Tag: Washington State basketball

Pac-12 basketball report: Washington State’s win over Arizona is seismic on many levels

Can you believe it? Washington State just swept Arizona and could potentially win the Pac-12 championship.

The Washington State Cougars not only won in Arizona on Thursday night in Tucson. They won in Tucson for the second straight season. Washington State not only won in Arizona. It swept the season series, having beaten the Wildcats earlier in Pullman. The last true Pac-12 basketball race is in the hands of the Washington State Cougars. Imagine thinking that before the season began, or even at the start of 2024 after a nonconference season in which the Cougars did nothing particularly special.

There’s a lot to unpack from Thursday’s huge result, both in the Pac-12 and on a national level:

Pac-12 men’s basketball report: Arizona beats Utah in wild triple-OT drama

A lot happened in the Pac-12 on Thursday, with Arizona and Washington State scoring big wins. We have details.

The Arizona Wildcats led the Utah Utes 41-25 at halftime of Thursday night’s game in Salt Lake City. It seemed that the night would be short and the drama would be nonexistent. How wrong those assumptions turned out to be in the world of Pac-12 basketball.

Arizona stumbled through an ugly second half, Utah made a big surge, and a late 3-pointer by Gabe Madsen enabled the homestanding Utes to tie the score at 76, sending the crowd into a frenzy and the game into overtime. It would take three overtime periods for Arizona to finally put away Utah. Arizona led for most of the second overtime and dominated the third overtime period to finally put the game away, 105-99. Utah, though, had a good chance to win late in the first overtime, leading 82-80 with 42 seconds left and having a free throw for a chance to push its lead to three. However, Utah missed the foul shot. Arizona’s Caleb Love tied the game at 82. Then Utah had a chance to win in the final seconds of the first OT period, but the Utes turned the ball over. The two teams scored nine points each in the second overtime sequence. Arizona then scored 14 points in the third overtime to pull away.

We have some notes on the Pac-12 bubble and the NCAA Tournament forecast for the league, plus other scores and takeaways from Thursday night in the conference:

Pac-12 men’s basketball report: Washington State becomes the top bubble team in the league

Washington State has moved ahead of Colorado and Oregon on the Pac-12 bubble.

The Pac-12 basketball season has unfolded in ways no one anticipated. Remember: USC and UCLA were both picked to finish in the top three of the standings and be solid, comfortable NCAA Tournament teams. The Trojans and Bruins will finish nowhere near those standards. It has been an upside-down year in most of the conference. Arizona is the leader, but even then, the Wildcats aren’t nearly as good as most people expected them to be. If you want to find the most pleasant surprise in the Pac-12 this season, you have two choices: Washington State and Utah.

Both teams won on Saturday to improve their March prospects. Utah is solidifying its place in the NCAA Tournament. You have known that for some time. The newer — and more surprising, and more potent — story in Pac-12 men’s hoops is that Washington State could realistically make the NCAA Tournament.

The Cougars are far from a lock. They’re very much on the middle of the bubble. However, it’s all going in the right direction at the moment for Wazzu and head coach Kyle Smith. Already owning wins over Arizona, Utah, and Colorado, the Cougars — who are in perilous bubble position because of their dreary nonconference resume — took another step closer to March Madness by winning in Seattle against the Washington Huskies. Beating Washington might not be a high-end win, but it’s a conference road win. The selection committee loves to see those at any point in time and at any place on a ledger sheet. Washington State is almost certainly the top “pure” bubble team in the Pac-12. In other words, of the Pac-12 teams whose March fates are uncertain, Wazzu has the best chance of getting in, one month before Selection Sunday.

Wazzu should be higher on the bubble than Colorado, which lost a crucial game at Utah on Saturday. Wazzu is definitely higher than Oregon, which stumbled at UCLA on Saturday. Colorado and Oregon took big bubble tumbles, while WSU is remaining steady. Colorado has a win over Miami and not a whole lot else. Oregon has a win at Washington State but has lost to Arizona, Colorado, and Utah, three teams Wazzu has beaten.

