This is a few days old, but I wanted to make sure to feature Mike Breske's interview with the ESPN Pac-12 blog (parts one and two) because it's a good read.

If you haven't already, one thing you'll learn very quickly about Breske is that he's incredibly quotable. I had the pleasure of talking with him for about 15 minutes at the Night With Cougar Football in Seattle, and he's a gregarious, high-energy sort. It's a personality that comes through in this interview.

Many fans have latched onto the idea of a 3-4, but one theme stressed by Breske in this interview is that flexibility is going to be the hallmark of his defense -- mostly out of necessity. First off, the Cougars don't have the personnel to run a true 3-4. Second, the team is going to face varied offenses, so Breske wants to be able to match up in different ways.

We'll be multiple. That's going to be based on the game-plan and the type of offense we're going to see each week. We have to have flexibility in our package. Yet, we don't want to put too much in. That type of deal where we overwhelm our kids. We always want to be able to play fast on defense and be able to make plays. Not think, but react. That type of thing. We'll jump into an over scheme and an under scheme and a 3-4 scheme and be very multiple. That's going to be a plus for us because we won't be the biggest, most physical front seven you're going to see in the Pac-12. We have to take advantage of our assets, not our liabilities.

That under and over stuff? They will look more like a 4-3 -- and we saw both of those looks in the spring game.

Another interesting tidbit?

Continue reading this post »

We know Ken Bone and Jeff Hironaka have known each other for a long time. We know they're friends. And we know that Hironaka is an immensely respected basketball strategist.

What we don't know, is what exactly caused Bone to pull the trigger on reassigning Hironaka now.

Here was Bone's explanation Thursday. Via Christian Caple:

[Bone] said the move is motivated primarily by the need to add a recruiter to the staff who has unique contacts in areas the Cougars currently don't. Bone, Hironaka and assistant Curtis Allen all have deep roots in the Seattle/Tacoma area. ...

"I just wanted to put people in the positions I think they can be most efficient," Bone said. "I think Jeff can do a great job in some other areas which he’s already done. He’ll still continue to be our lead scout."

That's all well and good, but as Brian wrote on Thursday, moving Hironaka off the sidelines isn't just a slight shift to maximize skill set -- this is a drastic move that has huge implications for Hironaka's career, not to mention his ego, which certainly has to be wounded. Coaches want to coach. And as we've clearly seen on Twitter, Hiro no longer sees himself as a coach in his new role. Bone can insist all he wants that it's not a demotion, but when a coach is no longer a coach and the move comes with a reduction in pay, I hope Bone understands why nobody is buying that.

I'm going to assume these are all things Bone knows, and because of that, I'm going to assume that this wasn't a move that Bone considered lightly. Working with friends can be both awesome and terrible, and having to make a decision like this that affects your friend is most definitely in the terrible category.

But on a fundamental level, Bone is right. This staff does, indeed, need to recruit better. WSU has secured just one commitment from a Recruiting Services Consensus Index top 100 player in Bone's four recruiting classes, and that player is 2012 commit Que Johnson, who is in danger of not qualifying.

This was the class that we were told to wait for, the one where Bone and his staff would finally have the time to network and the scholarship availability to recruit to their fullest potential. While it's dangerous to grade classes before they've ever stepped foot on campus, this class doesn't appear to live up to that expectation.

If this is the best that Hironaka, Curtis Allen and Ben Johnson can come up with, then yeah ... something had to change.

The big question, though, is why Hironaka? And secondarily, why now?

Continue reading this post »

For this week's edition of Cougar Sports Weekly, I went back and watched the spring game again to get a sense of how new defensive coordinator Mike Breske will be using Travis Long in his new "buck" position. Here's a snippet of the 1,700-plus words I devoted to the topic:

Defending modern college football offenses requires an ability to provide multiple looks in order to match their opponents’ ability to attack them in multiple ways. Flexibility is key, so simply labeling WSU’s defense a "3-4″ doesn’t do it justice — most especially because it doesn’t really seem to function like a true 3-4.

One of the keys to Breske’s defense is the "Buck" position — Long’s new spot. It’s a hybrid defensive end/outside linebacker position that requires the player to be equally adept rushing the passer and dropping into coverage. I wanted to see how Breske is planning on using Long in this new capacity, so I went back and watched the spring game again, charting all of Long’s snaps — which side he lined up on, whether he was up or down in a three- or four-point stance, and whether he rushed the QB or dropped back. I did the same with his backup, Logan Mayes.

The more I watched, the more questions I had as I tried to understand what was going on conceptually. The questions led me to do a fair amount of research on the internet, which led me to more questions, which led me to watch the spring game for a third time. While I’ll readily admit, as usual, that I’m no coach and that it’s tough to know exactly what was intended on each play given the limited camera angles available to the layperson, I think I now have a pretty good idea what Breske’s scheme is trying to accomplish in the front seven and the role that Long and Mayes play in that.

