Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2008, 7:05 PM PST
Friel Court
PROBABLE STARTERS
| WSU (*redsirt) | Vitals | Idaho State (*redsirt) | Vitals | |||
| G | Taylor Rochestie (Sr.*) | 6-1/193 | G | Amorrow Morgan (Jr.) | 6-5/210 | |
| G | Klay Thompson (Fr.) | 6-6/187 | G | Donnie Carson (Jr.) | 6-2/195 | |
| G | Nikola Koprivica (Jr.) | 6-6/217 | G | Matt Stucki (Sr.) | 6-6/210 | |
| F | Daven Harmeling (Sr.*) | 6-7/227 | F | Demetrius Monroe (Jr.) | 6-8/200 | |
| C | Aron Baynes (Sr.) | 6-10/250 | C | Deividas Busma (Jr.) | 7-0/240 |
Back in Pullman after their first loss of the season, this ought to be another game in which the Cougars easily handle yet another overmatched opponent. Obviously I haven't seen the Bengals at all, but by looking at their previous games, this is a team that plays OK defense but doesn't have a strong offense. The Bengals don't shoot the ball all that well, but what offense they do generate comes from two sources: Getting offensive rebounds and getting to the free throw line. Contain those two elements, which the Cougs ought to be able to do, and you contain Idaho State.
Since this is yet another inferior squad, you'll probably be more interested in how this team is getting ready for its next big test: Baylor on Saturday. As you watch the game tonight on FSN, here's what I would look for, and it all has to do with the offense:
- Is Taylor Rochestie running the offense, or is it running him?
- Are the Cougs attacking the basket with renewed gusto, and in a way that can translate to future success? (This is the ideal opponent for that, by the way -- Idaho State is ranked 340th nationally in free throw rate defense.)
Most importantly, does the offense feel like it has an identity?
This game is likely to be another blowout; let's hope we see some positive movement in the offense that leads us to believe that sustained success is on the horizon.
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