by Dean Hare - AP

Wondering how Idaho was able to handle Portland so easily? Look no further than the man who gave the halftime speech.

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Time: 8pm PST

Location:  Friel Court in frigid Pullman, WA.

TV: FSN Northwest, FCS Pacific

Radio:  Find your local station here.  Or streaming online for a fee at wsucougars.com.

via wsucougars.com

Players to Watch:

Klay Thompson, WSU:  Starting to sound a little redundant, but as Klay goes, the Cougs go.  Can he bounce back from a couple below average performances?

Steffan Johnson, Idaho:  Johnson transferred from Pacific, where he played over 30 minutes a game and averaged over 14 points per game two years ago.  He has quickly asserted himself as Idaho's best offensive threat.

X-Factors:

DeAngelo Casto, WSU:  Can Casto dominate the inside against players that he should be able to overmatch physically?  Casto's defensive rebounding percentage has left something to be desired so far this season, sitting at just over 15%.  The Cougs need Dee to assert himself on the defensive glass and end possessions for the other team, because we know there are not many other guys on the front line who are capable of doing so.

Mac Hopson, Idaho:  The former Coug has made a nice transition to the U of I.  He is shooting well and distributing the ball well so far this season.  Look for him to play with a little extra fire against his former school.

The Keys:

The Cougars win if... they defend the three point shot better than they have all year, dominate the glass, and eliminate stupid turnovers.

The Vandals win if... they continue their hot shooting from the outside and take advantage of the Cougs lackluster three point defense, and Klay is unable to do the same on the other end.

Moscow - City of mystery, So full of history, noble and old
Mm-mm-mm-mm-mm-mm-mm-Moscow, there is a burning fire
That never will expire, deep in your soul
-Genghis Khan "Moscow"

Every Coug has a special place in their heart for Moscow.  For earlier generations, Idaho's younger drinking age built WSU's party reputation as freshman could rub elbows with fifth year seniors at Moscow's various liquor stores and watering holes.  Those days are gone, but most Cougars still find themselves making the 8 mile trek across state lines for the cheap DVDs from Wal Mart, a Dad's weekend postgame dinner, and Winger's.  Of course, there is also the area's premier shopping center, the Palouse Mall.  They know what you want, and they got it.

Also located in Moscow, La Casa Lopez, which has the best Mexican food on the Palouse.  Go during dinnertime (after 4pm) and have the bean dip.  It's phenomenal.

In my time in Pullman, I took my fair share of trips across the border.  I also had the opportunity to take in two basketball games in the Cowan Spectrum.  I saw the legendary battle for last place in the WAC between the Vandals and San Jose State in 2007.  I also saw the Cougs play there in the turnaround year.

That Coug game was my first experience in the Kibbie Dome.  (For those of you that don't know, Cowan Spectrum is the Kibbie Dome with a giant divider down the middle and a basketball court laid out over the north end of the football field.)  The Vandals were having a double header, so I was lucky enough to take in some WAC women's basketball action! 

On a side note, this game took place the day after Dennis Erickson left for Arizona State.  It took every decent cell in my body to keep myself from bringing a sign that said "He's Gone" to flaunt around.  I think I made the right choice.

My friends and I had seats in the front row on the side opposite the benches.  They were the seats assigned by our tickets, and we bought them three days before the game.  The crowd was sparse on that side, so we stuck out pretty well.  Towards the end of the women's game, the cheerleaders brought out pizza boxes to get the crowd cheering.  WSU does the same thing, and despite all my crazy cheering during my college career, I never was able to secure one.  Seeing an opportunity, I yelled and screamed and jumped up and down, all the while wearing crimson.  The cheerleaders, who were apparently colorblind, handed me the pizza box amongst a cascade of boos from Vandal fans.  The pizza box was a bit heavier than I expected and I opened it, expecting a coupon.  Instead, there was a large pepperoni pizza!  My group sat happily the rest of the night and enjoyed pizza while Kyle Weaver and company avoided a total letdown and defeated Idaho.