First, let’s take a look at how Long and Mayes were used in the spring game. Here are a few easy-to-grasp charts that summarize the data. There were 50 total snaps that I was able to chart (fuzzy camerawork and the early end of the online feed conspired to keep me from charting any more).

That, my friends, is what we call a teaser. I also examined baseball's non-existent NCAA tournament chances. Subscription info here.

WazzuWatch.com is reporting that the Cougars have landed junior college transfer James Hunter, a 6-foot-10, 240-pound Australian out of Wyoming who should have three years to play three.

It's worth noting that there's been no official comment from WSU, and Cougfan.com -- normally the first to break these sorts of things -- has yet to confirm the report. So this might not be a done deal. EDIT: Cougfan.com has now confirmed the commitment with Hunter's junior college coach.

But with the departure of Charlie Enquist and the apparent impending non-qualification of recruit Richard Peters, this signing would fill an immediate need for the Cougs in the frontcourt -- remember, Iowa State transfer Jordan Railey is going to have to sit out a year.

Many of you know that I'm not always a huge fan of JC kids, but I do think the fact that Hunter has three seasons of eligibility is important; that one extra year of development with the staff makes an enormous difference -- consider how Faisal Aden was just starting to figure things out, and now he's gone.

In looking at Hunter's limited video -- which was available earlier today but now appears to be private, as puzzling as that is -- he appears to run the floor well and has a frame that can definitely add some strength. He's doesn't look to be an immediate impact player, as his post moves seem raw and basically dependent on being taller than the other juco players. He doesn't use his left (there were opportunities for him to finish with his left and he doesn't) and he often faded away from the basket rather than initiating contact.

Still, these are things that can be taught and refined. As we know, most any big man that ends up at WSU is going to be at least somewhat raw, and Hunter is no exception. Of the two, Railey and Hunter, the latter appears to be the more intriguing prospect.

The good news is that it's unlikely Hunter would be counted on for major minutes this year. He'd provide frontcourt depth, likely filling the same role Enquist filled this past season. Brock Motum and D.J. Shelton will get the bulk of the minutes, with Patrick Simon likely filling the role of "stretch four" that Abe Lodwick occupied last year. That means incoming freshman Richard Longrus and Hunter would pick up the leftovers, which probably won't be much.

If Hunter is indeed coming, it'll be fairly obvious -- based purely on circumstantial evidence -- that the coaching staff isn't planning on Peters ever stepping foot in Pullman again. Peter's has to get more than just a qualifying score on a test -- he still needs to earn the required number of high school credits.

If Hunter signs, the class would appear to be maxed out, assuming Que Johnson figures out how to get a qualifying test score. The four previously signed players will pick up the four scholarships vacated by the graduating seniors and Hunter likely would pick up Will DiIorio's scholarship that the one-time walk-on was awarded last semester.

And for those of you who have occasionally lamented Ken Bone's apparent love affair with wings, you'll note that four of the five players in the 2012 class would be big men.

One type of player still not in this class? A point guard. Reggie Moore is going to be a senior, and there doesn't appear to be an heir apparent on the roster. This would seem to indicate Bone is comfortable with Royce Woolridge or DaVonte Lacy becoming a primary ball handler. Or maybe he feels confident he'll land an impact point guard in the 2013 class.

Whatever the case, it's something to keep an eye on this season.

Bill Moos made some waves last week when we found out that Jim Walden was being replaced as the color analyst on the Cougar football radio broadcasts. As it turns out, that probably was a small ripple compared to the news that's coming this afternoon.

Moos is joining the Kevin Calabro show today at 3:30 p.m. to announce major changes to the broadcast. According to Cougfan.com, those alterations likely are going to include some sort of role change for longtime WSU broadcaster Bob Robertson, whose iconic status makes this a delicate situation for Moos.

In a move that makes complete and total sense, it appears play-by-play-man-in-waiting Bud Nameck finally will be making his way from the sidelines to the booth. What that entails, nobody seems to be sure of - if there's one thing we know, it's that Moos can keep a secret. But it would be surprising if Robertson was outright replaced at this point, unless that was Robertson's desire.

Since there's been no indication that BobRob feels that way, it's likely we're looking at some sort of three-man booth where Robertson and Nameck share the play-by-play duties in some fashion, with the 83-year-old Robertson eventually transitioning all the way out of the booth in the next year or two. It's possible they work together on each broadcast, but it's also possible that BobRob does some games, while Nameck does others, or that they alternate quarters. I suppose any arrangement is possible, but all indications are that it's going to be shared in some way.

