Washington State basketball: Mouhamed Gueye shines during Cougars’ late-season hot streak

PULLMAN – It’s uncertain whether Mouhamed Gueye will stick around for another collegiate season or move on to the professional level, but if the Washington State big man keeps putting up these kinds of numbers, it might be a safe decision to declare for the NBA draft.

Gueye is shining for the Cougars (13-15, 8-9 Pac-12), who are in the midst of a late-season hot streak. The sophomore standout poured in 56 points combined and pulled down 27 rebounds during the past three games – all wins for WSU, which looks to continue its surge when it visits Stanford at 8 p.m. Thursday at Maples Pavilion.

“(Gueye) wanted to be a guy that can carry a team,” WSU coach Kyle Smith said. “He’s done that, and then some.”

Gueye averaged 17 points and 9.7 rebounds over the past seven games since a scoreless effort Jan. 22 at Colorado. The 6-foot-11 Senegal native ranks 14th nationally in double-doubles (12) and 15th in offensive rebounds (3.46 per game).

According to ESPN, Gueye is the No. 50 prospect for this year’s NBA draft.

Smith said recently that Gueye is “50-50” on whether he’ll return to WSU next year or begin his pro career.

“He’s proven enough, in my opinion, that he should have some kind of guarantee at some level,” Smith said Tuesday when asked of Gueye’s pro prospects. “It depends on what’s best for his future. Some of the mock drafts, he’s not there. … It’ll be an informed decision. We want what’s best for him.

“He’s starting to blossom here. I don’t know if the long-term benefit would be to come back, but it’s up to him and we’ll support whatever he does. He owes us nothing. He’s been a great ambassador for the school, a great player and a better person.”

Gueye is second on the team in scoring at 14.2 points per game – just 0.3 points shy of top scorer TJ Bamba – and leads the team with 8.3 rebounds per game. In Pac-12 play, Gueye paces the Cougars with 15.4 ppg.

After an impressive freshman season, Gueye declared for the NBA draft and entered the NCAA transfer portal, spending two months receiving feedback from pro organizations. He eventually opted to come back to the Cougars.

Gueye dealt with turnover issues early this season as he adjusted to a more prominent role, but has settled in nicely as the centerpiece of WSU’s offense and one of the Pac-12’s premier players. Gueye has drawn praise for his improved decision-making and distribution.

“It was about getting comfortable,” Smith said. “We really didn’t play through him last year. He was a freshman and we still had Efe (Abogidi) and Dishon (Jackson) as low-post guys. ‘Mo’ had his moments, but learning to be a team’s featured guy is something he’s never done.”

Gueye has played basketball competitively for just four years. He was a role player in high school at Prolific Prep, an elite hoops academy in Napa, California, where he teamed with many future power-conference players.

“Now, he’s being featured, which is how you develop,” Smith said. “Handling the ball on every possession, or most every possession, has really helped him grow. We use him at the low post, the elbow, the high post – he’s kind of our de facto point guard.”

Smith said Gueye intends to either remain at WSU or head to the pros. He won’t pursue a transfer.

“He needs to have something in case he doesn’t like the NBA feedback, and he’s really comfortable here,” Smith said. “He’s embraced it. Every day you put into Pullman, you appreciate it a little more. I think the basketball situation is good. I know we’re 13-15, but these guys really like each other. They’re getting better. We just haven’t been healthy. It’s not always like that, so I think we’ve got something special, and hopefully DJ (Rodman) started the ball rolling.”

Rodman announced to the Beasley Coliseum crowd on Sunday before tipoff against Oregon that he will be returning to WSU next year for a fifth season – an extra season of eligibility granted by the NCAA in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 6-6 forward has appeared in 105 career games. Initially a role player, Rodman has developed into a key contributor for the Cougars.

“Retention is everything for Washington State,” Smith said. “Having a guy like DJ who has been here for four years and wants to do a fifth, that’s huge. I’ve had discussions with other guys already and I feel comfortable … that we have a good core of guys that are committed to making that next jump. DJ is the starting point.”