The 2009-2010 version of Idaho is nothing like the pushovers of that season.  Through their first seven games of the season they are ranked 84 by kenpom.com, 31 spots higher than the Cougs.  They play well on offense, ranked 45th in the nation in adjusted offensive efficiency.  They beat Eastern Washington soundly and crushed a Portland team that did the same to UCLA.  This is not a cupcake game for Washington State. 

Let's take a look at some important factors:

Pace: 

Once again, the Cougars face a fast-paced team.  Idaho averages just over 70 possessions a game.  As we said last time against Kansas State, that is ideal for a young Cougar team that struggles in offensive sets.  However, the pace of game against the Wildcats seemed to get the best of Wazzu, as they struggled to take care of the ball.  Luckily, Idaho will not have the athletic presence to pressure the ball like Kansas State was able to.  Expect a third straight game over 70 possessions.

Rebounding:

Idaho is a poor defensive rebounding team.  They are allowing 29.6% of opponent misses to be turned into an offensive rebound.  However, that is actually better than the Cougs, who sit at 34.9%.  The Vandals do a solid job on the offensive glass but will not have the strength advantages down low that Kansas State used to bully the Cougar bigs.  WSU probably wins the rebounding battle in this one primarily on the backs of Casto, Capers, and Thompson.

Shooting:

Idaho has done a fine job making it tough on their opponents in making field goals.  They are 84th in the country in eFG% allowed.  They also shoot the ball well themselves, as they are 14th in the nation in eFG%.  Despite a less-than-stellar performance last time out, the Cougs have also shot the ball well so far, ranking 16th in eFG%.  They racked up most of those stats playing teams with similar athletes to Idaho, so look for this one to be a high scoring affair.

The biggest concern here is Idaho's ability to shoot the three.  They are 4th in the nation on three point percentage, and the Cougs have proved time and time again in this short season that they struggle to defend that.  This could be a difference maker in the matchup.

Free Throws:

The Vandals are very good at getting to the line, ranking 66th in the nation in free throw rate.  They are even better at preventing the other team from getting there, ranking 47th in free throw rate allowed.  This could be a problem for Wazzu, as they have relied heavily on free throws on many occasions this season.  The good thing is that Reggie Moore has shown the ability to get in the lane against anybody, and Klay has done very well against smaller guards in drawing fouls.  The Cougs should outperform previous Vandal competition in free throw rate.  Don't be surprised to see Idaho at the charity stripe frequently as well.  If you are recording this game on the DVR, be sure to leave some extra time.

Do not expect this game to be the blowout it has been the last few years Coug fans.  Idaho will be tough team in the WAC conference and they've already shown what they can do in defeating a pretty solid Portland squad.  Interestingly, the Vandals have ten transfers on their roster, including former Coug point guard Mac Hopson among a host of junior college guys.  This matchup should be a contest worthy of the long rivalry between these two schools.

During my summer migration from Washington to Nashville, I had the "opportunity" to drive through the state that Dorothy once called home.  For the first few hundred miles, Kansas does not disappoint.  Flat plains covered with wheat are met with a steady stream of billboard evangelism and adult superstores.  Unlike their neighbors to the west (Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, and Idaho), Kansas does not subscribe to the 75 mph speed limit.  They want you to enjoy those wheat fields at a more fossil-friendly speed of 70 (Still not as bad as going 65 through Eastern Oregon).

About sixty miles outside of Topeka, the landscape changes.  To the right appears a patch of trees followed by an hill.  An actual hill!  Something not seen since just east of Denver.  To the left, something that stands taller than the hill.  A series of massive billboards in purple and black, all with one letter.  Combined they spell K-A-N-S-A-S S-T-A-T-E.

Why is this important?  It's not. Maybe I'm just a narcissist who thinks everything I do or say is interesting.  Or maybe I wanted to show that these two universities have some similarities.  From the way they pop out of nowhere in the middle of endless wheat fields, to the way they've had some moments of football glory not so long ago and have struggled more recently, to the way they've enjoyed some occasional basketball success that resulted in abrupt departures of coaches.  Probably the first one.