As for who will join them? Cougfan is reporting that former receiver Shawn McWashington is the guy. While it's a bit out of left field, it actually makes a heck of a lot of sense. For one, McWashington can talk. And talk, and talk, and talk. McWashington was a member of the famed "Fab Five" on the 1997 Rose Bowl team, and as one who covered that team while in school, he unquestionably was the most quotable of any offensive player. He won't be folksy, but he'll certainly never be at a loss for words.

But an analyst's job is more than just talking (and hooting and hollering and cheering and complaining), and as a former receiver who played in a spread offense that really wasn't all that different than Mike Leach's Air Raid, McWashington ought to be able to offer some insight into what's unfolding on the field for the listener.

What do you all think? Satisfied with this arrangement? Since it doesn't seem like this is all BobRob's idea, do you think Robertson should be able to dictate when he steps down?

If you want to listen to the announcement, you can find it on ESPN 710-AM in the Seattle area or streaming live at mynorthwest.com.

Steve Gleason's fight for his life against the ravages of ALS is never far from our minds, and those who live in the greater Seattle area have a chance to help raise money to help defray the costs of his care by participating in the "Game On For Gleason" fundraiser on May 12 at Safeco Field.

From the event press release:

Drinks, heavy appetizers, a silent & live auction and a special video presentation will highlight the event. Event guests will also get a special tour behind the scenes of the home of Seattle Mariners baseball. Tickets for the event are $80 online ($95 at the door), and all proceeds go to Steve, wife Michel and baby Rivers through the Gleason Family Trust.

lt doesn't appear Gleason will be in attendance, but his brother, Kyle, will be there to share about Steve's courageous fight.

You can learn more about the event at its Facebook page; if you can't attend, consider making either an auction donation or a cash donation to the Gleason Family Trust at TeamGleason.org.

To make a donation (nothing is too big or small) or to learn more about the event, you can contact contact Kim Gonzalez at 425-283-8584 and kegonzo(at)gmail(dot)com.

And if you can't do any of those things, keep praying for Steve, Michel and Rivers.

No white flags. Go Cougs.

As reported by multiple outlets in the last day or so, Iowa State transfer Jordan Railey -- a 6-foot-11, 250-pound center -- will be coming to WSU this summer. After having played sparingly in his first two years in Ames, he has three years to play two.

Although Railey won't be able to play this season as he fulfills his year of ineligibility as a result of the transfer, he obviously fills a huge need on a roster that is perilously thin in terms of actual post players. He's a big body. That's a positive!

Unfortunately, that's sort of where the obvious positives end. I hesitate to bag too hard on a kid who is pursuing his dream to play college basketball; these guys aren't professionals, and I'm sure he's incredibly excited to get a fresh start at WSU. However, there isn't much reason beyond Railey's height to think he could make a serious impact for the Cougs.

Continue reading this post »

So, I'm not going to be able to attend the Crimson and Gray game on Saturday because of a prior commitment that I made before I knew there was going to be a conflict. I'm completely bummed about missing the game, but I might get the next best thing if you can help me out.

The game is going to be broadcast on SWX. Does anyone out there have a DVR and/or DVD recorder and/or VCR that could record the game and put it on tape or burn it to a disc for me so that I could watch it? You'd be doing me a huge solid, and there just might be something of small monetary value in it for you.

You can either leave a comment below or email me at cougcenter(at)gmail(dot)com.

(And yes, I know it's also going to be streamed -- I'm not going to be home.)

Each year, Athlon Sports does a series of conference-specific rankings that do exactly what these sorts of rankings are supposed to do: Generate discussion.

So it was with curiosity that I clicked over to the ESPN Pac-12 Blog to see how the Athlon ranked the conference's quarterbacks, since we all like to think that the guy who will be under center for WSU this fall is pretty good. Here's the list:

My first thought was, "No. 3? That's way too high." But then I looked at the rest of the list and holy wow I did not realize just how much quarterbacking talent the conference lost this past offseason. As the potential No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft next year, Barkley is clearly tops. And Price is clearly no worse than No. 2.

But after that? It's a whole heapload of question marks. If you consider the potential flashed by Tuel as a sophomore and the numbers he's likely going to generate as the trigger man in the Air Raid, I could see how he elevates to the top of that heap. I love Mannion's tools, but he throws a lot of picks. (Plus he won't be playing against a Chris Ball-coached defense again.)

Personally, I'd probably have put Bennett at No. 3. He showed me enough in spot duty last year to convince me -- and a lot of Duck fans -- that he can be Darron Thomas' equal this year. And if that's the case, he's going to lead Oregon to a lot of points once again.

As for the rest of them? All you need to know about the state of quarterback in the Pac-12 is that Maynard is in the top half, and a junior with eight career attempts is right behind him.