Asked after the Senior Day win about his goals next year, Rodman said, “To make the NCAA Tournament,” then nodded toward Gueye.

“I think we will if we keep the same guys, if he doesn’t go to the NBA, which is selfish for me to say,” Rodman said. “But I’ll be happy for him if he goes.”

‘We’re catching our footing’

The Cougars may have momentum heading into the final stretch of the season. They beat Washington 56-51 in a defensive game Feb. 11, then used hot shooting to rout Oregon State 80-62 before outlasting Oregon 68-65.

“I feel like we’ve got a good shot at winning out and making that last push, at minimum, to the NIT,” Rodman said Tuesday during WSU’s weekly coach’s show.

WSU faces two of the Pac-12’s three bottom teams this week. Stanford (11-16, 5-11) opened as a one-point favorite against the Cougars, who held on for a 60-59 win over the Cardinal in the teams’ first meeting Jan. 14 in Pullman. WSU played that game without Bamba.

“The middle of the league is really balanced,” Smith said. “Stanford’s got some really good talent. They’re well-coached. They won five in a row after they nearly beat us.

“We have to find a way to play better on the road than we did at home. We won by one and we were very fortunate. They’re going to be better on their home floor. We didn’t have Bamba, and that’ll help us significantly, just another strong body.”

The Cardinal lost their first seven Pac-12 games but have been competitive since. They stunned No. 4 Arizona in Stanford on Feb. 11 before close losses last week to UCLA and USC.

Defending the 3-point line has been a problem for the Cardinal, who sit last in the conference in 3-point percentage defense (35.5%). The Cougars attempt more 3s than any Pac-12 team.

WSU meets last-place Cal in Berkeley at 2 p.m. Saturday.

The Golden Bears (3-24, 2-14) have lost 11 games in a row. The skid began on Jan. 11, when the Cougars breezed past Cal 66-51 in Pullman.

“Our focus is trying to get right on Thursday and to play better on the road,” Smith said. “You gotta play well to win on the road, and we have not.”

The Cougars are 1-8 in true road games this season – their only road win came against then-No. 5 Arizona.

But Smith said WSU seems to be clicking at the right time and playing its most complete ball of the year.

“I feel like we’re catching our footing,” Rodman added.

“I feel like we can make a big run with the team we have right now because we really have something special.”

Injury update

Center Adrame Diongue, the primary backup to Gueye, missed the past two games with a hand injury and is questionable to return for this week’s games.

“It’s day-to-day,” Smith said of Diongue’s status. “Hands are so sensitive and especially with being able to block shots and grab rebounds – that’s a big part of his game. … Playing one-handed would be tricky.”

A 7-footer from Senegal, Diongue is averaging 6.4 minutes in 21 games this season. The defensive/rebounding specialist has recorded 40 boards and is second on the team with 12 blocks.

If Diongue is unavailable, the Cougars will ask Jack Wilson to provide short stretches of relief for Gueye. Wilson, the former offensive lineman for WSU’s football team, averages 2.1 minutes per game.

“Jack has done a good job, especially against the bigger, bulkier teams,” Smith said of the 6-11, 325-pounder. “If we needed him, I felt comfortable that we could have played him more (than 1 minute) against Oregon.”

Bamba is still playing through a hand injury, which kept him sidelined for three games last month. Since returning to the lineup, Bamba is averaging 13.25 points per game and shooting 35% from the field.

“He’ll tell you not at all, but I imagine (the hand is affecting his offense),” Smith said. “I want him to stay in that mindset. No one’s betting on himself more than TJ Bamba. … He’s not an excuse-maker. He’s not gonna give himself an out.”

Bamba has come up with clutch baskets and is also a strong perimeter defender.

“He was shooting the ball so well earlier this season and the whole summer. It’s still in there,” Smith said. “He didn’t shoot it well in the last game, but he still made a huge layup, and he’s been a tremendous defender.”