Forward DJ Rodman, guard Dylan Darling expected to return to Washington State lineup for game against Washington

PULLMAN – After missing last weekend’s road trip due to illnesses, senior forward DJ Rodman and freshman guard Dylan Darling are expected to return to Washington State’s lineup for Saturday’s rivalry game, according to Cougars coach Kyle Smith.

“They were at practice yesterday and feeling better,” Smith said Tuesday during his weekly news conference. “So, they’ll take a little time to get their conditioning, I’d imagine. But we feel lucky we only got one game this week.”

WSU (10-15, 5-9 Pac-12), coming off two losses in Los Angeles, will host Washington (13-12, 5-9) at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Beasley Coliseum.

“It’d be nice to get healthy and have a full squad,” Smith said. “We need everybody for the Huskies.”

The team’s lone senior, Rodman has developed into a key player for the Cougars. He has started 21 games this season, and is averaging 9.2 points and 5.5 rebounds per game while shooting 41.6% from the field and 38.5% from 3-point range.

Rodman ranks second on the team in offensive rebounding (41) and gives WSU’s defense a lift with his aggressive style of play – taking charges and hustling for loose balls.

“Just having his leadership and his veteran experience – we missed him,” Smith said.

The Cougars lost 80-70 to USC on Thursday and suffered a 76-52 blowout on Saturday at UCLA. Rodman’s defense would have come in handy against Trojans standout Drew Peterson and Bruins star Jaime Jaquez Jr. Peterson scored 20 points and Jaquez totaled 24 points and 15 rebounds.

“DJ did such a good (defensive) job on Jaquez and Peterson the first time we played those guys up here,” Smith said.

Jaquez scored 20 points but shot 5 of 14 from the field in UCLA’s 67-66 win over WSU on Dec. 30 in Pullman. Peterson scored 16 points on 7-of-16 shooting in the Cougars’ 81-71 win over the Trojans on Jan. 1.

Rodman produced double-digit scoring outputs in six consecutive games from Dec. 30 to Jan. 14 but has been held under double figures in four straight games. He averaged 7.3 points and shot 6 of 22 from the field in those games but grabbed 21 rebounds, including seven offensive boards.

Darling provides “a good punch off the bench, as far as defensively,” Smith said. The true freshman from Spokane averages 2.2 points in 14.2 minutes per game.

Backup center Adrame Diongue missed the first game of the L.A. road trip due to illness, but returned to the court in a limited capacity versus UCLA. The 7-foot freshman played 1 minute. Diongue is averaging 1.5 points and two rebounds in 6.7 minutes per game.

“He’s been such an energy-giver for us, and he just didn’t have it (Saturday),” Smith said after the game.

The Huskies are on a three-game skid, but they gave the L.A. schools a challenge last week.

Washington is led by senior forward Keion Brooks Jr., who ranks second in the Pac-12 in scoring at 18.3 points per game.

The Cougars will be squaring off against an old teammate in Husky guard Noah Williams, who transferred to UW this offseason after starting 62 games at WSU between 2019-22. Williams is averaging 9.0 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 12 appearances. The Seattle native missed 12 games early this season due to injury.

“It’s obviously going to be an emotional game for both teams, with your former teammate,” Smith said. “Noah’s pretty boisterous. … It’s about ‘team versus team.’ I’m sure (UW coach Mike Hopkins) is saying the same thing. But it’ll be a fun environment. It’s a rivalry game. It’s what makes college sports fun.”