So what do you think? No. 3 sound about right to you? Or would you put Tuel somewhere else? And how about the rest of the list?

For those of you who got sick of screen passes under former offensive coordinator Todd Sturdy, you might want to take a deep breath right about now: You're going to see a ton more under Mike Leach, as the screen game is a huge part of the Air Raid attack.

With the Crimson and Gray game on Saturday, I figured it was time to dive back into Mike Leach's playbook to examine Rita, Lisa, Randy and Larry. Here's a snippet of my 1,600 words on the topic in yesterday's Cougar Sports Weekly:

Right now, you probably have no idea who Rita, Lisa, Randy and Larry are. But if you want to familiarize yourself with Mike Leach's playbook, you best get yourself acquainted with them, because they're the names of most of the variations of Leach's wide receiver screens. ...

Rita/Lisa
This is your basic jailbreak screen -- a screen pass in which an outside receiver catches the ball running to the inside of the formation with linemen running out in front of him -- either to the right (Rita) or left (Lisa). It's the play that probably comes to mind when you think of a wide receiver screen, and it's a play that Marquess Wilson ran to great success last year, including his touchdown at San Diego State. Here's what it looks like in diagram form:

via bruceeien.com

The process is simple. The quarterback takes a three-step drop while the intended receiver sells a vertical route. The defensive ends push upfield, and the tackles ride them right out of the play. At three steps downfield, the receiver plants and retraces his route, coming back to the ball and back across the line of scrimmage. That last part -- catching the ball on his side of the line of scrimmage -- is really important, because that allows the linemen to run free downfield without penalty.

All of the blockers flow to the side of the intended receiver, creating a wall behind which the receiver can run. When the interior linemen release the defensive tackles, the screen theoretically creates a hat-on-hat situation with blockers and defenders. And when it works to perfection, you get what you got against SDSU: An escort down the field.

I go on to examine Randy, Larry and the Arc -- more types of screens. (EDIT: Forgot to mention that the newsletter also includes my analysis of recruit Danny Mattingly's video.) If I have sufficiently intrigued you and you'd like to read the rest of the piece, you can find subscription info for Cougar Sports Weekly here. Monthly subscriptions are just $1.99, and when you sign up, I'll forward you the most recent edition and you'll have access to our archives.

The WSU baseball team sits at just 16-13 roughly halfway through the season, making a return to the postseason look a little bit dicey at the moment.

One of the big reasons the team has struggled to win consistently has been the performance of the pitching staff, which has been inconsistent at best. It's a young group; the rotation features a true sophomore and two true freshman, while two freshmen and a sophomore make up half of the relievers who have made at least 10 appearances. Only one junior or senior -- closer Anthony Drobnick, a junior -- is regularly used in high leverage situations.

Sophomore J.D. Leckenby, the team's Friday night starter, is the leader of that young, talented and inconsistent pack. If you were around the site last season, you know that I made no secret of my infatuation with Leckenby. I pony up the $9.95 a month to watch the team on WSUCougars.com, and I loved what I saw out of him last year.

Here's what I wrote about him at the end of last season:

He throws a hard sinker in the low 90s that induces an insane number of ground balls. His 2.28 ERA out of the bullpen was partly driven by a ridiculously low .181 opponents' BABIP, but still -- at least some of that can be explained by the weak contact he often induces.

Pitchers who can induce ground balls are perhaps the most undervalued commodity to the casual fan. While they're not nearly as sexy as guys like Adam Conley who can reach back and blow a ball by a batter, they operate with cold efficiency. After all, every ball that's on the ground is a ball that can't leave the yard. As the Mariners continue to show, there's really only so much damage a team can do with a series of seeing-eye singles.

If you didn't get to see him last year, here's what the majority of his outings looked like (major league hat tip to Mark, who's responsible for putting together all of the video you're about to see):

My final assessment last year:

If he learns how to miss some bats (just five strikeouts in 27.1 innings) and walks a few less hitters, he'll be a bonafide ace.

Well, he has done both of those things, racking up more strikeouts (now 5.8 per nine innings) and limiting his walks (2.5 per nine innings, down from 4.7). Yet, while he's had moments of brilliance, and certainly hasn't been the team's biggest problem, his overall stat line doesn't exactly scream "ace." He's experiencing far less success than he did a year ago.

Why? With Mark's help, I think I've discovered at least part of the problem.

Continue reading this post »

No I'm not talking about Brad Pitt, the movie, or even Michael Lewis. Here's part of what I wrote for the latest edition of Cougar Sports Weekly:

Leach clearly isn't viewing special teams as an afterthought, as so many other coaches do. He devoted a significant amount of money to hire one of the nation's top special teams coaches, Eric Russell, away from Tennessee. And a number of other assistant coaches -- notably Jeff Choate, who was Boise State's special teams coordinator before being hired to coach the linebackers here -- have deep special teams ties.

