WASHINGTON STATE OFFICIAL ATHLETIC SITE

Men's Basketball Blog

Questions or comments? Please direct them to Jessica Schmick, Assistant Director, Athletic Media Relations, Washington State University Department of Intercollegiate Athletics, at jessica_schmick@wsu.edu.

Tuesday, July 7 (5:30 p.m.)

Klay Thompson and DeAngelo Casto (Photo: Steven Maikoski/USA Basketball)

A few things for everyone today. First off, there have been plenty of updates regarding the U19 World Championships and the World University Games. All of those are available on the men's basketball front page HERE.

I got a note from the media relations contact at USA Basketball regarding the quarterfinals, semifinals and championships game television coverage at the U19 World Championship. He was told by the FIBA TV representative that there will be production of the four quarterfinal games, two semifinal games and the bronze medal and gold medal games. However, as FIBA was unable to secure a broadcast partner in the U.S. for the championships, it is planned that all of the above U.S. games (if they continue to win and move on) will be streamed and available live on www.fibatv.com. There is a small fee to view the games.

The FIBA website has a few photos of some of the WSU players on the website. A few photos of Brock Motum can be seen HERE, HERE and HERE. I was also able to find one of DeAngelo Casto HERE. I couldn't find any photos of Klay Thompson as of yet.

Also, former Coug Kyle Weaver opened up the Orlando Summer League against the Magic last night. The Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Orlando Magic, 88-77, while Weaver had three points, an assist and two rebounds. You can view the boxscore HERE. Fellow former Pac-10 players Russell Westbrook (UCLA) and James Harden (Arizona State) led the team with 22 and 17 points, respectively.

That does it for today. Brock Motum and Australia play at 10 p.m. tonight, while Casto, Thompson and the USA play at 12:30 a.m. Australia takes on Croatia in a battle of undefeateds.

Keep it crimson,
Jessica Schmick

Sunday, July 5 (7:50 p.m.)

Just a quick update on the U19 World Championship in Auckland, New Zealand. Brock Motum and the Australian squad will take the court against Kazakhstan Monday at 5 p.m. NZDT (Sunday night at 10 p.m. PDT). DeAngelo Casto, Klay Thompson and USA take on Greece at 7:30 p.m. Monday NZDT (Monday morning at 12:30 a.m. PDT). Look for a complete recap of both games Monday morning at wsucougars.com.

Keep it crimson,
Jessica Schmick

Friday, July 3 (10:45 a.m.)

Good Morning!

Before DeAngelo, Klay and Brock hit the court today at the U19 World Championship, we'll conclude with the Q&A's with the 2009-10 men's basketball staff! First off, be sure to check out the recap from Nikola's game against Greece in the World University Games HERE. With a new men's basketball staff on campus, the Crimson ZZU is running a week-long feature of Q&As with the coordinator of basketball operations (Tim Marrion), director of basketball operations (Jared Barrett) and three assistant coaches (Curtis Allen, Jeff Hironaka and Ben Johnson). Monday we featured Tim Marrion, Tuesday Jared Barrett, Wednesday Curtis Allen, Thursday Jeff Hironaka and today we conclude the week with Ben Johnson.

Ben Johnson

Q&A with Ben Johnson, Assistant Coach
Ben Johnson enters his sixth season as an assistant coach, recruiter and on the floor coach at Washington State University in 2009-10 and his first under head coach Ken Bone. In his first five seasons, Johnson helped lead the Cougars to three-consecutive postseason appearances (two NCAA, one NIT), the second such occurrence in school history. Johnson joined the WSU coaching staff in 2004 under then-head coach Dick Bennett. He coached under the elder Bennett for two seasons before Tony Bennett took over prior to the 2006-07 season. Johnson was a teammate of Tony Bennett's at Wisconsin-Green Bay for four seasons (1989-92). While at UW-Green Bay, Johnson, a two-year captain, helped lead the Phoenix to one NCAA Tournament and two NIT appearances. During his collegiate career, Johnson was coached by Dick Bennett. Johnson, a native of Stevens Point, Wis., is married to Nicky, a former WNBL player in Townsville, Australia. They have a daughter, Samira, born in January 2009.

1. Q: What made you decide to stay at WSU?
A: I think it was two things. One, I really believe in the players that we have in this program and I really believe that they're the kind of character people that we've recruited here before. I just believe that they will continue on with what started, they are those types of kids. And secondly I chose to stay here after Coach Bone was hired and I had the opportunity to meet with him. I was just thoroughly impressed with him as a person. Those two reasons are why I'm still here.

2. Q: What are the biggest changes Cougar fans will see in the team from the former coaching staff to the new coaching staff?
A: I don't think you're going to see a drastic change, to be honest with you. I think you're going to see a team that will continue to play together and have some of the same values. I think offensively you may see us play a little quicker in transition. Defensively I think you may see maybe more multiple defenses, meaning a mixture of some man and zone defenses.

3. Q: What made you decide to become a coach?
A: I think like most people when I was in college, I was a little uncertain about what I wanted to do. But I had a great experience coaching in Australia, just starting with really young kids and doing weekend clinics with them and that led me to my next thing and then that told me that I was meant to be a coach. So, my experience in Australia coaching at the junior level and teaching Saturday morning basketball put the thought in my head that I was meant to do this.

4. Q: What do you look for in young men/players that you try to recruit to Washington State?
A: I think I look for someone who's got great work ethic, good character as a person; someone who does things passionately. Then I think there's obviously a skill component, an athletic and skill component that they have to have.

5. Q: What is your favorite thing about being a coach?
A: Working with the kids.

Ben Johnson at basketball camp.

6. Q: What are your expectations for next season with such a young, but semi-experienced team?
A: I know we lost a lot of experience. But my expectations are that we're good, or as I like to say, sneaky good. I Hope that as a new coaching staff we can coach these guys up and play better basketball than maybe we think or other people think we can play.

7. Q: What was it like being a student-athlete yourself and how does that carry over to being a coach?
A: I just think the best thing about that is that when relating or talking to these young people, you just draw on your own experiences, what it was like for you as a student-athlete just in terms of balancing the schedule and the work and time demands.

8. Q: Is there a player on the team whose style reflects yours when you played?
A: I guess maybe, I was pretty much a blue collar player. Probably a player for the past, Caleb Forrest, you know, get the most out of your abilities, and maybe a DeAngelo Casto. I'm far less athletic than DeAngelo is, I was not a tremendous athlete, but I think I played the game with passion and high energy and he certainly plays that way.

9. Q: What do you enjoy doing in your down time, if any?
A: I just enjoy spending time with my family, my wife and my daughter. Whether we have a barbeque or a cookout or just go for a walk. Just simple things, nothing big. Pullman's a place where you make your own fun.

10. Q: Do you have a favorite city to travel to for games/go recruiting?
A: I like traveling to L.A. I don't know if I could live there, but I really enjoying visiting L.A. I like recruiting in L.A. because there's just so much talent there that you see a lot and it's a different style of basketball, it's very entertaining. So I enjoy that, I enjoy my recruiting trips to L.A.