Our Cougs travel to this familiar landscape tomorrow to take on those Kansas State Wildcats.  This will be a second consecutive difficult road test for Washington State.  This team features a little more size and beef up front, with a little less height at the guard position than the previous opponent.  K-State has been impressive on both ends of the floor against mostly lesser competition and like the Cougs, has lost their only game against a high-level competitor.  Most importantly for WSU, the Wildcats like to push the ball, and as we've pointed out several times before, that gives the Cougars the best chance to succeed.

Let's break down some of the important factors for this game:

Pace:

K-State is currently 70th in the nation in adjusted tempo at 71.9 possessions a game.  WSU's two fastest games of the year have been 73 possessions in the opener and 72 in their last matchup versus Gonzaga.  Expect both sides to try and push the ball all game long.  Don't be surprised if this is the fastest pace you've seen from a Coug game in a long time, and that is a very good thing.

Rebounding:

On the boards, Kansas State is an excellent offensive rebounding team and an equally terrible defensive rebounding team.  Sound familiar?  It should, because our Cougs are in a similar situation.  However, the Cougs have been a little better on the offensive glass and on the defensive glass.  Look for Washington State's taller guards to crash the boards and get some extra chances, they are going to need them.

Shooting:

Like Wazzu, K-State has struggled to defend the three-point shot.  This bodes well for Klay Thompson, because he is deadly once he gets his feet set.  However, outside of Klay and maybe Reggie Moore, the Cougs aren't really a team that will take advantage of that, as they are 280th in the country in 3PA per FGA. 

Once inside the arc, look for the Cougs to have problems.  Kansas State is one of the top teams in the country in 2pt% against, as they allowing just 37.4% of two pointers to fall.

Free throws:

Kansas State likes to foul.  They like to foul a lot.  So much so that the guys who wrote the Basketball Prospectus Major Conference Preview made it a focal point in their preview:

The Wildcats’ fouling went through the roof last year, as Big 12 opponents averaged more than 26 free throws
per game. No other major-conference team in 2009 could match the Wildcats in terms of frequent fouling.

K-State has kept that hack-happy trend going this year.  They are 262nd in the country in opponents' free throw rate.  Luckily for them, they offset that by being fifth in the country in free throw rate on the offensive end.  This is something that Casto, Moore, and Klay need to exploit.  This time around, they need to make sure they convert at a percentage they did through the first six games if the Cougs are going to have a chance.

That's all for now.  This will be another tough test for the Cougs.  If they are able to pull this one off, it will have huge postseason implications, as the Wildcats look like a potential tournament team early on.  Nuss will be back with more tomorrow in the game thread.

Are these folks the reason GU has been so unbeatable at home? Matt Bouldin, Jeremy Pargo, Austin Daye, Dan Dickau, Derek Raivio and friends may have something to say about that.

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It has been well documented that since the McCarthey Athletic Center opened in 2004, the Bulldogs have been nearly unbeatable at home.  In the six seasons they have played there, they have lost three times.  K2 is a very happy place for Zag fans.  There are a lot of other good basketball programs with great homecourts that have not duplicated Gonzaga's success at home.

Taking a look at Gonzaga's schedule reveals a secret to their home success.  In six years, the Zags have played three teams that finished the season with a higher Ken Pomeroy ranking:

1. #33 Gonzaga beat #15 Washington in 2005
2. #41 Gonzaga beat #29 Saint Joseph's in 2006
3. #30 Gonzaga lost to #10 Washington State in 2008

That's it.  Gonzaga has been the better team (according to Ken Pomeroy ratings) in every other game ever played at K2.  The only game that was close to evenly matched was when #55 Gonzaga defeated #57 Washington in 2007.  St. Mary's has had the most competitive WCC teams in this time, posting rankings of 51 and 56 in the last two years.  Gonzaga was 30 and 7 in those years respectively.  Outside of that, WCC teams generally top out around the 100s and bottom out around the 330s.

On top of the conference schedule, Gonzaga's November home games are usually similar to those that have given the Cougar basketball team a 37-0 all time November Friel Court record.  The Zags have not been tested much in their time at McCarthey Athletic Center, and they have a record to show it.