Imagine a March Madness bracket in which Utah and Wazzu are two of the three Pac-12 teams in the field of 68. Ridiculous, right? That would have been the consensus before the season began. Now? It’s a real possibility.

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Pac-12 men’s basketball report: Colorado gets vital win vs Oregon, Wazzu makes its move

Colorado badly needed to beat Oregon on Thursday, and it did. The Ducks lost their first Pac-12 game of 2024.

The Colorado Buffaloes, having lost to Cal and Arizona State earlier this month, badly needed to beat the Oregon Ducks on Thursday night and improve their resume. They did just that in an important win for a team which is on the NCAA Tournament bubble.

Buffaloes Wire has more:

“Cody Williams likely won’t be playing college basketball much longer, so Colorado fans better appreciate whatever time he has left in Boulder.

“Going up against Oregon on Thursday night, the freshman phenom produced arguably the best performance of his young career, dropping a season-best 23 points on 10-of-13 shooting. Williams, along with KJ Simpson and his 22 points, was key as the Buffs knocked off the visiting Ducks, 86-70.

“’All his (Williams) shots tonight were great shots,’ CU head coach Tad Boyle said. ‘I think people are starting to play him as a driver a little bit because he’s a good driver. Obviously, we want him to drive the ball and be aggressive.’”

Oregon lost its first Pac-12 game of the season, giving Arizona a better chance to move into first place later in the season.

The other really important Pac-12 result from Thursday was Washington State’s road win at Stanford. The Cougars are playing their way onto the bubble under head coach Kyle Smith. WSU has to be taken seriously as an NCAA Tournament candidate now.

Two other results from Thursday in the Pac-12: Washington beat Cal in Berkeley on a jump shot in the final five seconds. Utah hammered Oregon State in Salt Lake City.

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One specific detail to remember about D.J. Rodman, the newest USC Trojan

It is worth remembering what D.J. Rodman did when he faced #USC last season as a Washington State Cougar.

As you know by now, D.J. Rodman, the son of Basketball Hall of Famer Dennis Rodman, revealed his intention to transfer to USC for his fifth and final season of college basketball. He made the announcement on social media.

“All these ups and downs, lefts and rights led me to Fight On,” he said on Instagram.

D.J Rodman averaged 9.6 points and 5.8 rebounds per game for Washington State last season while shooting 38.1% beyond the arc in 31.5 minutes per game. It was his fourth season in the WSU program and his first as a full-time starter.

USC is adding D.J. Rodman to a lineup which has five-star guards Isaiah Collier and Bronny James. The Trojans have an absolutely loaded team.

With leading scorer and possible (2024) NBA first-round pick Boogie Ellis coming back for one more year, USC has significantly upgraded its roster. The Trojans also have starter Kobe Johnson and regular rotational big man Josh Morgan coming back from a team that finished 22-11 with a berth in the NCAA Tournament. These pieces, added together, are substantial, giving 11th-year coach Andy Enfield the core roster he needs to compete for a Pac-12 title and a Final Four berth next season.

As you keep all of these details in mind, it’s worth noting one more detail about Rodman himself: He scored 16 points versus USC on January 1 when he was with Washington State last season. Washington State had success shooting 3-pointers against USC. The Cougars spaced the floor and were not an easy matchup for USC’s defense. Rodman now brings his floor-spacing ability to USC’s offense, all while bringing toughness and rebounding ability on defense. He really is a superb addition to a roster which needed someone with his precise skill set.

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Washington State, a No. 7 seed, beats UCLA to win historic Pac-12 Tournament

Wazzu is the lowest-seeded #Pac12 WBB Tournament champion ever. It’s the WBB program’s first-ever Pac-12 title.

The 2023 Pac-12 Women’s Basketball Tournament made history on many different levels. So did the school which won the event.

Washington State beat UCLA, 65-61, on Sunday in Las Vegas to win the Pac-12 Tournament championship. It goes without saying that a conference tournament championship is special for the school, the coaches, the players, the fans, everyone associated with a university and the team which represents it in public.

Yet, this particular champion and this particular Pac-12 Tournament were remarkably historic and special.

