WSU Basketball: just warming up

Good morning, Coug fans! For this week, I just kept thinking about how much the program has grown. And I know when I’m in a transformative place in my life, I like to make a playlist. So I thought today I would make you all one, but instead it’s the Washington State Cougars’ basketball season so far.

I’m calling it: Just Warming Up (go cougs), and I will be putting it on Spotify.

We begin with the song I Wish I Missed My Ex by Mahalia. This song is an anthem about being excited to move onto bigger and better things, but should in no way be compared to any era before #NerdBall. Not at all. Do not read into it.

Next, a song to describe the win against the Seattle Redhawks, where the score was 85-54. I have chosen We Are The Champions by Queen, for obvious reasons.

After that, the Cougs went down to Santa Clara and lost by 8 points, which pointed me in the direction of 8 by Billie Eilish. Because it’s kinda sad, and she just swept the Grammys.

Then we beat Idaho State! And CJ Elleby had seven steals, so for this reason I have chosen Take The Money And Run by Steve Miller Band. And that game is not a story about Billy Joe and Bobbie Sue, two young lovers with nothing better to do. It’s a story about Elleby and Bonton, with lots of basketball to play.

Then Omaha came over to Pullman and beat us, so I have chosen Big Yellow Taxi by Counting Crows and Vanessa Carlton. Omaha paved our paradise in the second half. And those farmers definitely did not put away the DDT.

Then we lost to the other Nebraska. And while this next song is set in Texas, I threw something in for you Brad Paisley fans. Yes, you guessed it. Cloud of Dust. Additionally it’s about farming, and that’s about the only thing to do in Nebraska. I can say that, I live in the midwest. But it’s also a sad song about loss. So.

Things start to look up with a win against Old Dominion! I think Return of the Mack by Mark Morrison is a good marker for this. I don’t care if the Ducks remixed it first, it’s mine now.

Colorado State beat us after this, but we still played well, and CJ Elleby was named to the all-tournament team. Plus this was the last of the Cayman Islands Classic games, so I really don’t think being upset is serving anyone. I’m choosing the classic Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da by The Beatles. Because life goes on. That is also my favorite Beatles song.

We go onto win the next SIX games, and for all of them I am assigning Know Yourself by Drake, because that’s the song with the iconic lyric ‘runnin through the 6 with my woes’ and what better representation of winning 6 games in a row than that?

Up next is the USC game, and the song for it is Bad Day by Daniel Powter. This was an off game for Elleby, and we were just simply outscored and outnumbered. But sometimes you have to hit some lows so the highs are even higher, right?

UCLA went into overtime with a Cougar victory 79-71! This game gets I’m a Believer by The Monkees! Southern California was out to get us, that’s the way it seemed. But then I saw that score, now I’m a believer.

I don’t like Cal. In any sport. I am going with Forget You by CeeLo Green. I would use the other version, but I don’t think I’m allowed to use such strong language on the internet. The sentiment remains. The way they play their game ain’t fair.

Not a fan of Stanford either. We get it, you guys are smart, ok? This game gets Tubthumping by Chumbawamba which is just essentially the lyric “I get knocked down, but I’ll get up again” repeated over and over. Also both the song title and the artist’s name is very funny. And that makes me smile.

Time for the OREGON GAME!! Ah, wow. For this one I’m doing Fake Love by Drake. I had not planned on doing multiple Drake songs, I really don’t listen to him that much. But this song fits the situation, mainly because to me this song is about when someone continually doubts you. And no one thought we could do it, y’all. And yet. 72-61.

Oregon State gets Back Home by Andy Grammer for obvious, Klay Thompson reasons. I know that’s kind of a cop out, but really. It’s right there.

Colorado Buffs, this game gets Hollaback Girl by Gwen Stefani. I’ll explain: in this song, she spells out ‘bananas’ and I am still haunted by those students wearing the banana costumes. Also, it’s a great Angry Girl anthem, and that game made me mad!

Against Utah, we lost 64-76. This gives me Under Pressure by Queen and David Bowie vibes. Once we started falling apart around the perimeter, it cost us big time.

And finally, against Arizona State. A game winner by Elleby, this game gets I’m Still Standing by Elton John. What a remarkable game!

Clearly my music taste is a little all over the place, but I hope this contained some helpful anecdotes to help you survive the rest of the season! Let’s go beat Arizona tomorrow! (I hope).

Links:

Another hire: WSU fills special teams coordinator | Sports | dnews.com
As expected, new Washington State football coach Nick Rolovich has hired Michael Ghobrial as special teams coordinator, the Cougars announced Thursday.

A Grip on Sports: This season's Cougars seem to be waking up the ghosts of basketball success past | The Spokesman-Review
A GRIP ON SPORTS

The Daily Evergreen | It’s more than basketball
Junior guard Isaac Bonton’s basketball journey spans over four different states and five different schools.

Cougs seek fourth all-time sweep of Arizona schools – The Daily Evergreen
The Cougars’ men’s basketball team will face the University of Arizona Wildcats for its first of two meetings this season.

Cougars look to make history against Stanford – The Daily Evergreen
The WSU women’s basketball team hosts the No. 6 Stanford Cardinal at noon Sunday in Beasley Coliseum in search of its first ever victory over that program in the school’s history.

WSU Football adds Michael Ghobrial as special teams coordinator - KXLY