Washington State men’s hoops finalizes nonconference schedule

PULLMAN – This winter, Washington State is reinstalling a familiar foe to its nonconference schedule.

That would be Idaho, according to a news release from the program, which announced its full nonconference schedule on Monday afternoon. After going on a hiatus last season, the Battle of the Palouse is back on, set for Nov. 6 at Beasley Coliseum.

The rest of the Cougars’ nonconference schedule looks like this: Home against Prairie View A&M on Nov. 10, then they hit the road for Uncasville, Connecticut, where they’ll play Mississippi State and an opponent to be determined in the 2023 Basketball Hall of Fame Tip-Off Event.

“We’re looking forward to playing in this year’s Basketball Hall of Fame Tip-Off,” Washington State head coach Kyle Smith said of the event via release. “Since my time coaching at Columbia, the Hall of Fame Committee has carried forward the sport and this event with prestige. This year’s tournament is no different and presents an excellent opportunity for our team. We’re honored to be included in a competitive field, and we know it will provide a great experience early in the season.”

After the Thanksgiving break, WSU will return home on Nov. 24 to host Utah Tech, the first of a five-game homestand. The Cougars will then welcome Eastern Washington on Nov. 27 – in a rematch of last season’s NIT matchup, which the Eagles won – Portland State on Dec. 2, UC Riverside on Dec. 6 and Grambling on Dec. 10.

Up next for WSU will be two neutral-site matchups, first with Santa Clara on Dec. 16 and with Boise State on Dec. 21. The Cougars’ game with Santa Clara is set for Phoenix, where they’ll take part in the Jerry Colangelo Classic, and their game against the Broncos will take place at Spokane Arena in Spokane.

“We’ve put together a competitive non-conference schedule this season,” Smith said. “This selection of opponents will give us the opportunity to build confidence and face teams with recent postseason resumes.”