‘They checked all my boxes’: Why new WSU transfer Simon Hildebrandt committed to the Cougars

PULLMAN – Simon Hildebrandt was at the Black Cypress when his life’s trajectory changed. It was Saturday evening, and the High Point transfer was on a visit to Washington State, whose coaches had taken him to one of Pullman’s finer dining establishments.

Before Hildebrandt arrived alongside head coach David Riley, assistant Pedro Garcia Rosado and others, Hildebrandt had called the most important people in his life to discuss potentially transferring to WSU, including his parents, his agent. Earlier Saturday, on this one-day visit, Hildebrandt received a tour of Beasley Coliseum and the Cougars’ practice facilities, let WSU coaches regale him with potential future professional opportunities and connections.

“They checked all my boxes,” Hildebrandt said.

So during dinner at the steakhouse, feeling good about the rapport they had all established, Rosado asked Hildebrandt a question: “Are we celebrating anything tonight?”

“And I was like, I think we are,” Hildebrandt replied.

With that, Hildebrandt committed to WSU. He announced his decision Sunday afternoon, becoming the Cougs’ third commitment this spring, joining Morehead State guard Jerone Morton and Boise State wing Emmanuel Ugbo. Listed at 6-foot-9 and 238 pounds, Hildebrandt will spend his final year of eligibility at Washington State.

A Canadian national, Hildebrandt started his career with two years at hometown University of Manitoba, where he averaged 16.8 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.7 assists on 44% shooting, including a 36% mark from distance. He parlayed that two-year stint into a one-year tenure at High Point, where he averaged 5.5 points and three rebounds in 13 minutes per game for the Panthers, who turned their first Big West title into their first NCAA Tournament this spring.

Hildebrandt’s numbers might not show it – last season, he connected on about 34% of his 3-point attempts, about two per game – but he’s a willing shooter. Pair that with his size and he seems to become a natural fit in Riley’s system, which prioritizes pace and space, letting players read and react instead of relying on set plays every trip down the court.

In that way, Hildebrandt understands the way his stats might look, the way they might seem underwhelming at first. But those are partially a product of circumstances, he said.

“I think people might look at my numbers and be like, oh, whatever,” Hildebrandt told The Spokesman-Review. “But I think I was playing a little bit out of position last year. We were also just unbelievably deep last year, my team at High Point. We had about 12, 13, guys that could have been starters on any other team.”

Hildebrandt fashions himself a stretch four, he said, a power forward whose shooting savvy allows him to play on the perimeter as well. That’s the archetype Riley had in his two starting big men last season, outgoing senior forwards Ethan Price and Dane Erikstrup, so Hildebrandt seems to fit that mold.

He’s shown that on several different stages. Last summer, Hildebrandt played for the Winnipeg Sea Bears of the Canadian Elite Basketball League, a professional organization whose best players included former NBA draft picks and G-League players: 2019 draft pick Justin Wright-Foreman, current two-way NBA player Tazé Moore, G-Leaguer Teddy Allen and more.

The CEBL pays players but, like other collegiate players in the league, Hildebrandt was on a developmental contract, allowing Hildebrandt to maintain his American college basketball eligibility. More importantly, it showed Hildebrandt what it took to succeed around pros, and he took advantage in one game, hitting five triples for 19 points plus seven rebounds in a win over the Saskatchewan Rattlers.

It’s those types of performances that help establish what Riley and WSU coaches saw in Hildebrandt, who was also named a two-time Canada West First Team All-Star recipient and named to the All-Canadian team in 2022-23: His multidimensional offensive game makes him a threat, and his size makes him a plus defender, which the Cougars struggled with last year, especially on in rebounding department.

WSU does return former Cal transfer ND Okafor, a rim protector and a key cog in the Cougars’ defense. They also return guard Tomas Thrastarson, plus the transfer of Ugbo, whose best attributes his athleticism. If Hildebrandt can stay in front of his man on defense and hit the glass, that group could help WSU turn a glaring weakness into a strength next season.

“I’m pretty versatile,” Hildebrandt said. “I’m a bigger guy. I can shoot the ball. I can attack closeouts and defend on the perimeter. I can take mismatches down low.

“Being familiar with stuff that Washington State and coach Riley run, just watching all the film of anybody in that kind of role last year, I think I just fit him perfectly with that. I’m a bigger guy. I can really shoot the ball. I can put it on the floor. I can attack mismatches. I think that was the biggest part that led me to Washington State.”