Be sure to check back at wsucougars.com for more on the U19 World Championship in New Zealand and the World University Games in Serbia.

Keep it crimson,
Jessica Schmick

Thursday, July 2 (4:25 p.m.)

Good Afternoon!

Wow, there's a lot going on today, especially for a college basketball program in the middle of the summer. I'm starting to feel like I'm filling up the media's inboxes and hogging the front page of wsucougars.com. First off, if you didn't hear, Steven Bjornstad was signed to a Financial Aid Agreement today and will play basketball here at WSU beginning in the fall. Bjornstad originally signed with Nevada but was granted his release from the program in the spring. To read the release and hear what Coach Bone has to say about the young man, click HERE.

Nikola Koprivica's Serbian team defeated Greece today in the World University Games in Belgrade Serbia, where the team is playing just about five miles from Nikola's house. I'm having trouble finding stats for the game or an actual final score, but according to Nikola's teammates the score was 81-50 and Nikola had six points in 15 minutes. Hopefully I will have more on that game later today on wsucougars.com. I do have a few quotes from Nikola on the team's performance, his performance and the upcoming game with Australia.

Klay Thompson and DeAngelo Casto are in the middle of their game against France at the U19 World Championship in Auckland, New Zealand. Yesterday USA defeated Iran, 106-55. To read more about the game, you can go HERE. At halftime the score of today's game was 35-20, as DeAngelo had four points and Klay had two.

Incoming freshman Brock Motum had a strong performance for the Australian U19 team in Auckland yesterday. The 6-foot-9 forward scored 22 points and grabbed eight rebounds as Australia defeated Canada, 88-77. To read more about it, click HERE. Brock's team takes the court again tonight at 10 p.m. PDT against Spain.

The NBA Summer League rosters have been announced throughout the week. Both Aron Baynes and Taylor Rochestie will be playing for the 2009 NBA Champion Lakers. I had the chance to speak with Taylor today, you can read what he had to say about it HERE. The duo will start practices Monday in L.A. Kyle Weaver will also be playing in the Summer League for his team, the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Now we'll continue with day four of the Q&A's with the 2009-10 men's basketball staff! With a new men's basketball staff on campus, the Crimson ZZU is running a week-long feature of Q&As with the coordinator of basketball operations (Tim Marrion), director of basketball operations (Jared Barrett) and three assistant coaches (Curtis Allen, Jeff Hironaka and Ben Johnson). Monday we featured Tim Marrion, Tuesday Jared Barrett, Wednesday Curtis Allen and today we have assistant coach Jeff Hironaka.

Jeff Hironaka

Q&A with Jeff Hironaka, Assistant Coach
Jeff Hironaka enters his first season with the Washington State University men's basketball team in 2009-10, joining head coach Ken Bone's first staff. No stranger to Bone's coaching philosophy, Hironaka spent the last seven years as the head coach at Seattle Pacific University after taking the reins from Bone prior to the 2002-03 season. During seven seasons in the head coaching post at SPU, Hironaka compiled a 134-67 record and directed the Falcons into each of the last five NCAA Division II Tournaments. A native of Weiser, Idaho, Hironaka lettered in basketball three seasons at Eastern Oregon, where he obtained his degree in secondary education in 1980.

1. Q: Having known Coach Bone for many years, what about his coaching philosophy do you think makes him a good coach?
A: His ability to utilize players' strengths both offensively and defensively. He gets the maximum out of them, particularly offensively he's able to put them in situations where they have lots of opportunities to score. His teams peak at the right time. They normally are peaking in February, March, which is when we want to be peaking, so he's been good at that.

2. Q: What made you decide to go from the head coach at Seattle Pacific to an assistant coach at Washington State?
A: It's hard to go backwards and be an assistant coach. But, since I worked with Coach Bone and philosophically we're very similar in what we believe in, it makes it an easier transition to go back to being an assistant coach. Obviously the opportunity to work in the Pac-10 and see if we can compete against the Montgomerys (Mike Montgomery at California), Howlands (Ben Howland at UCLA), and all the top coaches and programs in the Pac-10 is kind of a challenge I want to see if we can do.

3. Q: What do you like best about Pullman?
A: Pullman's a small town. I'm originally a small town kid, so Pullman's very similar to how I grew up. Everybody's friendly, everybody knows each other. There's not traffic, there's a lot of positives about it. The negatives are the same things, everybody knows you, so particularly here, if we're not winning games, they're going to know us. If you're winning games they're going to know you, so it's a double-edge sword. It's a nice community, everybody's friendly and that's kind of what you like. It's not the big city where half the people you don't know.

4. Q: What has the transition from the city to a small town been?
A: Even though I lived in Seattle I hardly ever went downtown. I stayed in my little section of town. I went to the same grocery store, I didn't do anything differently than I'm doing here.

Jeff Hironaka at basketball camp.

5. Q: How important are your ties to the Northwest and more importantly Western Washington to recruiting here at WSU?
A: I think it's important, obviously. That's the strength of Coach Bone and myself, we're Northwest guys, or Seattle guys. I think we've developed enough ties there to hopefully get three or four kids to come from the west side to the east side. Gonzaga's been able to do it and I think we need to be able to do the same. We need to see if we can steal a few from the Huskies.

6. Q: What made you decide to get into coaching?
A: That's all I've known, other than farming, basketball is all I've ever known. It was actually my love for the game as a youngster that got me going. When I got to college I wasn't good enough. When you're not good enough, you kind of look at other alternatives to see if you want to stay in the game. If you couldn't play anymore, obviously coaching was the next best options, so that was the option I chose.

7. Q: What do you like best about being a coach?
A: You're going to laugh, but I like the stress. I like the stress of having to know that we've got to win and we've got to do well and the kids have got to play well. For whatever reason, it's stupid, but I like the stress of the challenge of being successful.

8. Q: What are your initial thoughts on the team for next year?
A: Next year's team is young and inexperienced. They're going to have to mature quickly for us to have success. They're going to have to buy into what Coach Bone wants and they're going to really have to come together as a group because we're going to have our ups and downs because of lack of experience. But the pieces are there to be successful.

9. Q: What do you look for in a student-athlete when recruiting?
A: Myself personally I think character is huge. My philosophy at SPU was `I don't need the best players, I need the best team.' So to have the best team you need those guys that are high character that are willing to do what the coaching staff wants, willing to sacrifice parts of their game to make the team successful. That's hard to tell when you're watching them play because you're watching talent. But I do think talent is important, but it's not the most important component. I think having the best team is picking the right kids that will blend well together and not argue and be upset about playing time. That's kind of what you look for, those guys that are unselfish and high in character and integrity and have great values.

10. Q: Do you have a favorite city to go travel to play/recruit?
A: That we will travel to, probably Pauley Pavilion because of the mystic of Coach Wooden and having met him and talked to him and knowing the success he's had. I've tried to model myself after some of the things he told me were important. It will be fun to be in Pauley Pavilion for the first time as a coach, to go up against UCLA in Pauley Pavilion.

Tomorrow we'll have more from international basketball action, along with the final Q&A of the series, featuring assistant coach Ben Johnson.