Now this is not meant to detract from what the Zags have done over the past six years.  They have dominated the West Coast Conference like no other team has dominated a conference in a long time.  From 2004-2009 they lost only six regular season conference games overall.. They have had the significantly better team because Mark Few has recruited "high-major" talent to a "mid-major" school. 

What this is meant to do is to play down the myth that Gonzaga is somehow unbeatable at home because of a unique advantage that McCarthey Athletic Center provides.  Sure, the students there are loud and right on top of the floor, but that can be seen on many campuses across the country.  Gonzaga has played better at home, like most teams do.  They just have not played as the underdog at K2 very often. The homecourt advantage is less about the arena and more about the team that plays there.

Now what does this mean for the Cougars?  Well, they are still an underdog coming in, and it would a good bet to say that Gonzaga will finish the season with a higher Pomeroy ranking.  However, they do bring something in to the Kennel that Zag fans rarely see, a solid group of high-major caliber players to match their own.  Guys like DeAngelo Casto, Reggie Moore, and Klay Thompson.

The battle for the Great Alaskan Shootout Championship!  Remember when this entire tournament used to be on ESPN and the video quality was better than an NES game?

The Starters:

WSU:

Klay Thompson

Reggie Moore

Abe Ludwig

DeAngelo Castro

Marcus Capers

San Diego:

Chris Lewis

Roberto Mafra

Brandon Johnson

Devin Ginty

De'Jon Jackson

This is the first real test of the season for the Cougs.  San Diego is probably the better team, having knocked off several big names so far this season.  Brandon Johnson is excellent at point guard.  He is a game-changer and they type of guy that take over and carry his team to victory.

The Toreros are very small.  The starting guards are all under 6'2", and the frontcourt guys are a slim 6'7" and 6'9".  The size is a very good matchup for the Cougs.  Klay Thompson and Marcus Capers need to use that advantage to get to the free throw line.

San Diego has been very good defensively.  They rank 21st in the nation for adjusted defensive efficiency.   The Cougs are 27th in the nation in offensive efficiency.  Something has to give!  My guess is that the Cougs perform a little bit better than some of San Diego's other opponents because of their ability to draw fouls and earn free throws.  The problem is they will give up that advantage on the other end of the court when they are guarding.

This will be a battle and potentially could be a very close game.  If Wazzu is able to emerge victorious, they will have a very solid bullet point for the resume.

Game coverage from around SBN here

Time: 3:30 pm PST

The place:  Husky Stadium

TV: FSN Northwest

Radio:  Find your local station here.  You can also listen via streaming for a fee at wsucougars.com

The Line: Washington by 25

When the Cougs have the ball...

When the Huskies have the ball...

Keys to the Game:

1. Kevin Lopina.  He needs to play his best game as a Coug.  His best game by far.  The Husky defense is vulnerable, and Wazzu will have to take advantage if they want to stay in this thing.

2. Turnovers.  This team needs to create turnovers to compete, and score off those turnovers.  The Cougs were able to keep it relatively close last week until the defense wore down.  WSU will have the same problems again if they don't get themselves off the field with some big plays.

3.  Line play.  The Cougar offensive line will be without B.J. Guerra, who will miss the game due to a concussion.  However, they are healthier than they have been in most games this year.  WSU will not have a chance if they are dominated on the line on either side of the ball.  As it is in every game, this is crucial.

The Cougs will be going for the first ever WSU three-peat in the Apple Cup today.  They are also going for five out of six.  We would love it if you would win guys, to help give us something to smile about from this mess of a season.

It's Apple Cup week!

In preparation for yet another meaningful battle between these two proud football programs, I present to you the place for bad jokes, baseless speculation, and what would normally be categorized as "stupid" comments.

Things that are NOT ALLOWED in this thread:

1.  Meaningful arguments

2.  Evidence to back up your assertions (unless anecdotal or assumptive)

3.  Compliments to the other side

4.  Homophobic or racist slurs

Everything else is fair game!  This thread will be the place where you can finally let loose and say all those fun things that Nuss never lets you say!

