Washington State Cougars (11-7, 4-7)

• Head Coach: Kyle Smith (2nd Season, Overall: 27-23)
• Points For: 68.1 PPG (T-278th)
• Points Against: 66.8 PPG (86th)
• Last Game/Streak: 74-71 Win at Oregon (2W)

The Skinny

Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images

• Isaac Bonton (18.8 PPG)
• Noah Williams (13.3 PPG)
• Efe Abogidi (9.2 PPG)
• Dishon Jackson (6.3 PPG)
• Andrej Jakimovski (5.9 PPG)
• Aljaz Kunc (4.9 PPG)
• DJ Rodman (4.5 PPG)
• Volodymyr Markovetskyy (2.9 PPG)
• Ryan Rapp (2.7 PPG)

While you’d think it’d be Oregon State that comes into Saturday’s clash against Washington State with some wind in their sails, seeing as they devoured Washington on Thursday night in an offensive explosion, it could actually be Washington State who steps in as a the big dog, fresh off their stunning upset of Oregon last night.

In the Cougars win, it was once again point guard Isaac Bonton who led the way, as the talented play-maker is the straw the stirs it all for Kyle Smith’s group. He’s not only a talented scorer who would be more in the Pac-12 Player of the Year conversation if Washington State was more in the mix, but he’s the type of guy who makes every single player around him better by putting them in situations where they can be successful.

When things are good for the Cougars, it’s when Bonton is playing at his most efficient.

However, Washington State isn’t a one-man show as they enter their second campaign under Smith, who has transformed the culture of a historically struggling group into a smarter and more calculated, team-based approach.

The Cougars have gotten great contributions from sophomore guard Noah Williams, who has posted 16.6 points per game over his last five contests and become the team’s second offensive option. Inside, big man Efe Abogidi is always waiting on the verge of a double-double and a duo of towering freshmen in Dishon Jackson and Andrej Jakomovski have begun to make their turn.

Across the board, Washington State gets what they need from guys like Aljaz Kunc, DJ Rodman, Volodymyr Markovetskyy and Ryan Rapp, who all do their little bits to help the cause. Yet, that’s been both a blessing and a curse for the Cougars at times this season, who seemingly discover more and more of themselves with every contest.

At the end of the day, this one might come down to if Oregon State can keep the offensive excitement going and find ways to breakdown a top 100 defensive team that has allowed more than 80 points in a game only three times this season.

Game Info

• Date: Saturday, February 6th
• Time: 3:00 PM PT
• Location: Gill Coliseum (Corvallis, Oregon)
• Coverage: Pac-12 Networks