Keep it crimson,
Jessica Schmick

Wednesday, July 1 (3:55 p.m.)

FIBA U19 World Championship Update - USA leads, 55-27 at halftime. DeAngelo Casto (wearing No. 13) is second on the team with eight points on 4-for-5 shooting. He added two rebounds and no turnovers in 9:52 of action in the first half. Klay Thompson (wearing No. 8) had three points, two rebounds and two assists (both to Casto) in the first half. He played a team second-most, 11:53. Both Cougars started the game, as Casto won the opening tip. LIVE STATS

Wednesday, July 1 (1:05 p.m.)

Happy July!

A few things to talk about before we move onto our Q&A with assistant coach Curtis Allen. Luke Winn from Sports Illustrated has an in depth conversation with Klay Thompson on SI.com. Also, WSU graduate Taylor Rochestie was named to the first annual All-Undrafted honorable mention team by All-undrafted.com and Steve Lavin, former UCLA head coach and current ABC/ESPN college basketball analyst, who led the selection process. The team features the best seniors in college basketball who were not drafted in Thursday's NBA Draft. Both stories can be read by clicking the links above.

Speaking of Rochestie, the NBA Summer League is set to kick of July 10 in Las Vegas. The rosters haven't been set yet, but rumor has it that at least two Cougs from the class of 2009 will be playing. We'll keep you updated here at the Crimson ZZU.

Now we'll continue with day three of the Q&A's with the 2009-10 men's basketball staff! With a new men's basketball staff on campus, the Crimson ZZU is running a week-long feature of Q&As with the coordinator of basketball operations (Tim Marrion), director of basketball operations (Jared Barrett) and three assistant coaches (Curtis Allen, Jeff Hironaka and Ben Johnson). Monday we featured Tim Marrion, Tuesday Jared Barrett, and today we continue with assistant coach Curtis Allen.

Curtis Allen

Q&A with Curtis Allen, Assistant Coach
No stranger to Coach Bone's coaching philosophy, Curtis Allen comes to WSU after serving as an assistant coach under Bone at Portland State the last four season. Prior to that, Bone served as an assistant coach during Allen's final two seasons as a member of the University of Washington basketball team. A native of Tacoma, Wash., Allen received a degree in general studies from UW in 2005. He and his wife Alissa have a son, Trey, born December of 2008.

1. Q: What made you want to follow Coach Bone to Washington State?
A: He's been successful everywhere he's been. He's a great coach and I've been lucky to coach with him the last four years, I've learned so much. I'm pretty sure that he'll be successful here as well.

2. Q: As a Husky, what is it like to become a Cougar?
A: It's been great. I've been taking some heat from some people, but it's been good. A lot of my old teammates at UW, they've been cool and have been giving me a hard time. But it's been good, my family likes it...There's no purple in my house.

3. Q: What is your favorite thing about WSU so far?
A: The community, the campus, everybody's been really nice and friendly. And the campus is just beautiful. I think this is an ideal place for a college kid to go to school.

4. Q: How is your family adjusting to the move?
A: Good, everybody's been so welcoming and friendly. My wife might struggle with the shopping a little bit, but it's been good for her. She likes it, it's slow paced and we have a young son and it's a great place to raise a kid and have a family. It's been good.

Curtis Allen at basketball camp.

5. Q: What is your favorite thing about being a basketball coach?
A: I get to work with 18-22 year olds on a daily basis and kind of help them on and off the court and in life, just kind of help turn boys into young men. So that's the fun part for me, just being able to be around the guys.

6. Q: What kind of players do you try to recruit to Washington State?
A: Guys with good character and good academics and guys that can hoop. That combination is what we like. Tony (Bennett) did a great job of bringing in good quality people and that makes it a lot of fun to do your job.

7. Q: How important are your ties to Western Washington going to be in recruiting here at WSU?
A: Huge. I think it's huge. Coach Bone's been over there forever, (assistant coach Jeff) Hironaka's been over there forever, I've been there most of my life, so we know a lot of people on the west side and hopefully that can help get us a couple of players. It's already helped with Reggie Moore, a kid from Rainier Beach, who's going to be a real good player for us. We'll be hitting the west side hard.

8. Q: Having seen the guys play a limited amount of time in the spring, what are your initial thoughts on the team?
A: I think we're young, but talented. I think we have a chance to be sneaky good, surprise some people and I think we have a chance to compete in the Pac-10, definitely.

9. Q: What was your favorite part about being a student-athlete yourself?
A: The camaraderie with your teammates and just developing relationships with them. Then just competing at the highest level, the conditioning, just everything that goes along with the ups and downs of a season with your teammates. That's what made it fun for me.

10. Q: Being so young, did you ever think you'd be where you are right now at this age?
A: I guess I never really thought about it. I was extremely lucky at age 23 when Coach Bone brought me down to Portland State, I was coaching guys that were 24 and 25. I was fortunate and I was lucky that Coach Bone threw me right into the fire. I was recruiting, I was scouting, I was doing everything that all the other guys were doing. That definitely helped me out early on. He didn't try to really baby me or anything like that. I think that's really helped me, and like I said, Coach Bone's a great coach and I got on with the right guy. Hopefully we can continue winning.

Klay, DeAngelo and Brock will each be hitting the hardwood tonight for the U19 World Championship in New Zealand. Nikola's Serbian World University Games team takes on Greece, Thursday at 11 a.m. PDT. We will have updates here after the games completions. Check back tomorrow for a Q&A with assistant coach Jeff Hironaka as well.

Keep it crimson,
Jessica Schmick

Wednesday, July 1 (12:25 p.m.)

Here are a few more links for you all. Here are two stories written by Mike DeCourcy of The Sporting News from the USA U19 Trials in Colorado Springs a few weeks ago. The FIRST ONE talks about Klay's play at the tryouts, while the SECOND ONE talks about the Cougs getting two guys on the team.

Also, if anyone's interested, FIBA.com offers live stats for all the U19 World Championship games. The official website and live stats can be found HERE.

Keep it crimson,
Jessica Schmick

Tuesday, June 30 (1:47 p.m.)

Welcome to day two of the Q&A's with the 2009-10 men's basketball staff! With a new men's basketball staff on campus, the Crimson ZZU is running a week-long feature of Q&As with the coordinator of basketball operations (Tim Marrion), director of basketball operations (Jared Barrett) and three assistant coaches (Curtis Allen, Jeff Hironaka and Ben Johnson). Yesterday we featured Tim Marrion and today we continue with Jared Barrett.

Jared Barrett

Q&A with Jared Barrett, Director of Basketball Operations
Jared Barrett brings eight years of experience as an NCAA Division I assistant coach to WSU as he enters his first season as director of basketball operations for the Cougars. Barrett spent the last two seasons as an assistant coach at Utah Valley and the previous six at Sacramento State serving in the same capacity. A native of Rexburg, Idaho, Barrett earned his bachelor's degree in physical education and health from Eastern Oregon in 1998, where he played basketball. Barrett and his wife, Aimee, have four children, Jordan, Ashley, Brady and Caeden.

