ASU Basketball: 2019 Pac-12 Week 12 Power Rankings
By Trevor Booth
11. Washington State Cougars (8-10, 1-4 Pac-12) LW: 11
If anything, coach Ernie Kent can rest assured his team isn’t the last winless squad in the Pac-12.
Thursday’s 82-59 triumph over California was the Cougars’ first victory since Dec. 19, and it came in prolific fashion. Senior forward Robert Franks was one of five players to reach double figures, tallying 24 points and eight rebounds in his first game back from a hip injury.
Typically on the defensive, Wazzu controlled the contest from the tip. A 9-point halftime lead ballooned to 26 in the closing minutes, as the Cougars shot a season high of 53.6 percent from the field while holding the Bears to 39.6 percent.
Viewed as a performance to build on, Saturday’s loss to Stanford made it seem like a flash in the pan. Even without leading scorer KZ Okpala, the Cardinal reverted the Cougars to irregularity, as Kent’s team lost an early eight-point advantage in an eventual 78-66 defeat.
There, the Cougars’ defense again became their Achilles heel. The Cardinal made 30 of their 54 shot attempts (55.6 percent), spreading the wealth with five players in double figures.
Without opportunities in the open floor, the Cougars couldn’t spark a comeback. Franks and CJ Elleby combined for 30 points, but did so on 12-of-35 (34.3 percent) shooting. Thanks to an assist-to-turnover ratio of .71, WSU couldn’t operate with Thursday’s efficiency.
To negate a program overhaul, the Cougars will need more than two victories over Cal. Kent hasn’t topped 13 wins in his five seasons at Pullman, and another unsuccessful campaign might add sufficient warmth to his hot seat.
One week after its first conference homestand, Washington State will hit the road again, facing Oregon State tomorrow and Oregon on Sunday.