To get some news out of the way first, Faisal Aden is out today. It's become clear his knee has been bothering him, slowing him down significantly. Sitting Aden against ASU, however, is a smart move. With eight days until the next time WSU plays, against UW next Sunday, Aden will now get plenty of rest to hopefully heal down the stretch. As I'm knocking furiously on wood, I'll say WSU shouldn't need him today against Arizona State, as well. If there was a game to sit him in hopes he could heal up a bit, this is it.
On the plus side, Ty Abbott is out for Arizona State. So, yeah, this is a good time to sit Aden. He has been sent home for treatment and physical therapy, so hopefully that's the extent of it all.
If you haven't yet, read Craig's preview above for all the information about Saturday's game. The Cougs look to rebound from a tough loss at Arizona by taking on basement-dweller Arizona State in Tempe. The Sun Devils have just one Pac-10 win this year, a 60-55 win on the road over Oregon all the way back on the first weekend of Pac-10 play.
Can Klay Thompson drop 30 again today? Can WSU run Arizona State out of the gym and use this as a building block for the home stretch? Can anyone figure this team out? We'll find out at 11 on FSN.
Go Cougs!