Would you believe this was Washington State women’s basketball’s first-ever Pac-12 championship? It is.

Would you believe this was Washington State’s first Pac-12 championship of any kind in any sport since 2002? Yes it is.

Would you believe this was Washington State’s first Pac-12 Tournament title since the Pac-10 created the modern men’s and women’s basketball tournaments in 2002? (There was a four-year run for the men’s tournament from 1987 through 1990, preceding 2002.)

Yep. This is the first Pac-12 Basketball Tournament title for either the men or women at Wazzu.

It’s a remarkable moment for Washington State fans. Congratulations to them.

This tournament was historic for the Pac-12, beyond what Washington State specifically achieved.

Seventh-seeded Washington State versus fifth-seeded UCLA marked the first time the Pac-12 Tournament women’s final lacked a top-four seed. It was the first time both teams won three games to make the final. It was the first time the No. 7 seed won it all. Wazzu is the lowest seed to ever win the tournament.

Washington State winning a wide-open Pac-12 Tournament — beating UCLA, third-seeded Colorado, and second-seeded Utah along the way — is a remarkable achievement which speaks to the depth in Pac-12 women’s basketball. This league, including USC, gets to show what it can do at the NCAA Tournament in a week and a half.

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Washington State shocks Utah in Pac-12 Tournament quarterfinals

WSU, the No. 7 seed, beats Utah, the 2 seed and co- #Pac12 champ. Utah likely won’t get a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tourney.

The Pac-12 Women’s Basketball Tournament has been competitive from top to bottom and from start to finish, but it hasn’t been an event in which top seeds have all escaped.

USC lost as a higher seed on Wednesday in the first round. On Thursday in the quarterfinals, a much bigger Pac-12 powerhouse was taken down.

Second-seeded Utah, the co-champion of the conference along with top-seeded Stanford, was knocked out of Las Vegas by seventh-seeded Washington State. The Cougars put an end to any lingering bubble talk by smothering the Utes, 66-58.

This was a defensive clinic by Washington State. USC and Lindsay Gottlieb probably admired the performance, because it’s something USC has delivered many times this season.

Wazzu swarmed the likely Pac-12 Player of the Year, former Trojan Alissa Pili, in this upset win. The Cougars limited Pili to 3-of-14 shooting for just 11 points. Utah’s starting five went 11 of 40 from the field, under 30 percent. Utah starters finished 4 of 19 from 3-point range, barely more than 20 percent.

There will be no third meeting between co-champions Stanford and Utah in Sunday’s Pac-12 Tournament final. This result very likely will prevent Utah from getting a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Stanford — which plays UCLA in Friday’s semifinals — will probably get a No. 1 seed if it can win the Pac-12 Tournament … and it won’t have to go through Utah.

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USC’s main key against Washington State could not be more obvious

Last February, Washington State made 15 3s vs #USC. On New Year’s Day? 14 3s. WSU is 29 of 60 on 3s in its last two games vs #USC. Any questions, folks?

Sometimes, sports are not very complicated and analysis is not akin to nuclear physics. Sometimes, the equation of a competition is achingly simple. Such is the case when the USC men’s basketball team hosts Washington State on Thursday night in the Galen Center.

Washington State made 15 of 31 3-point shots last February and nearly upset the Trojans, who were saved by a Boogie Ellis buzzer-beating bucket.

On New Year’s Day, Washington State scored 81 points against USC’s defense, torching the Trojans with 14 3-pointers on 29 attempts.

Do the quick math: Washington State is 29 of 60 on 3-pointers in its last two games against USC. Gee whiz, what could possibly be USC’s foremost key to victory against WSU on Thursday night?

No guesswork is needed here. No one has to search for complicated answers.

Washington State’s Justin Powell and Jabe Mullins both hit four 3-pointers on January 1 against USC. D.J. Rodman hit three triples and Andrej Jakimovski hit two. In addition to making all of those 3-point shots, the four main gunners for Wazzu all hit at least 50 percent of their 3-point shots.