1. Q: What made you decide to move from an assistant coaching position at Utah Valley to the director of basketball operations at WSU?
A: The opportunity to be in the Pac-10, definitely. Plus, I've known coach Bone for awhile because we both coached in the Big Sky and I know he's a really good coach and he's a successful coach. I like the way his teams play. I thought it would be a good opportunity to be able to learn a different style, a different type of play from Coach Bone.

2. Q: What is it about Coach Bone's coaching style that you think has made him a successful coach?
A: I think wherever he's been he's been able to adapt his style a little bit with different circumstances and different players he's able to recruit. I know when he was at Seattle Pacific they played a different style than his teams at Portland State. When he was at the University of Washington they got up and down and were quick and he did a lot of those similar things at Portland State. When I was at Sacramento State, we were similar in the fact that we liked to get up and down, pressure defense, in your face defense, convert turnovers, things like that; which is what I saw him do at Portland State.

3. Q: What made you want to get into basketball coaching?
A: Two things. First, I always wanted to have something to do with basketball. From the time I was a kid I hoped that in my career I'd be able to do something with basketball. The other thing is that I knew I wanted to work with kids. I didn't know what level or what age group, but I knew I wanted to be a mentor to kids.

Jared Barrett at basketball camp.

4. Q: What do you like best about working in college basketball?
A: Working with the players, definitely; the relationships you build with the players and the influence you're able to have on them. Interacting with them on a day-to-day basis, to me is a blast.

5. Q: What was it like being a student-athlete yourself and how does that carry over to being a coach?
A: People have asked me, `What's better, being a player or being a coach?' And just recently somebody asked me that and I hadn't thought about it for awhile. The best way I can probably answer that is if you asked me when I was a player, I would definitely say being a player. If you ask me when I'm a coach, it's definitely being a coach, especially when I'm coaching my kids. I'd much rather coach my kids and watch them play than play myself.

6. Q: What was it like convincing your family to move to Pullman?
A: Everybody individually in my family was different. As a whole, it was tough because I have kids that are going to be in high school and that are in high school so they didn't want to move. It took a little bit of time for them to come around to the idea of moving out here and not just moving away from their home and their friends, but moving to a smaller community. But they're looking forward to being a part of the Pac-10 and coming to the games and all our other sports too.

7. Q: What do you like best about Pullman so far?
A: Everybody here has been great, not just here on campus, but everywhere around town. Probably the best thing so far is coming to work every day because I work with an awesome group of guys.

8. Q: What is your initial impression of Washington State University?
A: Beautiful campus. I haven't been around it a lot on foot or in different buildings, but just driving around campus. It's a small, tight community atmosphere. Everybody here in Pullman is a Cougar fan, so that part of it has been really, really neat.

9. Q: If you weren't coaching basketball, what would you do?
A: Teach. I don't know if I would teach without coaching. Right after I got my degree in college, I went back for another year and got my teaching credential. So if I wasn't coaching college basketball, I would be teaching and coaching high school basketball. If I wasn't doing this right now, I'd probably be back in Utah coaching with my brother and running the boys' side of the basketball program he runs, while he runs the girls'.

10. Q: What is your favorite city to travel to for games/recruiting?
A: My favorite city that I've been to for the Final Four was New Orleans and second would be Indianapolis. New Orleans is number one because of the atmosphere that was there and the great food, I loved the food there. For recruiting and traveling, probably Southern California. It's probably my most hated as well, but there's so much to do down there. I love the beach, I love the water.

Tomorrow we'll continue the week of Q&A's with assistant coach Curtis Allen. Also look for updates on the U19 World Championship as DeAngelo Casto and Klay Thompson kick off action with the U.S. at 3 p.m. and Brock Motum takes the court with his Australian squad at 10 p.m. PDT Wednesday.

Keep it crimson,
Jessica Schmick

Monday, June 29 (4:05 p.m.)

Good afternoon!

Nikola Koprivica

This just in! I just got an email from Nikola Koprivica and he was named to the Serbian World University Games team today. I had a chance to talk to him about it following the team's exhibition game against Canada. You can read the release HERE.

Here's what Nikola had to say: "It's a pretty good feeling. It's not like last year when I played with guys my age, these guys are older than me. It's a big challenge for me especially coming back after the season and these guys were playing here, plus the coach is new and he didn't know me like he knew other guys. It's a huge challenge I took and I'm happy about it. I think I've done great and have given the best of myself and I'm making good progress."

It's officially summer and the weather on the Palouse has caught up to the time of year. We have a few things to talk about this week between international play and the new coaching staff. First off, DeAngelo Casto and Klay Thompson are now in Auckland, New Zealand, preparing for the U19 World Championship beginning July 2. USA Basketball has a photo gallery with all the team members on its website, which you can access HERE.There's also a recap from the team's scrimmage with Croatia on Sunday, June 28, which can be read HERE.

Also hard at work in preparation for the U19 World Championship is Brock Motum with his Australian squad. The Emus finished off the Four Nations Tournament which featured Australia, France, Greece and Spain Sunday. The Australians went 3-0 in the event as Motum was named to the tournament's All-Star Five and was the Four Nations Tournament Most Valuable Player. The 6-9 forward led his team with 20 points in its 85-83 win over France Friday, June 26. He followed that up with a double-double, 23 points and 10 rebounds in Australia's 96-74 defeat of Greece Saturday. In the final game of the tournament, Motum put up 18 points to lead the Emus in scoring for the third-consecutive game and added seven rebounds as Australia defeated Spain, 74-70. For more on the Australian U19 team and Brock Motum's performance this past weekend, visit the official site HERE.

Casto and Thompson's USA squad will open up the World Championship against Iran in Group B action, Thursday, July 2 at 10 a.m. NZDT, which in Pullman will be Wednesday, July 1 at 3 p.m. PDT. Motum and Australia take on Canada in Group C, Thursday July 2 at 5 p.m. NZDT (Wednesday, July 1 at 10 p.m. PDT). For a complete schedule of games, click HERE.

With a new men's basketball staff on campus, the Crimson ZZU is running a week-long feature of Q&As with the coordinator of basketball operations (Tim Marrion), director of basketball operations (Jared Barrett) and three assistant coaches (Curtis Allen, Jeff Hironaka and Ben Johnson). Today the Q&A with Tim Marrion kicks off the week-long series.

Tim Marrion

Q&A with Tim Marrion
No stranger to the area, Tim Marrion returns to Pullman as the coordinator of basketball operations after graduating from Washington State in 2006. While with the Cougars, Marrion served as a student manager for three seasons and majored in sport management. He spent the last three seasons as a member of the San Jose State men's basketball staff, serving as an administrative assistant in 2006-07, assistant coach 2007-08 and director of basketball operations in 2008-09. At age 22 at the time of his appointment, he was believed to be the youngest full-time assistant coach in Division I men's basketball for 2007-08.

1. Q: What made you decide to return to Washington State?
A: It was a great opportunity for me professionally to work with Coach Bone and the staff he assembled here, especially working in the Pac-10. I guess it's always been a dream of mine to come back and work in the Pac-10 ever since I decided that I wanted to be a coach.

