/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/56356693/usa_today_9107278.0.jpg)
Washington State’s basketball program was dealt a major blow with last week’s announcement that 4-star recruit Roberto Gittens wouldn’t be attending school this fall, but Head Coach Ernie Kent may be on the verge of landing another highly regarded player.
Transfer forward Brandon Clarke, who played the last two seasons at San Jose St, tweeted Thursday that WSU is among the three schools he is considering attending. The 6 foot 8, All-Mountain West forward averaged 17.3 points, 8.7 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game in 2016-17.
Huge thank you to all the schools that have taken the time to recruit me. I have narrowed my 3 final choices to Oregon, WSU, and Gonzaga.
— Brandon Clarke (@brandonclarke23) August 24, 2017
Clarke has eliminated the likes of Michigan, Nebraska and Cincinnati from his recruitment and is now only considering Oregon and Gonzaga in addition to the Cougs. The Gittens news zapped most of Ernie Kent’s recruiting momentum but Clarke is arguably an even more exciting prospect.
While Clarke will only have two years to play after sitting out the 2017-18 season, he is more of a known quantity than Gittens. He has experience playing D1 basketball and excelled. Clarke would likely be the best player on the team from the moment he stepped foot on campus.
Clarke played at Desert Vista High School in Phoenix and was lightly recruited before committing to San Jose St. According to all major recruiting sites, SJSU was the only school to offer Clarke out of high school. Kudos to the Spartan coaching staff for finding a true diamond in the rough. Hopefully we’ll be lucky enough to see him sporting the crimson and gray in 2018.
*****
Basketball:
Transfer forward Brandon Clarke lists Gonzaga and Washington State among three finalists | The Spokesman-Review
Gonzaga and Washington State are in the mix for San Jose State transfer Brandon Clarke.
Football:
Pac-12 Football: Preview and Predictions for the 2017 Season | Bleacher Report
It's a conference that boasts as much star power and prestige as any, but the proud Pac -12 hasn't experienced a College Football National Championship since 2004 when USC held up the crystal trophy.
A Cougar’s Courage: The James Williams Story | KLEW
Washington state running back James Williams is coming into his second year with a ton of praise from his coaches.As far as his age, he's as good as any I've ever coached. Going into his sophomore year, he might be the best one, I don't know,” says Washing
Washington State football: Projecting the 2017 season, game by game
So much of the Mike Leach’s success at Washington State makes sense when placed in context with Leach’s broader career, the challenges at WSU, and the Cougars’ place in the evolving North division landscape.
Determining depth: A projection of Washington State’s 2017 two-deep | The Spokesman-Review
After two days of practice in Pullman, seven in Lewiston, then 11 more on the Palouse, we have a relatively good idea of what the depth chart will look like when it’s released next week before the Sept. 2 season opener versus Montana State.
Luke Falk’s musician sister Alexa creates Cougars pump up song, proceeds to benefit future WSU walk-ons | The Seattle Times
Luke Falk has never forgotten his walk-on roots, now he's partnering with his sister to initiate an endowment to help future walk-ons at WSU.
Volleyball:
Washington State volleyball building off 2016 success | The Spokesman-Review
Success didn’t come overnight for the Washington State University volleyball program. It’s been a slow, steady build under coach Jen Greeny that resulted in 2016’s breakout season. The goal this season is to show staying power in the nation’s toughest conference, and early indications are encouraging.
Women’s Soccer:
College women’s soccer: Washington State takes shot at taking better shots | The Spokesman-Review
Washington State has a good shot of returning to the NCAA Tournament, provided the Cougars take some good shots along the way.