Probable Starters:
| WSU (*used redsirt) | Vitals | MVSU | Vitals | |||
| G | Reggie Moore (Fr.) | 6-1/178 | G | Tashan Newsome (So.) | 6-4/185 | |
| G | Klay Thompson (So.) | 6-6/200 | G | Kevin Burwell (Jr.) | 5-10/185 | |
| G | Marcus Capers (So.) | 6-4/180 | F | Jason Holmes (So.) | 6-9/225 | |
| F | Abe Lodwick (So.*) | 6-7/200 | F | Shannon Behling (Sr) | 6-7/200 | |
| F | DeAngelo Casto (So.) | 6-8/231 | F | Mark Holmes (Fr.) | 6-6/215 |
Basketball!! Basketball!! Basketball!!
The Cougs start the season off inviting the Mississippi Valley State University Delta Devils to beautiful Eastern Washington for a third year in a row. The last two trips have not been successful on the court for the Delta Devils, losing 71-26 and 76-25. Good news for them is that they are very likely to break thirty this time around.
So how worried should Cougar fans be? Well, MVSU posted a 7-25 record last season. They started 0-14 playing the likes of Arizona State, WSU, Kentucky, and more. The Delta Devils also lost their two most important players from last season. They played two exhibition games, beating Stillwell College and losing to national powerhouse Wesley College. This game should equate to nothing more than a second exhibition for Washington State. The best part is, this one counts!
The go-to guys for MVSU look to be forward Shannon Behling and sophomore guard Tashan Newsome. Behling posted some nice numbers in their last exhibition against Stillwell College, going for 20 points and 15 rebounds. Tashan Newsome led the team with 27 points on 8-11 shooting. That's efficiency! Even though Behling plays in the frontcourt, he likes to chuck the three. He led the team with 166 three-point attempts last year, making 34% of them.
While you should not be all that concerned over the outcome of this game, there are still reasons for excitement:
1. The official start to the Ken Bone era. Bone was not happy with the pace of the exhibition game, saying the mid-70s possession contest was not fast enough. Look for the Cougs to push the ball, and don't be suprised to see a WSU game in the (gasp!) mid-eighties or low-nineties.
2. Reggie Moore. High flying dunks, precision passes, penetration in the lane with the ability to kick out or finish! This guy is going to be something to watch this year.
3. WSU will be the team handing out the beat down. I know you all are tired of being on the receiving end of these types of games. You should feel good about a Cougar sporting event after this one.
4. Participating in the discussion thread with your favorite group of Cougar fans! What better way to spend a Friday night than in front of your computer talking to people you have never met?