HCA: The 2020 College Basketball Champions tip off this week

While the National Championship banner won’t be hung in Beasley Coliseum this year, the 2020 basketball season will tip off on Wednesday. The Cougs will play host to Texas Southern at 8:00 pm to start a season that will bring us many questions.

Texas Southern is coming off of a 16-16 season and finished third in the Southwestern Conference last year. They will be without their top scorer as well as their third leading scorer going into this season.

The Cougars will be without their top scorer from last year as CJ Elleby was selected by the Portland Trailblazers with the 46th pick of the NBA Draft last week. They will also be without their head coach as Kyle Smith will miss the game due to Covid-19. Smith has turned this program around tremendously in just one year. While the head coach will be watching from his living room like the rest of us, he has been plenty involved according to this piece by Theo Lawson.

While the Cougs won’t be returning their top scorer, they will be returning their second leading scorer in senior Isaac Bonton as well as their fourth and fifth leaders with Tony Miller and Noah Williams. The trio will look to help get the Cougars back to their success they had last season.

While Wednesday’s game is set to go as planned, their game Saturday against Eastern Washington might be in jeopardy. Multiple Eagles starters have come down with Covid-19 over the weekend and their season opener has been cancelled. That game is scheduled for 8:00 pm in Beasley as well.

Stay tuned for more information on Saturdays game as well as an in depth preview for the 2020 college basketball season this week.

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Football:

2020 Apple Cup between Washington vs. Washington State has been cancelled

The 2020 Apple Cup rivalry between the Washington Huskies and Washington State Cougars, that has been played each year since 1944, has been cancelled due to COVID-related concerns

Basketball:

While isolating at home, Kyle Smith still ‘really, really involved’ as Washington State prepares for opener

While recovering from COVID-19, Kyle Smith has temporarily put his basketball team in the hands of Jim Shaw and shouldn’t have too much to worry about when Washington State tips off on Wednesday without its head coach on the bench at Beasley Coliseum.

Swimming:

Swimming: WSU rolls to dual-meet victory against Idaho

The Washington State swim team recorded wins in all four events contested as the Cougars beat Idaho 178-104 to conclude a two-day meet Saturday at the University of Idaho Swim Center.