WSU basketball opens Diamond Head Classic against Mississippi State
by Brian Floyd on Aug 5, 2010 12:41 PM PDT
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PrintESPN has announced the Diamond Head Classic schedule and it looks good for the Cougs.
First-round games Wednesday, Dec. 22, will tip off with the noon PT matchup of Mississippi State and Washington State.
In the second game, WSU will play either Baylor or San Diego. Baylor would be a great test, while San Diego rolled over for WSU in Alaska last year.
MSU and WSU have met once, with WSU winning 62-53 in the 2008 Legends Classic. I don't know a ton about the 2010 version of the MSU team, but do know that Jarvis Varnado is gone and troubled -- but talented -- freshman Renardo Sidney may still be serving a suspension during the Diamond Head Classic.
If both Baylor and WSU win their openers, we're in for a treat. Baylor looks to be strong again, even after losing Tweety Carter and Ekpe Udoh. It seems like we've played Baylor every year recently yet still can't get the best of them (Or I'm exaggerating, we beat them in 2007). It'd go a long way if the 2010 Cougars can bring a win home over the Bears.
Between MSU and perhaps Baylor, the Diamond Head Classic is shaping up to be a nice test for WSU. The season schedule should be out soon, but at least the TBA part of the Diamond Head Classic is filled in.
Side note: The Maui Invitational bracket is out. UW takes on Virginia in the first round. Who do you root for?
EDIT NUSS, 5:15 p.m.: Here's a link to the full bracket.
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That should be a great tournament
Hopefully a little more challenging than the Alaska Shootout last year.
As for the UW-Virginia game, I will root for nobody…..but I will hope UW blows out baby Bennett and his Cavs.
That would be my stance if I was a Coug
I always root for Pac-10 teams in OOC games, plus TB gave you the shaft.
I’d love to see WSU put it together this year and smash BU and MSU. Any wins over Big 6 foes will help the profile of the Pac-10. Beside that, while I dislike WSU, there is a pretty good WA prescence on your team, and I’d like to see those kids do well.
by B Money on Aug 5, 2010 1:03 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions
I'll be pulling for Virginia...
… As long as someone throws a ball and breaks TB’s nose on the sideline.
Screw the ACC!
Go Pac10! We need to keep building our national presence. A loss to TB’s Hoos would hurt.
"They've done studies, you know. 60% of the time it works, every time." - Brian Fantana
I'd like to see UW take out Virginia
Grady said it earlier today, but Romar is all class while the Bennett deal still stings. I’ve always like Romar and his loyalty to UW is readily apparent. He’s also a damn good coach.
Best case scenario
UW beats Virginia so badly that Thomas and Overton mistakenly think they are playing in a Harlem Globetrotters game and de-pants Bennett as a joke. Bennett is revealed to be wearing women’s underwear with Coach K’s face on them and Isiah and Venoy are suspended for the rest of the season. UW wins and loses, while Bennett is dually humiliated on national television.
by Mark Sandritter on Aug 5, 2010 1:27 PM PDT reply actions 6 recs
Good tournament
Should be a great early season test to see where these guys are at. Winning this tournament would be a huge boost for this team.
While I really never root for UW, this could be the first time. The Pac-10 needs the wins to silence the east coast media, especially against the ACC. Bennett being there just puts me over the edge to pull for the dogies.
The best of Baylor...
Didn’t we best them at Baylor just a couple years back?
beat 'em on the road in '07
lost at home in ’08
If I recall...
We kinda stole the one on the road, so you may have filed it away as a loss.
by LongballWSUFB on Aug 5, 2010 2:45 PM PDT up reply actions
Stole one indeed.
I think we were down by 13 or so at halftime and thanks in part to a huge game from Cowgill came back in the second half. I mostly remember watching the game at Zeppoz and my friend kept asking the waiter for a drink. Asked probably six times and the waiter would forget or get sidetracked. My friend nearly passed out at the end of the game part stress part dehydration.
by Mark Sandritter on Aug 5, 2010 3:07 PM PDT up reply actions
It had more to do with like 8 threes in the last five minutes or something like that.
And Derrick Low had six of those I believe.
I remember Cowgill turning it up a notch more than late threes
I love how our memory works. D-Low had only 9 points for the game but hit two threes in the last 3 minutes or so.
Agree, Cowgill was awesome
And in front of all his family and friends as well; really stood out more than anything.
Gonzaga's in a tough situation
They start off playing K State in what is basically an away game in Kansas City. Then they play either Duke or Marquette.
The Cougs were also named the most Intriguing team to watch by Andy Katz
He has an excellent Tourney rundown here.
Intriguing team to watch: Washington State. The Cougars return three studs in Klay Thompson, Reggie Moore and DeAngelo Casto, yet finished last in the Pac-10. Will Wazzu bounce back and be trouble for a loaded field at the Diamond Head Classic?
Baylor is impressive
It will be interesting to see if Casto can handle Jones. Although a freshmen, it’s supposed to be pretty special. And Klay or Capers on Dunn will be intriguing. Very tough game – definitely a huge step up from the comp in Alaska.
But getting by MSU won’t be any gimme. Sidney is only ineligible for the 1st 9 games, so will be eligible by Hawaii I believe. Luckily Vernardo is gone…
One thing is definitely true – Casto is going to have his hands full in Hawaii. Starting with Sidney, followed by Jones (if we win) is no picnic. One of the biggies is going to have to step up & help (e.g. Bjornstad/Enquist).
As for UVa vs. UW, no contest. I ALWAYS root against the ‘U, and definitely in that game. That said, Bennett’s team is a year or two away and the mutts will be very good this year.
Is anyone else thoroughly annoyed
That of all the teams in this tournament, we have to play at team in our first game that we played two years ago, and in our second game will either play a team we played last year or a team we played twice in the last five years?
The only team in the other half of the bracket we’ve played this decade is Utah, and that was during Tony Bennett’s first season. Couldn’t we have been hooked up with one of them? Sigh.
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