The question, then, is why? What does Leach think he sees that so many other coaches seem to miss?

This is why I used the term "Moneyball" above. If you're familiar with Moneyball by Michael Lewis -- or the movie starring Brad Pitt, which I unfortunately have not seen -- you know that it centers around the statistical revolution in baseball. However, many people end up missing the big point. Moneyball was never about on-base percentage as some magical metric; it was about looking for things that actually help you win games that the competition seems to be overlooking.

There's a good chance that's exactly what Leach is hoping WSU's special teams can be.

I go on to analyze just how it is that special teams might hold the key to squeezing out an extra win out of this bunch. As usual, you can subscribe to Cougar Sports Weekly here, and when you do, I'll forward you a copy of this newsletter and you'll have access to all of our archives.

Many of you have seen the photos of the progress being made by the Cougar Football Project, including this post by Brian about a week ago. The final beam has been put in place -- but not before a ceremony down on the field at Martin Stadium.

There's a photo above, but you can check out the whole photo album here at the Cougar Football Project Facebook page. I highly recommend flipping through all 35 photos, where you can see others such as Bill Moos, Dr. Elson Floyd, Butch and all the players signing the beam before it's raised to the top of the new structure. I'm guessing this took place on Saturday before the scrimmage. (Edit: The signing took place Saturday, the beam was erected on Tuesday.)

This south side portion of the project replaces the old press box on the south stands with a new structure that includes a new press box, club seats, loge boxes, luxury suites and a club room. There are still plenty of season tickets available in all parts of the project, which you can learn about here.

And if you're looking for more fun visuals, you can check out the time lapse video here. Very cool.

EDIT: There's video! After you watch it, I assume I won't be the only one who thinks it's straight awesome that Mike Leach operated the crane.

The Cougar Football Project: The Final Beam! (via WSUCougarAthletics)

Howie Stalwick is reporting for Cougfan.com that marijuana possession charges against former linebacker Sekope Kaufusi have been dropped "without prejudice" due to a lack of evidence, according to his lawyer.

Stop me if you've heard this before, but there apparently were questions by both Kaufusi and the prosecutor about the legality of the search by Pullman Police. According to Kaufusi's lawyer:

"Without prejudice" means the case can be re-opened if new evidence becomes available, but Sandberg said that is highly unlikely in Kaufusi’s case.

The natural question, of course, is whether this has any bearing on Kaufusi's status with the team. Considering he was dismissed from the team by Mike Leach within 48 hours of the arrest -- here's to guessing Leach confronted him, asking for either a confession or a pee test -- I would assume the dropping of charges on a technicality will have absolutely no influence on Kaufusi's chances of rejoining the team.

And, as we've said all along, while it might be a non-zero chance he returns, it's probably not much more than zero. You might remember that Leach followed up his comments on KJR that seemed to leave the door open on a return by telling 710 ESPN "I never said" the door was open. I guess if you want to continue to hold out hope, you can hold onto the fact that he has yet to announce any intention to transfer.

In positive news, Denzell Dotson -- who was arrested and cited for DUI over the weekend -- practiced today, which means we can safely assume he will not be dismissed for his transgression.

Here's what Leach had to say about that, via Christian Caple:

"Anything that we do, have done, will do, that’s strictly within the team." I asked Leach about his general policy in regard to DUI. He said "you look at it and consider the facts and adjust to it as it comes." Leach added that "it depends on the circumstances of the situation, the whole deal."

Optimism obviously abounds with regards to the WSU Cougars football team right now, but at least one source thinks we all should be tempering our optimism a little bit.

SB Nation's own Bill Connelly -- who also manages Rock M Nation and Football Study Hall, contributes to Football Outsiders and is just an all-around good guy -- is the man behind S&P+, an efficiency based metric that you saw Craig cite often when writing opponent previews back in the fall. S&P+ combines with the Fremeau Efficiency Index to form Football Outsiders' official NCAA rating metric, F/+. (If you're curious, you can learn about the differences between S&P+ and FEI here.)

For the past couple of years, Connelly and FEI creator Brian Fremeau have worked on preseason F/+ projections, and they've got a rough version of their 2012 projections up now over at Football Study Hall. So far, they are incorporating returning starters, two-year recruiting rankings, and 2011 performance. So how do their laptops see the Cougs in 2012?

Just 97th overall -- up only three spots from the final F/+ rankings of 2011.