2. Q: How does it feel to be back working at your alma mater?
A: It's weird, I never thought I'd be back here, but it's exciting. People are welcoming me with open arms. It's exciting to be back here.

3. Q: What did you like best about WSU as a student?
A: As a student I liked the amount of school pride that everyone has. It definitely separates itself from other schools in how prideful and how much spirit the students, the university and the city have not only for the school but for athletics.

4. Q: What are the biggest changes you've noticed since you left WSU following graduation?
A: Everything's been upgraded around here. When I was here the foundation was kind of being set for the success that Coach Tony had once I had graduated. Even though I didn't get to be there and experience the success, just being here with new offices and upgraded facilities is nice. There's a great amount of enthusiasm and support for men's basketball, that, I don't know if it was there before, but it's obviously very present now.

Tim Marrion at basketball camp.

5. Q: How has your experience at San Jose State helped your career?
A: It helped out immensely. It was my first job out of college and although I didn't have much experience in coaching before that, I was fortunate to work under a head coach who kind of let me get my hands dirty and get to learn a lot on my own and through trial and error.

6. Q: What do you like best about working with a men's basketball program?
A: Basketball is a sport I'm very passionate about. People always say, `Find something you love to do and you'll never have to work a day in your life.' This is one of those jobs where I look forward to coming to work. My day-to-day stuff is fun, it's what I enjoy doing and I'm very fortunate to be able to make a living doing that.

7. Q: What is the toughest part about working in college athletics?
A: For me personally, I guess, as a young coach, it's tough to gain credibility from the players because I'm a young guy just like they are.

8. Q: Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
A: In 10 years I hope to either be a successful full-time assistant coach or a successful full-time head coach somewhere, being happy, making money, winning games.

9. Q: What is your favorite city to go on basketball road trips?
A: It would have to be going to Hawaii. They're in the WAC, so we played them once a year. There's nothing like calling someone here on the main land and saying, "Hey, I'm in Hawaii, what are you up to?"

10. Q:If you didn't work in basketball, what would you want to do?
A: I'd probably be a teacher. I think that's something that's always intrigued me too. It kind of goes hand-in-hand with basketball, being a coach, finding something you're passionate for.

That does it for today.

Keep it crimson,
Jessica Schmick

**ESPN's Andy Katz's latest blog entry has a nice article on Klay, DeAngelo and the future of WSU Hoops. It can be checked out HERE.**

Klay Thompson (photo courtesy of USA Basketball)

Thursday, June 18 (4:15 p.m.)

Hello Cougs!

The USA U19 World Championship team roster was announced today and both DeAngelo Casto and Klay Thompson made the cut. Twelve young men were chosen from the group of 17 that were invited to the trials.

Washington State was one of two schools to have multiple student-athletes make the squad as it was joined by Butler. Working in pairs seems to be a theme for the Cougars when representing the U.S. in basketball competition, two years ago Derrick Low and Kyle Weaver were teammates on the 2007 USA Pan American Team.

Also competing in the U19 World Championships will be incoming freshman Brock Motum, playing for his native Australia. To read more on wsucougars.com on Casto and Thompson making the team, click HERE. USA Basketball sent some nice photos of the two as well that are included in the story and this post. USA Basketball also has a nice Q&A with the players that made the team, including Casto and Thompson. You can check that out HERE.

I had a chance to speak with DeAngelo and Klay briefly after the announcement as both were resting in preparation of training camp which begins tomorrow. Here are a few more question and answers with the two.

Klay Thompson
How does it feel to make the team?
"It feels great. It's an honor especially playing at a national level against high level competition."

What were the trials like?
"We mostly just scrimmaged the whole time for three days, that's pretty much it. It was good competition."

DeAngelo Casto (photo courtesy of USA Basketball)

How does it feel to have DeAngelo on the team with you?
"It's great. It's a great opportunity for us and I think it will be great for our program."

DeAngelo Casto
What does it mean to you to make the team?
"It means everything. It was kind of emotional for me, a little hard for me a little bit too. Having been through so much, I got to a spot where basketball has been my outlet. So it means the world to make the team and it's an honor to be able to put that jersey on with USA on your chest.

"I've always said it's not really about me, it's what's around me. So I feel like as a USA basketball player on the team, that's really what the team motto is. It's not about you, it's about what's on your chest, it's about representing your country. It's an honor."

What were the trials like?
"The competition first of all was tremendous. There's no guy that didn't make it that couldn't be on the team. As far as what we did, we played a lot. We played a lot of basketball against each other."

How do you feel about having Klay on the team with you?
"I feel great. I know it's going to be awesome with him down there. It's just going to help our chemistry and hopefully we can translate that over to playing at WSU. I think it will be a great experience for both of us and I think we'll learn a lot and bring it back to our team."

That does it for now. Once the U19 World Championships kick off July 2 we'll have plenty of updates here at the Crimson ZZU. In the coming weeks we'll also have Q&As with five of the new basketball staff members.

Keep it crimson,
Jessica Schmick

Monday, June 15 (4:45 p.m.)

Good afternoon!

About half of the returning men's basketball players are back on campus for summer school right now, having come back just over a week ago. Still not a lot going on here on campus, but the summer camps start this weekend with the Advanced Camp being held June 20-21 and the Day Camp June 22-24. Two members of the Cougar team not in Pullman, DeAngelo Casto and Klay Thompson, kick off the trials for the 2009 Men's U19 World Championship Team tomorrow. The trials run June 16-18 with the finalists being announced June 18. Casto and Thompson are competing for an opportunity to face incoming freshman teammate Brock Motum, who already made the Australian team. Before the duo left for Colorado Springs, they answered some questions for the Crimson ZZU.

Klay Thompson

Klay Thompson Q&A - USA Basketball U19 Team Trials
What was your initial reaction to the invitation?
"Excitement and I was really happy with myself, just knowing that all the hard work paid off this year. This opportunity is really special and I want to make the most of it, I'm really thankful."

What would it mean to you to represent your country on the international level?
"Well I mean it would be a great honor and the opportunity of a lifetime, especially playing against some of the best competition around the world in our age group. It would be something really special."

Do you have any expectations or hopes for the trials?
"I definitely hope that I will make it and if I just play hard, that's all I can ask for. I'm expecting to make it and it would be unfortunate if I didn't. I just don't want to let that opportunity go to waste."

How do you think this experience will help you develop at WSU?
"It will definitely make me better playing against some of the top competition in the country in my age group. And then playing some of the better players from other countries in the world and just learning from them, that's all I can ask."

DeAngelo Casto

DeAngelo Casto Q&A - USA Basketball U19 Team Trials
What was your initial reaction to the invitation?
"Super excited. I couldn't believe it at first. I knew Klay got his really early and I thought it was like, you know, the kind of thing that they sent out all at the same time. But when I got mine, I was just really happy and excited. Just felt like an honor to be able to even try to make the team."

