RSS
Home
Pac-10 men's previews -- No. 9, Washington State
Print
Email
RSS
Subscribe
New Washington State coach Ken Bone/AP photo Reed Saxon
We begin our countdown and assessment of the Pac-10 men's basketball teams today, posting articles in inverse order of predicted finish.
We start at No. 9, because our pick for 10th place, Stanford, will be covered at a later date. All Pac-10 teams will be reviewed over the next few days.
For now, we look at a team that may challenge the Cardinal for the bottom spot, Washington State.
This will be interesting. New coach Ken Bone has two talented players in guard Klay Thompson and forward DeAngelo Casto, but he has discarded the system that has made Washington State successful the past few seasons.
Tony Bennett, who left to become head coach at Virginia, had made the Cougars a contender with lesser talent by implementing the complicated man-to-man defense and halfcourt offense that his father, Dick Bennett, had made so successful at Wisconsin. It was a distinctive style that made the Cougars a nightmare for opposing coaches because it invariably made opposing teams play poorly, especially offensively.
But now Bone wants to put in the same uptempo style that was successful for him at Portland State of the Big Sky Conference. He says he wants a transition game to attract elite recruits, but now the Cougars will be matching Pac-10 opponents based on athleticism and basketball skills, and WSU is not going to win many of those matchups.
Thompson is certainly capable of playing any style, and he could be one of the conference’s top scorers this season. Casto has the athleticism to fare well in this system, too. But Bone is not even sure who his other three starters will be, and asking them to play a running game against Pac-10 talent is a tall order. Plus, the returning players must unlearn the Bennett system and switch to a totally different style.
Freshman guard Xavier Thomas should help, but the Cougars just don’t have the talent to play that uptempo style in the Pac-10.
Bennett’s grinding style closed the talent gap and may have provided the Cougars with their only chance to complete. With him as well as point guard Taylor Rochestie and center Aron Baynes gone, the Cougars could begin a slide back to the days when they were always near the bottom of the standings.
The Cougars begin the season with some winnable games at home, including the Nov. 13 opener against Mississippi Valley State. Maybe they can adjust to the new style faster than we expect, but we think the Cougars will finish ninth.
See story on No. 5 Arizona here
For more Bay Area college sports, see jakestakeonsports.com.
See also:
RANKING SCHEDULE STRENGTH OF PAC-10 MEN'S TEAMS
APPEL NAMES PRESEASON ALL-AMERICAN
RANKING THE SCHEDULE STRENGTH OF PAC-10 WOMEN'S TEAMS
STANFORD'S MEN'S SCHEDULE A LITTLE TOUGHER
STANFORD WOMEN ATTEMPT 39 THREE-POINTERS IN EXHIBITION
TWO CAL FRESHMEN COULD MAKE BEARS CONTENDERS
STANFORD WOMEN UNANIMOUS PICK TO WIN PAC-10
Related Articles:
Add a Comment