One thing which is obviously different for USC today, compared to January 1, is that Vince Iwuchukwu is in the lineup, playing almost 20 minutes per game (17 versus UCLA). When he is on the floor as a rim protector, one would think — and hope — that USC can be much more aggressive at going over screens on the perimeter, aggressively playing the Cougars to deny them 3-point shots. If they want to drive to the rim, the Cougars will have to contend with Vince The Prince.

We will see how well USC can defend. A normally good defensive team under Andy Enfield has struggle with Wazzu’s 3-point-heavy offense. That’s your big game key on Thursday night in the Galen Center.

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Pac-12 women’s basketball report: 8 teams likely to go to NCAA Tournament

Washington State’s road wins at Arizona and Arizona State put the Cougars inside the cut line. Meanwhile, it’s a Stanford-Utah battle for the Pac-12 title.

The USC Trojans are doing really well. They’re winning lots of games. They have a 16-5 record.

They must be situated in an easy conference, right? They’re taking advantage of weak opponents, right?

Nothing could be further from the truth.

In men’s college basketball, the Big 12 has a good chance of putting eight of its 10 teams in the 2023 NCAA Tournament. That’s the gold standard among conferences. The Big Ten might get nine, but that’s out of 14 teams, not 10. The Big 12 could put 80 percent of its teams into the field. That’s crazy.

In women’s college basketball, the Pac-12 is poised to put two-thirds of its 12 teams into the field. Yes, eight teams are now likely to make the Big Dance with USC in the process of solidifying a bid (not a lock, but now really close) and Washington State significantly improving its bubble resume. The Cougars were near the cut line heading into the weekend, but they won at Arizona State and then beat No. 19 Arizona in Tucson. Wazzu got star player Charlisse Leger-Walker back in its lineup after she missed the USC and UCLA games due to having to tend to a private family matter in her native New Zealand. Leger-Walker was fresh and rested for the Arizona game. She helped the Cougars upset the Wildcats, exactly the kind of win WSU needed to feel much safer about making the NCAA Tournament.

Eight teams is a huge haul for the Pac-12, reminding everyone that whereas football and men’s basketball are often a struggle for the Pac, women’s basketball has been delivering the goods for some time.

The other big news story of the weekend in Pac-12 women’s basketball is that with USC beating Colorado, the Buffaloes absorbed their third conference loss of the season, pushing them one game behind Utah for second place in the conference.

Stanford leads at 9-1 after sweeping the Oregon schools. Utah is second at 8-2 after sweeping USC and UCLA. Colorado is third at 7-3. UCLA got swept on its Mountain road trip to Colorado and Utah. Arizona lost to Washington State, meaning that the Wildcats and Bruins are 6-4, further removed from the top tier. This is now a three-team race at the most. Realistically, it’s now a two-team battle between Utah and Stanford.

Colorado isn’t out of the race, but the Buffs now have zero margin for error, and they have lots of tough games left: at Oregon, at Arizona, home against Stanford. This weekend separated the top two from the rest of the field, even while the Pac-12 likely increased its NCAA Tournament bid count.

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A late missed Arizona dunk led to a Washington State backdoor cover in one of the season’s worst beats

Here’s how a missed open dunk may have cost bettors money.

Remember last week when I wrote about how an unnecessary UC Riverside buzzer-beater was a lock for the worst beat of this 2022-23 college basketball season? Well, it may have some new competition.

Thursday night’s Pac-12 matchup between the No. 5 Arizona Wildcats and Washinton State Cougars was going about as expected — the Wildcats were cruising to a comfortable win, and the overmatched Cougars were failing to cover the spread. But just as Zona, up by eight points with under seven seconds remaining, appeared seconds away from covering the spread (-5.5) and landing bettors some extra money, this happened:

A routine, uncontested dunk could’ve sent Arizona back to Tucson with a 10-point road victory. But nope — the basketball higher-ups had other plans.

Hey, maybe you were one of the Wazzu backers that had them covering this one. Congrats to y’all! But I can’t begin to imagine what type of pain the Arizona -5.5 bettors had to have felt while watching this play out in real-time.

Just brutal.

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