Go Cougs!  Huck the Fuskies!

More photos » by Paul Connors - AP

Raise your hands if you are awesome!

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(12:08 EDIT: I added Nuss's interview with Building the Dam)

Head Coach: Mike Riley

Record 7-3 (5-2)

In Grady's recap of Washington State's loss to Arizona a few weeks ago, he decided to go with a sort of "fill-in-the-blank" form, instead of writing a same as usual story about a game that was never in doubt.  This is how the opponent previews have begun to feel.

Seriously, go take a look at the opponent previews of all the Pac 10 teams.  It is always "Pac 10 team X has a solid running game and balance that with a good passing attack" and "Pac 10 defense X has done pretty well against the run and the pass and is about average in terms of yards per play."  It's no surprise the race for the Rose Bowl is so jammed up this year, ALL THE TEAMS ARE EXACTLY THE SAME!  Except the Cougs of course.  As a comment to the rest of the country, that does not mean the Pac 10 sucks, it means it is deep with a lot of very good teams.  Just remember, our fifth place team beat Ohio State in the Horseshoe with a freshman quarterback.  What was the point of this post again? Oh yeah, on with the preview of the Beavs.

Offense: 31.4 PPG, 5.8 YPP

The Beaver offense may not be an explosive attack (guessing they will look like one on Saturday), but it is highly effective in all aspects of the game.  Senior Sean Canfield is having a fantastic season, completing nearly 70% of his passes, while throwing 17 touchdowns to just five interceptions.  He has not been immune to pressure however, as he has been sacked 26 times this season.

The bulk of the offense is run through two guys who grew up in the same household.  The younger brother, Jacquizz Rodgers, has been a workhorse, carrying the ball 215 times for 1148 yards and catching 62 passes.  The elder James Rodgers leads the Beavers with 71 receptions and has also carried the ball 46 times.  If you were to guess on each Beaver play that a guy with the last name "Rodgers" would be involved, you would be right more often than not.

No shocker to Coug fans, OSU should have an easy time moving the ball.  The issue of pressure on Canfield should not be a factor, as the Washington State defense will be taking volunteers from the stands to fill out the defensive line.

Defense: 23.4, 5.5 YPP

The Beavs don't have a particularly stout defense in term of yards per play and they don't possess that ability to get in the backfield they used to (14 sacks, just three more than the vaunted Cougar pass rush).  What they have down really well is get off the field on third downs.  Opponents are converting just 37% of their opportunities, and that has made the difference in what is otherwise only slight statistical advantages across the board.  They haven't forced a lot of turnovers (just 11), but that is not as necessary with their ability to prevent the other guys from moving the chains.

The leading tackler for OSU is senior linebacker Keaton Kristick, who has 74 to go along with a pair of interceptions and 6.5 tackles for loss. Sophomore defensive back Lance Mitchell has three of the team's seven interceptions.  Junior Stephen Paea leads the defensive line with 5.5 tackles for loss, including three sacks.

Look for Oregon State to out-man the Cougs on this side of the ball.  Points will not be easy to come by, with sustained drives highly unlikely.  It is going to take another deep pass for Wazzu to score in this one.

The Beavers are in trouble if:  They are not.  Not at all.  One place where these two schools do stack up well is in the engineering department.  On that note, I suggest you click this link, and laugh hysterically.

What the other guys are saying: An interview previewing the Cougs’ upcoming game against Oregon State with BuildingTheDam.com writer Jake Bertalotto. Topics covered include the Beavers’ potent three-headed attack on offense, the keys to their defense, and just how determined OSU is to not have a repeat of last year. You can listen to the interview on the embedded player here, go to our podcast site, or subscribe to it on iTunes.

PROBABLE STARTERS

For the last six years under the Bennetts, Cougar fans heard time after time the story of a slow paced team clashing with a running team and how that would impact the flow of the game.  Most of the time the Cougars were able to impose their style and limit the number of possessions in the game.  This time around, the tables have turned.