Here's how the entire Pac-12 stacks up:

Looking at what goes into these projections, it's not difficult to see why the Cougs don't rank highly. They do return a fair number of starters, but not an exceptional amount -- and they return those starters to a team that's been one of the worst BCS conference teams in history. And the Cougars have been nothing more than a mediocre recruiting team over the past two years. Additionally, the final F/+ projections don't yet but are going to include more years of past performance and updated roster attrition -- neither of which are going to be kind to the Cougs, either.

Obviously there are factors that can't be measured in numbers, most obviously the impact of changing coaches -- specifically the impact of hiring a guy who ostensibly should be a better coach than his predecessor. Still, it makes me wonder if we're not overestimating the improvement this team should be expected to make.

Thoughts?

As spring practices got underway a couple of weeks ago, some people expressed surprise at the idea of Mike Leach installing his version of the Air Raid offense in just three days. Isn't football supposed to be super complex? Especially an offense that's as prolific as Leach's?

We've touched on various aspects of how this is happening in a handful of different posts, but I figured it might be worthwhile to pull it all together in one place for you so that you can see how the magic is made. I'm sure this is going to be elementary for some of you.

There's a school of thought among some football coaches that complexity is important for complexity's sake -- the more variations and permutations available to the coach, the better equipped they will be to outmaneuver their opponent with whatever package or play is called for by the situation. You see this a lot at the pro level. Remember all the hand wringing during the NFL lockout about how rookies and players who changed teams and teams that changed coaches would struggle to adapt without all that offseason practice time? How will they learn all the intricacies? This is the monster they've created*, and there's been a trickle-down effect to the college level.

*You'll note that it was much ado about nothing, with the grand example being Cam Newton passing for 4,000 yards and 21 touchdowns. The pro coaches were forced into what we're about to talk about, and oddly enough, it worked!

But there's another school of thought among a handful of pass-first coaches -- mostly in Leach's coaching tree -- that's been making a comeback.

Simplicity -- even in a pass-heavy offense.

This isn't a revolutionary concept. The wing T, the wishbone, the flex-bone etc. ... these run-first-second-and-third offenses are predicated on having a few core plays with lots of small variations. The emphasis is on executing those plays flawlessly, a tradition made famous by Vince Lombardi, even if he didn't start it.

Most have assumed that today's passing attacks are too complex for this sort of approach. Receivers have to know all sorts of routes from all sorts of different spots on the field, right?

Leach, the guru of the most prolific passing offense in college football*, has flipped that idea on its head. And it's this philosophy that allows him to install the Air Raid in just a few days.

*Leach himself might defer to his own mentor, Hal Mumme, as the "guru." But I think there's little doubt at this point that Leach took Mumme's concepts to a new level at Texas Tech, creating a stunning number of disciples that have their tentacles all over college football.

Continue reading this post »

Here's an excerpt of the latest Cougar Sports Weekly:

Most analysis that tries to measure the impact of participating in the postseason looks a lot like this piece from Bud Withers. "What was the team’s record the following year? Did the team make the postseason? How deep did they get?" Etc.

The problem with such analysis is that it ignores a lot of context. For example, what if the team that won the CBI had four seniors starting? Would you then expect that team to significantly improve the next season based on its postseason experience? Doubtful, right?

To try and take this context into account, I went back and looked at the eight previous teams that reached the finals of the CBI, as WSU did. I calculated what percentage of the team’s minutes returned the following year, then calculated what percentage of possessions those guys used* the year of their CBI run. Then I looked at how each of those teams ranked in Ken Pomeroy’s ratings at the conclusion of their CBI run and compared their finish the following year.

*"Possessions used" is just another way of saying "possessions ending with a player's action" e.g. made shot, turnover, missed shot not rebounded by the offense, free throws, etc. The more possessions used by an individual, the more integral that individual is to the team's production. Klay Thompson, Brock Motum and Tony Wroten are all examples of high usage players.

If there indeed is a "tournament effect," there should be some relationship between improvement in ranking from one year to the next and the amount of returning minutes and usage.

Here’s the data, table style, ordered by most improvement to least improvement.

That, folks, is what we call a teaser. I completed this quantitative look at what it all means, then followed it with a qualitative look via my own observations after watching every game of the CBI. Also included? Spring football thoughts and a take on Ryan Leaf.

If you're interested in subscribing, you can find information on that here. I'll send you copy of this mailing, as well as a link to our archives.

We haven't heard much out of Ryan Leaf since his arrest yesterday on burglary and drug possession charges, but we're starting to hear from the other parties who will take an interest in his legal mishap.

Namely, representatives of the state of Texas.

According to the Associated Press, the district attorney who prosecuted Leaf in 2010 on similar charges will file a motion, presumably on Monday, to have Leaf's 10-year probation revoked:

"I think it's sad," [James] Farren said of the allegations against Leaf in Montana. "While I hoped for better results I'm not surprised it happened."

