WSU fans have not seen the last of Klay Thompson this summer. It was reported Thursday by ESPN's Marc Stein that the Golden State guard had accepted an offer to play for Team USA in this summer's Olympic Games. After what can only be described as a disappointing end to his season, Thompson will have the opportunity to wash the bad taste out of his mouth.
Thompson is coming off another successful campaign with the Warriors where he averaged 22.1 points per game on 47 percent shooting. Fresh in our minds is the 3-1 finals collapse, but without Thompson's heroics in Game 6 of the western conference finals, Golden State would have never made it to the championship round. It was in that game he scored 41 points, and made 11 threes to save his team's season. But as they say, don't mean a thing without the ring.
The selection process for the 2016 team has been a little unusual, as many headlines around it have been related to top players passing on the honor. Basketball's two biggest names, LeBron James and Stephen Curry, have both declined spots on the team. This has opened the door for players like Thompson, and DeAndre Jordan, who while excellent players, maybe wouldn't have been the first choice of USA Basketball.
Stein did report that Thompson was one of coach Mike Krzyzewski's "favorites." The final 12 man roster will not be announced until Monday, but so far Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony and Draymond Green headline the list of players who have committed to the tea.
Klay might not be the only Cougar alum in Rio this summer. Former track standout Jeshua Anderson has been training extensively in the 400m hurdles in hopes of making the U.S. Olympic team as well.
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Olympics:
LeBron James won't play in Olympics; Carmelo Anthony, DeAndre Jordan, Jimmy Butler, Klay Thompson will play
LeBron James made it official Thursday, saying he will not play in this summer's Olympics. Carmelo Anthony, DeAndre Jordan, Jimmy Butler and Klay Thompson are among the players who will play.
Football:
Cougars Add Kansas State to Future Football Schedules - Washington State University Official Athletic Site
The series begins in 2026 with the matchup in Pullman in 2029.
Baseball:
WSU commit Jones has height, pitching ability to make a mark for Cougars | The News Tribune
At 6-foot-6, Avery Jones stands out on the baseball field. Add a good fastball and a nasty 12-6 curveball to his stature, and it didn’t take long him long to get noticed.