• The final day of 2022? Really? Where the heck did 1986 go? Or 1992? Or 2009? Can we have one or two of them back please? See you on the other side. Until then …