What would it mean to you to represent your country on the international level?
"It would mean the world to me. I've felt like I've kind of been an underdog or overlooked in my years growing up playing basketball. So for them to recognize me to come play for my country, is a huge honor and makes me feel really good. Not to say I'm going to make the team, but it's an honor to at least go over there and try to make the team and represent our country."

Do you have any expectations or hopes for the trials?
"My expectation is to give it my all. I really truly expect to make the team. I guess I'm hoping that I make the team. This is something I really, really, really want. I just really hope that I make the cut and am able to travel to New Zealand and compete for the USA."

How do you think this experience will help you develop at WSU?
"It will definitely help me develop because I'll see the talent and I will go up against guys who obviously have been recognized for being at the top of their leagues or divisions as young males growing up too, so I'm going to be thankful to see that and compete against that. Ultimately, it's knowing what you have to do to become the best and what you have to do to take it to the next level. Once you see something like that, what Coach Bennett and all of them used to tell me, `You can't teach experience.' So, getting that experience and seeing those types of players and going up against them will be good for me."

What will it be like having Klay there, playing with him but also competing against him for a spot?
"We'll talk to each other and try to get us both through so we can both play. Ultimately it will help us both on the court for next year. I really hope that we both make it and we both get to compete over in New Zealand and that way when we come back we kind of have a little bit of an edge on our opponents just because we've been playing all summer and we've built that connection. I think it will be really important for our teammates for Klay and I to get closer and to learn more about each other. That's never a bad thing."

That does it for now. In the next few weeks we'll have Q&As with the three assistant coaches, director of operations and coordinator of operations.

Keep it crimson,
Jessica Schmick

Friday, May 29 (4 p.m.)

Happy Friday!

I'm sure many of you are very excited about what's been going on with baseball the past couple of weeks. Today was a tough loss against Arkansas, but the Cougs will be back on the diamond Saturday at 11 a.m. PT. If you haven't already, you can check out Craig Lawson's baseball blog HERE.

The Athletes In Action tour with current Coug Abe Lodwick and former Coug Robbie Cowgill wrapped up this week. You can still check out the blog that was kept while the team was in Poland and Germany HERE. There are a lot of photo galleries and some entertaining videos. Newly posted today was a photo gallery of the team's bike tour through Germany.

Before Abe and Robbie left, I had the chance to talk to them about the tour. Here's a little Q&A with Abe Lodwick.

1. Question: How do you think the trip will help you basketball-wise?
Answer: It will give me a chance to play against some talent oversees. I don't know how level the play will be, but it will be fun to go play guys from different countries because I know the style of play will be different.

2. Q: How do you think it will help you grow in your faith?
A: I think this is the type of thing, being related to basketball, that will really kind of help me feel comfortable. And I think that will help me hopefully mature in it and really know how to talk to people about spiritual things in a comfortable way for me and them. So I think it will be a good tool for me to get used to communicate with people in that way.

3. Q: Having known Daven went on a tour to France and having Robbie go with you, will that help you out a little bit?
A: Yeah, for sure. I asked Daven kind of what to expect as far as the basketball side of things, how competitive it is, how the players are, the guys on the team. Obviously there are different teams, so the play will be different, but kind of helped me know what to expect. Also, what we'd be doing after games, in between games, stuff like that. With Rob going, that's good to have him there because he's just an easy guy to be around. He'll make things real low key and he always makes things fun.

4. Q: Have you been out of the country before? And are you excited for the trip?
A: I went to Victoria, Canada one time, but that's really close to Washington, so not really. I am really excited about being able to travel and see parts of the world that I've been wanting to see for awhile.

5. Q: What are the rest of your plans for the summer?
A: After I get back, I will come back to Bend for about a week. The trip will be over May 28, then summer school starts June 8, so I'll be in Bend until about June 6. Then I'll do summer school till late July, be there working out with the team, then probably go back to Bend for a week or two in August, then come back and get ready for the school year in August.

If you haven't seen already, both DeAngelo Casto and Klay Thompson have been chosen to attend the USA U19 Team Trials which take place June 16-18 in Colorado Springs, Colo. WSU is the only school to get multiple players invited to the trials. To read more about the trials and the other guys invited, click HERE.

That does it for this week at the Crimson ZZU. Next week I'll have Q&As with both DeAngelo Casto and Klay Thompson and their thoughts on the U19 trials.

Keep it crimson,
Jessica Schmick

Tuesday, May 19 (4:40 p.m.)

Good Afternoon!

It's been a little slow here on the Palouse since graduation on May 9. The basketball student-athletes left campus for a bit before most of them return for the summer school session that starts in early June.

Taylor Rochestie and WSU freshman catcher Kyle Buchanan

Rising senior Nikola Koprivica will not be returning until August as he returned to Serbia for a couple of months. We will be getting updates from Nikola about what he's doing later in the summer. As for some of the other returning team members, Abe Lodwick left yesterday for an Athletes In Action competitive international tour along with former Coug Robbie Cowgill. The two joined nine other college basketball players from around the country and headed to Katowice, Poland today for four days. They will begin play May 22. The team will play three games in Poland and two in Berlin and will return May 27. The goals of this tour are to provide a rich cross-cultural experience for each team member and for team members to grow in their personal faith. To read more about it, click HERE. The team is also keeping an online blog. For updates from the tour you can click HERE. I was able to talk to both Abe and Robbie before they left and we'll have more with them later this week.

If anyone was able to get out to baseball on graduation day, you saw Taylor Rochestie throw out the first pitch prior to the game. A photo taken right after the first pitch is included in this blog post.

Camp registration is available online. The two camps are the Advanced Camp and the Day Camp. Advanced Camp runs from June 20-21, while the Day Camp takes place June 22-24. Advanced Camp is an overnight camp aimed at freshman-seniors in high school who are serious about basketball. The Day Camp runs from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. daily and is for boys ages 8-14 years old. For more information on the camps, click HERE. To register for camp, click HERE.

Finally, Coach Bone completed his staff last week, adding a director of basketball operations and coordinator of basketball operations. To read about Jared Barrett and Tim Marrion, click HERE. That does it for today.

Keep it crimson,
Jessica Schmick

Friday, May 8 (8:40 a.m.)

Good Morning Cougs!

It's been awhile, and while there's still not a ton to talk about, I thought I'd check in with a few things this morning. Classes are winding down with graduation tomorrow here at WSU. I've run into a couple of players this week who are balancing getting in practice and study time this week over in the athletics buildings.

For all of you who are or will be in Pullman this weekend, there's a lot going on. Following the graduation ceremonies, the Cougar baseball team will take the field to open a three-game series with Oregon at 7 p.m. Saturday. Be sure to get there early, as Taylor Rochestie will be on hand to throw out the ceremonial first pitch at approximately 6:54 p.m. as WSU honors one of its scholar-athletes on graduation day.

Coach Bone's kept busy in his first month on the job, when he's not getting recruits or building his coaching staff he's been on the media trail. ESPN.com is doing a two-month long series highlighting the new coaches in NCAA Division I men's basketball this season and Coach Bone appears as today's feature by Dana O'Neil. You can check out the article HERE. Andy Katz had an article on Tony Bennett and his coaching style a few days ago and that can be read HERE. Coach Bone also taped a segment with `Born in the USA' radio show in Melbourne, Australia yesterday. The interview will air on the Australian radio station Sunday and I will have the podcast for you on Monday.

