Pac-10 Basketball Preview – Washington State Cougars
State of the Program
“This is something I anticipated could one day happen. I just knew he was the type of superstar coach that could end up in our league. But we’re both competitors and we’ll be trying to do everything we can to help our respective teams win when we play each other” – Washington Head Coach Lorenzo Romar on WSU hiring Ken Bone
Washington State lost a rising star in the coaching profession to the University of Virginia…. but have the Cougars hired another one? The departure of Tony Bennett brought an end to an era in Pullman–an era full of winning, defense, NCAA tourney runs, defense, Taylor Rochesite, and defense.
Now this Wazzu program will move in an entirely different direction. New head coach Ken Bone brings an up-tempo style that places a heavy emphasis on the transition game. The 51-year old coach from Seattle (WA) also brings an impressive track record with him, as he took each of his last two Portland State teams to the NCAA Tournament.
Bone respects the style that the fans in Pullman have come to expect over these last six years (going back to Dick Bennett), but he also believes that his brand can be just as successful: “It’s a different style. Their defense, their offense, their transition defense, it all fit together the way they wanted to play. What we want to do is good, but it should look a little quicker”.
The Cougars return a couple of all-conference caliber players, but they also lost three valuable contributors (Rochestie, Aaron Baynes, and Caleb Forrest). It will therefore be interesting to see how deep Bone’s debut squad is, especially if WSU expects to play up-tempo right away.
Impact Superstar: G Klay Thompson
It would not surprise me in the least to see Thompson win Pac-10 Player of the Year for 2009-10; he is that good. The 6-6 sophomore from Ladera Ranch (CA) is the total package at the two guard. His shooting stroke is as pure as you will find, but he’s also an unselfish playmaker with tremendous passing skills. As good as his offensive game is he may be a better defender, as he can rebound, block shots, and create steals. Last season, Thompson averaged 12.5 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 1.9 APG, while also shooting 41% from 3-point range.
Thompson’s basketball pedigree played an obvious role in his development (son of 3-time NBA champion Mychal Thompson), but I believe the sky is the limit for Klay. In Bone’s system, he will have more offensive freedom than ever before, and I have no doubt that he will far exceed his freshman statistics.
Needs To Have A Big Year: F DeAngelo Casto
Casto and Thompson shined at the U-19 World Basketball Championships for Team USA this summer, and that experience should pay huge dividends in the Pac-10 this season. The 6-8 Casto has the potential to be a dominant player on both sides of the court, and he is particularly lethal on the fast break. In limited minutes last season (his freshman year), Casto averaged 4.4 PPG and 4.0 RPG, but those numbers should be considerably better in 2009-10.
The sophomore from Spokane (WA) recently showcased his new and improved game, as he posted spectacular numbers in the season opener against Mississippi Valley State (18 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 blocks in only 20 minutes). Casto must be a consistent force on the boards and in the post all season, and his 2009-10 debut game seems to suggest that he will be.
Potential Impact Newcomer: G Reggie Moore
Many surrounding the WSU program believe Moore has limitless potential. The 6-1 point guard from Seattle (WA) is the kind of elite athlete that Ken Bone needs to run his system. Now the question is, can he become the team’s starting PG right away?
While I don’t expect him to become Taylor Rochestie overnight, I still think the answer is yes. If the season opener is any indication of what’s to come, the Cougs will be in good shape at the one spot all year (Moore had 10 points, 6 assists, 4 rebounds, and 2 steals against MVSU in season opener).
My Take
The all-conference duo of Thompson and Casto is as good as you will find in the Pac-10, but I am not sold on the depth of this WSU squad. Ken Bone admitted the Cougs are not quite ready for the up-tempo system yet: “I’m not sure we can be too up-tempo this year. We probably don’t have the depth.” Washington State surprised me with their 94-point scoring fest against Mississippi Valley State, but we won’t know if the Cougars are really ready to run until they play better competition.
While Bone may have to adjust his coaching style to fit this season’s team, I believe Wazzu will be successful if the role players (Lodwick, Capers, Koprivica) and freshmen (Thames, Motum) step up.
Ultimately, I see this as being a transitional year for a program that is in the middle of an ideological shift. But when Bone strings together a few more recruiting classes, the rest of the Pac-10 better watch out for the high-flying Cougars.
Projected Pac-10 Finish: 8th Place
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