It’s been (another) rough season for Cougar basketball fans, but this one might be even more painful than usual.

Of course, the year started off with such promise. The team won seven in a row to start the season, but has free fallen since. Since winning the Wooden Legacy Tournament, the team is just 3-14.

And it’s likely to get even tougher from here. After their loss to Washington on Sunday, the Cougs have a short turnaround at the worst possible time. On Wednesday, the team will host the 9th ranked Arizona Wildcats in Pullman.

The Cougs don’t have a great record against the Wildcats. They haven’t beaten Arizona since the 2010 season. But their record against ranked Arizona teams is even worse. According to the WSU game notes, the Cougars are 3-44 against a top-25 Arizona team and 1-27 against top-10 Arizona teams.

That one win, also happens to be Washington State’s last win over a top-10 team, and it came all the way back in 2007.

The game, that took place on January 6, 2007, acted as the coming out party for a talented Cougar team that would head to the 2nd round of the NCAA Tournament that season (and the Sweet 16 the next season.)

That Cougar squad was led by Washington State legends like Kyle Weaver, Derrick Low, Ivory Clark, Taylor Rochestie and Robbie Cowgill. But on that night it was the unsung hero Daven Harmeling taking center stage. The redshirt sophomore put up a career high 28 points — Including seven three-pointers — to lead the way to the Cougar win.

Washington State was dominant at times, but the Wildcats rallied in the end. They scored the final seven points of regulation for force overtime, tied at 67. But the Cougs put Arizona away in OT, picking up the 77-73 win. It was their biggest home win since beating #6 UCLA in 1983 and their first overtime win since beating Nevada in 2000.

Fast-forward to 2018. The Wildcats are back in the top-ten... But the Cougs don’t appear set to head back to the NCAA Tournament like they did in 2007.

The highlights from the game are above. You can pass the time waiting for tip-off by watching those over and over again. The 2018 edition of Cougs vs. Wildcats tips off tonight at 7 o’clock with TV coverage on the Pac-12 Network.

Basketball

Short turnaround gives Washington State minimal time to prep for DeAndre Ayton, Arizona | The Spokesman-Review
Tipoff between the Wildcats (18-4, 8-1) and the Cougars (9-11, 1-7) is at 7 p.m. and Pac-12 Networks will televise the only regular-season meeting between the teams.

Washington State vs. Arizona: An in-depth look at the Cougars - Arizona Desert Swarm
Get to know Arizona’s next opponent

Arizona basketball: Wildcats wary of Washington State’s 3-point shooting - Arizona Desert Swarm
Nobody in the Pac-12 shoots the 3 like the Cougars do