I'm not sure the final comment was warranted, but whatever. The real story here is that this is bad news for Leaf, who now faces the prospect of a conviction and serious jail time in Texas -- Farren said the judge could elect to enforce each charge separately and "stack" the sentences. The AP reports that some of the charges carry up to 20 years each.

WSU didn't make it to the final game of the CBI on the strength of its defense, and it was that defense that let the Cougars down as the Pitt Panthers took the decisive game of the tournament, 71-65, bringing an end to WSU's season.

For the second time in the series, Pitt absolutely dominated the Cougar defense, scoring a robust 1.29 points per possession. The difference between this and game one was that Pitt didn't do it on the strength of hot outside shooting and strong offensive rebounding -- the Panthers did it by out-executing the Cougars in the half-court with a series of ball screens that continually befuddled WSU all night.

The Cougars' man-to-man defense appeared to have made great strides in this tournament, but ball screen defense had been an issue for WSU all season. It led to the Panthers making 61 percent of their twos, exemplified by Talib Zanna's 12 points on just six shots -- most of them dunks after slipping a screen.

There were a pair of critical errors that proved costly.

The game was tied about five minutes into the second half when WSU got a stop, only to give up an offensive rebound. J.J. Moore drew a foul on his three pointer and made two of three at the line. The third attempt was the miss, and WSU failed to box out -- who else? -- Zanna, who would eventually finish the possession with a shot in the paint. It began a 12-2 run that would extend the Pitt lead to 10.

Still, WSU continued to battle, eventually getting as close as six with just under four minutes to go. The Cougs again secured a stop that was rebounded by Charlie Enquist. But in his rush to advance the ball up the court, he passed it right to Lamar Patterson to begin a possession that would end with a pair of Tray Woodall free throws, and more or less put any thoughts of a comeback out of reach.

The Cougs fought until the very end, but it was clear they just didn't have a lot left in the tank by the end of this one after playing their third game in five days.

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When Brock Motum went down with a sprained ankle early in WSU's CBI Tournament semifinal with Oregon State, most assumed the Cougars would struggle to score points going forward.

But for two games, WSU defied the odds and thrived without its leading scorer. Tonight, his absence finally caught up with the Cougs.

Pitt evened the championship series of the CBI at a game apiece with a 57-53 victory at the Petersen Events Center, and the inability of WSU to score points was the main driving force in the loss.

The Panthers have become well known for their defense under Jamie DIxon, but this year they rank just 151st in adjusted defensive efficiency. Tonight was a return to their roots, as they consistently made life uncomfortable for the Cougars. They crowded shooters on the perimeter and stifled WSU's movement early on.

Most importantly, they took away Abe Lodwick as a credible scoring threat, leading to a number of possessions that led to Reggie Moore dribbling without a purpose and forcing up a contested shot. The Cougs, who would shoot just 4-of-13 from three on the night, wound up trailing 29-20 at halftime.

Success in a series comes down to the ability to make adjustments, and while Pitt's adjustment had some initial success, it was WSU's halftime adjustment that allowed the Cougs to nearly come back and secure the CBI title. And the adjustment was led by Moore.

The junior guard resembled his sometimes-unstoppable freshman self in the final 20 minutes, not only driving into the lane at will and drawing fouls, but also finishing around the rim in a way we generally haven't seen in two years. He hit 4-of-8 shots and 8-of-10 free throws, the last two of which pulled the Cougs into a tie at 49 with just under two minutes to go.

Pitt pulled ahead on a Lamar Patterson jumper, and when Moore missed a short jumper on the ensuing possession, it appeared the Cougs would get another crack at tying the game as the ball was volleyed out of bounds by a Pitt player. But the ref under the basket blew the call -- no other way to describe it -- and the Panthers took advantage by scoring the next time down the floor to go up by two possessions.

It was a gap WSU never could overcome.

While it would have been nice to wrap up the series with a victory tonight, there still were a lot of positives to take away, starting with Moore. The second half was as dominant as I've seen him since midway through the 2009-2010 season, and it was done in a way that is completely sustainable. If this serves as some kind of catalyst -- a reminder that this is how good he can be -- then WSU will be better for it next season.

Additionally, the Cougs continued their run of solid defense; over the last three halves of basketball, they've held Pitt to exactly 1 point per possession. That, frankly, is excellent, despite the fact that WSU had trouble getting stops in the last couple of minutes. (It didn't hurt that Pitt was missing leading scorer Ashton Gibbs, but the point remains.)

A big part of that was holding the Panthers to just 31 OR%, and it was thanks to the Cougars' guards aggressively crashing down on the defensive glass. DaVonte Lacy, usually known more for his 3-point shooting, picked up a team-high seven boards -- six of them defensive.

It's evident these are two pretty evenly matched teams. Friday's decisive game three should be fun.