Over the last two years under head coach Kirk Earlywine, Eastern Washington has played at a tempo around 65 possessions a game.  Their first game this season against the University of Portland saw 63 possessions.  Their average last year of 64.8 put them at 241st in the country.  They are not a team that is going to try and run the ball up and down the floor.

Ken Bone has been vocal about his desire for the Cougars to get more shots out of a game.  He felt the Cougs passed too much in the opener, and that was a game in which Washington State held the ball 73 times.  It appears that Kenneth wants the team playing somewhere in the mid-70s.

So we ask the same question again: Which style will prevail?

The answer that Cougar fans have learned is most often true is the slow down team.  Why? Because the Cougs could slow down anybody.  They even made ultra-fast North Carolina play a game at 66 possessions in the tournament a few years ago.  So will Eastern be able to do the same (to a lesser degree) to Washington State?

Probably.  Something Eastern has in common with those Bennett teams is a lack of offensive rebounding.  Last year, the Eagles ranked 262nd in offensive rebounding percentage.  My guess is that they give up the opportunity for the offensive board to stop the other team from running down the floor, which Coug fans are very used to.

So Ken Bone might once again be lamenting a slower-than-usual pace after this one.  Of course, he should be expecting it because he faced these guys twice a year during his time at Portland State.  If you want some hope that the Cougs will push the tempo anyway, look no farther than Eastern's matchup with UW last season.  It was played at 74 possessions (right at UW's average of 73.9).  That was EWU second fastest game of the year.

Some players to watch:

Benny Valentine, EWU:  Although coming off the bench in the first game of the season, Benny is the team's go-to-guy.  He took 32.8% of the shots when he was on the floor last year and it was more the same in the opener as he jacked up 12 shots in only 26 minutes of playing time.  He won't be hard to miss, he stands at just 5-7, but is tremendously athletic and reportedly can dunk with two hands pretty easily.

Brandon Moore, EWU: A big body, with the ability to draw fouls and get to the line.  Posted a very solid 47.3 Free throw rate last season and was able to draw 5.0 fouls per forty minutes (watch out DeAngelo!).  He is also a very good rebounder on both ends of the floor, ranking in the top 200 nationally in defensive and offensive rebounding percentage last season. 

Klay Thompson, WSU:  What?  Of course you put Klay in here Craig!  He is our best player!  Well, I put him in here specifically because he will tower over the Eagles' guards.  It would please me greatly to see him take advantage of this by going to the inside to use his height, drawing fouls and shooting free throws in the process.

Eastern was not a very good team last year (ranked 257 by kenpom).  They returned their leading scorers in Brandon Moore and Benny Valentine, but also lost their most effective defensive rebounder.  They are young in the backcourt, just like the Cougs.  Washington State should cruise in this one, but it will not be as easy as the MVSU game.  Brandon Moore will make sure the Cougs are not grabbing 63% of the offensive rebounding opportunities, which was key on a night when Wazzu was finding it difficult to hit a jump shot.  If the Cougs are able to rebound well , stay out of foul trouble in the frontcourt, and capitalize on some of that length in the backcourt, then it should be a happy night.

Go Cougs!  Join the discussion in the game thread now!

Last week, one of the big "controversies" of the AP Poll was the ranking of USC ahead of Oregon, even though the Ducks had obliterated USC only a few weeks prior.  No worries this week however, as USC has fallen all the way to number 22 after their loss to Stanford and Oregon has climbed to number eleven following their victory over Arizona State.

Justice is served!  All is right with the world again!  Or is it? Take a look at the ranked Pac 10 teams:

11. Oregon

14. Stanford

20. Oregon State.

22. USC

WHAT?!? How could you possibly rank Oregon over Stanford?  Don't you remember? Just last week they beat them! What's that you say? Oregon State beat Stanford earlier this season?  Well fine, put them ahead of Stanford, AS LONG AS STANFORD IS AHEAD OF OREGON.  They just beat them, remember?

But wait, USC just beat Oregon State a couple weeks ago.  So USC definitely has to be ranked ahead of Oregon State, and it is absolutely imperative that they are ahead of Stanford who MUST be ahead of Oregon.

What was the problem with the poll last week again? Oh...

via blakeyrat.com