That does it for now.

Keep it crimson,
Jessica Schmick

Thursday, April 23 (4:40 p.m.)

Good Evening Cougars!

Daven Harmeling will graduate in May with two degrees.

Things are starting to slow down a bit as far as basketball on the Palouse goes as the team finishes up workouts this week before dead week next week and finals the following week.

Coach Bone has nearly completed his staff with the hiring of his three assistants. Remaining from the WSU staff the past five years is Ben Johnson, you can read about his retention HERE. Also hired were former UW guard and PSU assistant Curtis Allen and the seven-year head coach of Seattle Pacific Jeff Hironaka. You can read about Allen HERE and Hironaka HERE.

The WSU College of Education has a wonderful article about Daven Harmeling online. You can read it HERE. The article discusses Daven's balance of basketball and school as he is about graduate in May with a double major.

That does it for today. We'll be back with more updates throughout the offseason at the Crimson ZZU.

Keep it crimson,
Jessica Schmick

Monday, April 13 (5:05 p.m.)

Good Evening Cougs!

The action at the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament (P.I.T.) finished up this weekend, so we are back with the final roundup. We left off after Thursday's action. Friday (April 10), Taylor Rochestie's Norfolk Sports Club team took on the Portsmouth Sports Club for a chance to face Aron Baynes' K&D Round's Landscaping in the final of the consolation bracket.

After starting the first game, Rochestie did not get a starting nod in the second game, but played a team second-most 29 minutes, finishing with eighth points, three assists and two steals. The 6-1 guard was a perfect 2-for-2 from the free throw line as his team defeated PSC, 88-77.

The win setup a matchup between Rochestie and Baynes as the Norfolk Sports Club took on K&D Round's Landscaping Saturday. Both former Cougars sported No. 10 uniforms and started for their respective teams. Rochestie scored the first points of the game hitting both free throw attempts after being fouled by Baynes at the 18:56 mark. Rochestie's NSC team couldn't keep up with the hot shooting of former Rhode Island sharp-shooter Jimmy Baron who set a P.I.T. record going 9-for-15 from beyond the 3-point arc., as Baynes' squad came out on top, 92-70. The old record was six 3-pointers in a tournament game.

Rochestie finished with 12 points while dishing out eight assists and compiling three steals in a game-high 34 minutes of action. Baynes finished with eight points and a game-high 11 boards, six of them on the offensive end.

Overall Baynes and Rochestie tied with Saint Mary's Diamon Simpson for 45th in scoring in the tournament with 7.3 ppg. Baynes ranked tied for fourth in defensive rebounding (5.67 drpg), tied for fourth in offensive rebounding (4.33 orpg), fifth in rebounding (10.0 rpg), fifth in field goal percentage (.550; 11-for-20)and tied for ninth in blocked shots (1.33 bpg). Rochestie led the tournament field in free throw percentage (1.000; 4-for-4), tied for fourth in assists (5.00), tied for sixth in steals (2.00 spg), tied for 10th in assist/turnover ratio (2.50) and tied for 12th for minutes played (28.67 mpg).

After the two returned from Virginia, they commented on the experience.

"It was fun. You're playing against a lot of guys that you've seen on TV or watched their teams play either in the NCAA Tournament or NIT or just on TV," Rochestie said. "Guys from the ACC, the Big East, the Big Ten that you see play all the time. Just that alone was fun. Getting matched up with a lot of athletic guys and playing that run-and-gun system was fun. I'm used to walking the ball up the court, so having games go in the 80's and the 90's is something that I'm not used to. So, besides that, it was just a fun experience. To go across the country to play in a basketball tournament and just hang out and have fun with other basketball players is all you can ask for."

Baynes added, "It was fun, just a totally different style of basketball, got to run up and down the floor and it was a lot different to WSU's style. The last few years we've been walking it up, but I think that will change with the new coaching system. Out there in Virginia our team was a run-and-gun style team, very guard orientated, so I just had to focus on rebounding. It was a lot of fun out there. We played a different style of basketball and had fun."

When asked about playing against each other, here's what the two had to say.

"We had a lot of fun," Baynes said. "After playing together for the last three years, going into a game like that, everyone's competing their hardest. Taylor and I wanted to compete with each other and go at each other, but at the same time it was a lot of fun, just experiencing what it is, seeing Taylor come down with the ball in his hand and knowing what he can do. Having seen him make some big plays over the last few years, he was coming in and playing against me, so I was a little bit apprehensive about that, but I had a lot of fun. It was a blast out there, a good time."

"In a regular setting I would never want to go against Baynes," Rochestie added. "When you play against him you realize how much you enjoy having him on your team. In that tournament they don't call many fouls and he was just pushing people around, probably fouled me like five or six times. He's just a beast. That was probably my favorite game from when I was there, we were talking to each other the whole time, it was just a good experience."

When asked if Baynes fouled him hard on the called foul, Rochestie responded; "Oh of course, he always fouls hard. Baynes doesn't know how to do anything soft."

Baynes defended his play, stating; "I didn't foul him because it wasn't called...one was called, but that was the exception to the rule I guess. I can't say that I fouled him, there may have been some physical plays made, but there was no fouling that actually took place on a lot of those physical plays."

That does it for the P.I.T. We'll be back periodically for coaching staff, player and spring/summer workout updates.

Keep it crimson,
Jessica Schmick

Thursday, April 9 (10:30 p.m.)

Welcome back Cougar fans!

With two days of the Portsmouth Invitational in the books, Aron Baynes has played two games and Taylor Rochestie has played one.

Baynes' K&D Round's Landscaping team lost their first game last night, but rebounded this afternoon for a victory in the consolation round. In the first game, the Cougar center started and led the team in rebounds with 11, while going 4-for-8 from the floor for eight points in a foul-riddled 21 minutes. In today's game, Baynes saw 20 minutes off the bench. His six points and eight boards helped his team to an exciting 70-68 victory over the Tidewater Sealants, led by UCLA's Alfred Aboya and Gonzaga's Micah Downs.

Taylor got his tournament underway earlier this evening and when he started at point guard for the Norfolk Sports Club. He played just 23 minutes, but led the team with four assits and chipped in two points. He also blocked a shot and picked up a steal. His team came up short, though, against a Jon Brockman-led Cherry, Bekaert & Holland squad. The former Washington star led the team with 24 points and 21 rebounds, 13 on the offensive end.

Rochestie and his team hits the floor agains tomorrow afternoon at 12:15 (3:15 local time) to take on the Portsmouth Sports Club.

Baynes is off until Saturday's consolation championship, where -with a win by the Norfolk Sports Club -he will meet Rochestie.

In other Cougar basketball news, Jessica and new head coach Ken Bone spent the day touring different media outlets in the Seattle area. So, Cougar fans on the West side, be sure to keep an eye and ear out for interviews and news from Coach Bone's visit. We will be back tomorrow with another P.I.T. update and pictures from the trip.