Mike Leach is famous for not tipping his hand. If you were not aware of this, just go ahead and read any of Christian Caple's spring practice recaps in which he is forced to repeatedly alert the reader to Leach's policy of not commenting on injuries.

However, as we try to get a handle on who is eventually going to be WSU's starter at quarterback in the fall -- Jeff Tuel or Connor Halliday -- Leach actually has tipped his hand in a big way: Through what he had to say about the position in his book, "Swing Your Sword."

For today's Cougar Sports Weekly, which I'll be sending out shortly, I decided to go back and examine what Leach had to say about what attributes are most important to him in selecting a quarterback and then see how Tuel and Halliday stacked up. Here's a brief excerpt from the lengthy examination I wrote on the topic:

Says Leach, "It’s very difficult to gauge a quarterback’s intelligence from recruiting tape, but I know that guys who throw into double coverage aren’t making good decisions. What I want to see is him throwing to his receivers right on the break, or just as they find themselves wide open."

Substitute "recruiting tape" with "watching as a fan on TV" and you’ve got our position. All we can do is apply the same two standards Leach does when he watches quarterback prospects: Is he throwing to guys who are open and is he throwing it to them as they come open?

In terms of the latter, I see this as another push between the two of them. But with regards to the former, I think this is an area where Tuel has a bit of an advantage at the moment. Among the seven full-time starters in the Pac-10 in 2010, Tuel had the highest attempt-to-interception ratio. This jives with what I saw with my eyes, and I think part of it is due to Tuel’s ability to tuck the ball and run rather than force the ball when nobody is open.

Halliday, on the other hand, has a bit of a gunslinger mentality. Sometimes he gets away with it and throws for 500 yards. Sometimes he throws four interceptions in the first half, as he did against a Utah team that was excellent defensively and actually prepared for him and his skill set.

If you'd like to read the whole thing, you can subscribe to Cougar Sports Weekly here. It's cheap! And you'll get access to our archives when you do.

When WSU elected to play in the CBI despite a 15-16 record, many fans derided the decision to play in what they saw as a third-rate tournament.

Now that WSU has beaten Oregon State for the third time this season, 72-55, to reach the best-of-three final against Pittsburgh ... now that Abe Lodwick put up 23 points and 12 rebounds to set a career high in points for the second consecutive game ... now that Marcus Capers is playing the best ball of his career ...

At this point, I find it very difficult to see the experience of playing in the CBI as anything but positive for the program.

The Cougars were in control of this one from start to finish -- for the third consecutive game -- something made all the more impressive by the fact that Brock Motum sustained a right ankle injury early in the game trying to contest a shot in the lane and never returned.

In his stead, Lodwick had the game of his career. The sweet-shooting senior hit 5-of-8 threes to replace Motum's production, including a 28-footer just before halftime to give the Cougars a 10-point lead. Oregon State would never get closer than nine the rest of the way.

But Lodwick was far from the only player to step up. Reggie Moore repeatedly abused Challe Barton, who replaced Ahmad Starks (sick) in the lineup, to the tune of 22 points. Moore had averaged just over 9 points in the previous three matchups as he struggled to penetrate against Starks' quickness. No such issues tonight.

Capers' stat line won't wow you, as it had recently, but he deserves the bulk of the credit for holding Jared Cunningham to just 13 points on 5-of-12 shooting. The Cougars didn't play even one possession of zone tonight*, and Capers more or less shut down Cunningham one on one. It was one of his best defensive performances of the season, if not the best, given the competition.

*EDIT: It's been brought to my attention they did play a few possessions of zone when they were in foul trouble at the end of the first half. For whatever reason, it wasn't obvious and I didn't notice. Sorry!

Mike Ladd also deserves some recognition. He only had six points, but he also had six rebounds -- three offensive -- and was relentless mixing it up in the lane against taller players. Ladd's effort was emblematic of the entire team, which refused to back down even after losing its best player. The Cougs showed a ton of heart tonight, consistently outworking the Beavers on both ends of the floor.

I honestly couldn't be prouder of these guys. They were making great strides through mid-February, then hit a bit of a rough patch to finish out the regular season. It made me wonder if the CBI was such a great idea -- starting with that mess against Washington, the team was sort of limping to the finish line.

But after the Cougs scored 1.13 points per possession without Brock Motum ... after they held Oregon State to just 0.86 and 40 effective FG percentage (the Beavers had been above 70 the last two games) ... after they secured their third consecutive double-digit victory ...

It's hard not to have a little fun watching this run, even if it's "just" the CBI.

WSU will play Pitt on Monday in Pullman at 7 p.m. to kick off the finals. Game two (and three if necessary) will be in Pittsburgh. All games will be televisedon HDNet.