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It’s almost been a month since the Super Bowl but thankfully the NFL Combine returned Thursday to quench our thirst for football. Washington State’s Luke Falk, Cole Madison, Tavares Martin Jr, and Hercules Mata’afa are in Indianoplis for the annual scouting event.
Quarterbacks had their hands’ measured yesterday, which has become increasingly discussed in the draft process. Falk’s hands came in at 9 1⁄4 inches which was a bit below average. Josh Allen, who despite completing 56 percent of his passes in the Mountain West has risen up draft boards, could continue see his stock continue to rise. The Wyoming quarterback had 10 1/8 inch hands.
In the last few years both Teddy Bridgewater (9 1⁄4 inches) and Jared Goff (9 inches) have been criticized for having “small” hands, but both have had impressive starts to their NFL careers.
The offensive linemen worked out alongside running backs and special teams players as well. Madison stood out, bench pressing 225 pounds, 26 times. His number of reps ranked 11th among offensive linemen.
Quarterbacks and wide receivers will work out on Saturday while defensive linemen will wait until Sunday. Falk plans to throw both at the combine and at Utah State’s pro day in his hometown of Logan Utah, on March 24. WSU will hold its pro day on March 8. You can watch coverage of the combine, happening through Monday, on NFL Network.
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Men’s Basketball
Flynn does it all as Washington State stuns Oregon
Sophomore guard Malachi Flynn recorded 28 points, eight rebounds, five assists and four steals as Washington State notched a stunning 78-76 victory over Oregon on Thursday in Pac-12 play at Beasley Coliseum in Pullman, Wash.
Grip on Sports: There is a bottom line involved with Gonzaga's flirtation with other conferences | The Spokesman-Review
A GRIP ON SPORTS • If you have any questions about “big picture” items in college sports these days, remember this one rule: It’s all about money. Money coming in and how that money is spent. Read on.
How Tony Bennett Turned the Virginia Cavaliers Into the NCAA’s Spurs - The Ringer
Is Bennett ball boring? A profile of WSU's former coach and his system.
Women’s Basketball:
Washington State women see season come to an end with loss to USC in Pac-12 Tournament | The Spokesman-Review
Minyon Moore scored 16 points and Aliyah Mazyck scored 14 to lead seventh-seeded USC to a 47-44 win over Washington State on Thursday night in the first round of the Pac-12 Women’s Tournament.
A 47-44 Pac-12 tournament loss to USC ends a tough week for the WSU women’s basketball team | The Seattle Times
The WSU women played this one in honor of David Lang, their head strength coach who died suddenly on Saturday. But as has been the case all season, they couldn't quite muster enough to close out the win.
Notable Alumni:
Sirius XM Pac-12 channel to launch March 5, in time for March Madness
Details have finally emerged about the Pac-12 channel on SiriusXM satellite radio. It will launch March and the morning drive-time show (7 – 10 am PT) will be hosted by Guy Haberman and former Washington State quarterback Ryan Leaf.