Keep it crimson,
Mike Walsh

Wednesday, April 8 (5 p.m.)

Good evening Cougar fans!

The postseason accolades and recognitions keep piling up for the Cougar seniors. Taylor Rochestie and Aron Baynes have been invited to play in the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament. The annual tournament takes place in Portsmouth, Va., at Churchland High School.

The P.I.T. is in its 57th year of inviting 64 top collegiate seniors from across the country to compete in a four-day, 12-game tournament. Baynes and Rochestie join Pac-10 foes Jon Brockman (Washington), Alfred Aboya (UCLA) and Lawrence Hill (Stanford). Rochestie and Hill are on the same team. Former Cougar Josh Akognon, who recently finished his playing career at Cal State Fullerton, is also in the tournament.

Baynes' K&D Rounds Landscaping team is playing its first round game right now. Taylor and his Norfolk Sports Club team opens tomorrow evening at 4 p.m. PDT (7 p.m. local time). The two Cougs are on opposite sides of the bracket so they would not meet until Saturday.

The P.I.T. has grown in the past half-century into a showcase of basketball talent. Players in this year's tournament are expected to play in front of nearly 200 scouts, general managers and representatives from the 30 NBA teams, in addition to scouts from a number of international leagues.

For any Coug fans in the area, the tournament costs $10 per evening session and daytime games are free.

Keep it crimson,
Mike Walsh

Tuesday, April 7 (4:30 p.m.)

PHOTO GALLERY

Hello Coug Fans!

Coach Bone at Tuesday's press conference.

It's been a quick, exciting afternoon in Pullman. Ken Bone was officially introduced as the 17th head coach in WSU men's basketball history by Director of Athletics Jim Sterk at a press conference about three hours ago.

Sterk stepped to the podium in front of about 150 people and a live television audience on FSN, and voiced his excitement: "It's a great day to be on the Palouse and it's a great day to be a Cougar. We're here to introduce the next head basketball coach at Washington State University."

Sterk explained the search process and said the committee narrowed their list until they interviewed nine candidates. "At the conclusion of that process, all of us involved were determined that Ken was the best person to lead this program," Sterk said.

Coach Bone with the team at workouts.

Bone made his first statements as head coach of the Cougars, and expressed the pride he has in taking over a program on the rise and with a great foundation of young players to work with. He is excited about the challenges he has ahead of him and looks forward to getting after it as soon as possible.

"I'm just so happy to be a part of Washington State basketball and cannot wait for about two hours from now to get on the court with these guys and start working with them," Bone said.

Bone also commented on how excited he and his family is to become a part of the Pullman community he has heard so much about: "We are very excited to get out there and find a home, and really plant ourselves here. I know this is a place I would love to be for as long as I can stay."

All of the players sat in the front row at the press conference, and commented on their new coach afterward, before getting ready for practice. Each player was excited while also relieved. The past seven days have been long and stressful, but there is a new energy within the team.

"I think now that we have him here, there is kind of a sense of calm here and guys can focus a little bit more on what we need to do, and that's get ready for next season," said Cougar guard Abe Lodwick.

You can read what Lodwick, Mike Harthun and DeAngelo Casto had to say by clicking HERE.

Be sure to stay tuned to the WSUCougars.com and the Crimson ZZU for all of the latest news about Ken Bone and the Washington State Univeristy men's basketball team.

Keep it crimson,
Mike Walsh

NOTE: TUESDAY'S PRESS CONFERENCE WAS STREAMED LIVE. TO ACCESS THE ARCHIVE BROADCAST CLICK HERE

Monday, April 6 (7 p.m.)

Good Evening Cougs!

It's only been a week since Coach Bennett left for Virginia and WSU announced its 17th head coach in school history today in Ken Bone. Bone comes to Washington State after four years at the helm at Portland State in which he posted a 77-49 record. To read more about the hiring click HERE.

Coach Bone will be introduced at a press conference Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. on WSU's campus. Good news for fans, the press conference will be streamed live for free at wsucougars.com and can also be seen on FSN Northwest. To access the press conference online, click HERE. Bone will be on campus tomorrow to meet with players, athletics staff members and for the press conference. We will try and update as much as we can as the opportunities arise tomorrow.

Keep it crimson,
Jessica Schmick

Friday, April 3 (5:05 p.m.)

Good Evening!

Today's entry will be a break from all the Cougar coaching talk as we focus on the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Hershey's College All-Star Game, which Aron Baynes participated in this afternoon. The game took place at Ford Field as a part of the Final Four activities in Detroit, Mich.

Baynes started at forward for the Hershey's All-Stars who fell to the Reese's All-Stars, 105-100. Wearing white uniforms, Central Florida's Jermaine Taylor led the Hershey's All-Stars with 23 points in 27 minutes. Washington's Justin Dentmon added 22 points before fouling out in 25 minutes of action. Taylor was named the Hershey's team's most outstanding player. The Reese's All-Stars, wearing brown uniforms, were led by Boston College's Tyrese Rice with 24 points in 24 minutes as he was named the team's most outstanding player.

Baynes finished the day with nearly a double-double with eight points and nine rebounds in 19 minutes of action. Baynes notched the best field goal percentage of the day going 4-for-6 from the field. Fellow Australian Luke Nevill of Utah joined Baynes in the starting lineup, scoring two points.

Former Cougar Josh Akognon (Cal State Fullerton) played against Baynes on the Reese's team, scoring five points in 16 minutes. Also on the Reese's team were familiar foes in Gonzaga's Josh Heytvelt (17 points and 11 rebounds) and UCLA's Alfred Aboya (seven points and five rebounds).

Heytvelt was key down the stretch as he hit a 3-pointer with 46.3 second to go and his team trailing 98-96, which gave the Reese's All-Stars the lead for good. Earlier in the second half the Hershey's All-Stars used a 16-0 run to take a two-point lead.

Baynes was definitely the most encouraging of the players in the game, standing up to cheer and celebrating after each positive play for the Hershey's team. To see a box score from the game, click HERE.

That does it for tonight. I will continue to keep everyone posted as soon as a basketball coach is hired.

Keep it crimson,
Jessica Schmick

Wednesday, April 1 (1:45 p.m.)

Good Afternoon!

Well, it's been a very eventful (and snowy) week for Washington State basketball and I apologize for not blogging sooner. As everyone is well aware Tony Bennett announced Monday that he was leaving WSU to take the head coaching position at the University of Virginia. Today the school introduced him in a press conference that was shown live on its website. UVa also has a Q&A with Coach Bennett up on their website, you can check it out HERE.

Now obviously the athletics department is moving forward in its search for a new coach. The coach will be the 17th head coach in WSU men's basketball history. There is a lot of speculation going on regarding who the Cougars will get. Monday evening WSU Director of Athletics Jim Sterk spoke on a teleconference about Bennett's departure and the coaching search. You can access some of what he had to say HERE.

That's all I have for today. Obviously I can't comment on rumors or speculation, but as soon as we hire a new coach we will have information at wsucougars.com.

Keep it crimson,
Jessica Schmick

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