Noah keeps short-handed Cougars afloat in win over Stanford

Noah f***ing Williams.

That’s it. That’s the post.

Ok, the powers-that-be don’t pay me an exorbitant salary to just write that, so I’ll try to piece a little more together despite the fact that Jeff encapsulated everything in depth late Saturday, as your Washington State Cougars defeated the Stanford Cardinal (-7.5) in not one, not two, but THREE overtimes. Let’s start with a little pretend argument.

Point: Being able to watch live Cougar sports is great, especially when they win!
Counterpoint: Sleeping through the game, checking the final score and watching the five minute clip (below) does not detract nearly as much from one’s life expectancy.

Point: After watching Noah Williams carry the team over the weekend, who needs Isaac Bonton!?
Counterpoint: You’re an idiot.

Point: Despite the below .500 conference record, Kyle Smith should be in the discussion for Pac-12 Coach of the Year.
Counterpoint: Maybe, but eighth place is still eighth place, and WSU doesn’t reside in Los Angeles but good try.

Point: This team has a chance to do some damage in the Pac-11 Tournament.
Counterpoint: Look, they won the thing last year, so what’s left to prove? Also, you’re right, but they need to figure out a way to avoid USC in Round Two.

Point: I thought the officiating wasn’t any worse than normal, and Tony Padilla probably made an honest mistake.
Counterpoint: I thought we’d already established that you’re an idiot? It seems pretty clear that Tony and his cohorts attended the Ted Valentine school of officiating, where the motto is, “I am clearly the reason people are tuning in.”

On a more serious note, this was one incredible weekend for the men’s basketball team, and the job Kyle Smith has done with this very young team is extraordinary. If Isaac Bonton were to come back for one more season (probably unlikely), this team would be primed to make a big jump. But that’s a discussion for another time. For now, let’s just watch some highlights and be happy with the fact that Cougar Basketball isn’t just beating the teams they should beat, they’re also beating teams who are NCAA Tournament-worthy. It’s only going to get better. GFC.

Basketball

Behind 40 points from Noah Williams, Washington State edges Stanford 85-76 in 3OT to secure first winning season since 2010-11 | The Spokesman-Review
Playing without leading scorer Isaac Bonton for the third consecutive game, and without backup guard Ryan Rapp for the second game in a row, the Cougars had to go deep into their reserve to pull out Saturday’s win. Nobody dug deeper than Williams.

Noah Williams scored a career-high 40 points and Washington State outlasted Stanford 85-76 in triple overtime
Washington State sophomore Noah Williams scored 40 points and the Cougars outlasted Stanford 85-76 in triple overtime on Saturday.

Track and Field

John Blanchette: Trio of Washington State milers have left their 'sub-4' mark on decorated program | The Spokesman-Review
Metric measurements, altitude-adjusted times, infield events that are made impossible to follow, mishmash qualifying procedures – track and field loves itself some inscrutability.

This Week in Parenting

Message from Mrs. Kendall earlier this week: “Did you get my email and THE EMAIL??”

I don’t recall what her email was about, but THE EMAIL came courtesy of the Department of Defense Europe school, and it announced a return to in-person attendance on Monday, 22 February. Let’s go live to Mrs. Kendall after reading the aforementioned email.

*Woman shown not actually Mrs. Kendall.

Non-Sports

Kids and Covid: Schools can reopen safely now - Vox
For the better part of the past year, I’ve been living inside the tempest that is Covid-19 and schools. I am a father of three girls, ages 11, 13, and 17, all of whom go to public school. I am also an infectious diseases physician and epidemiologist.

Snatched from a beach to train North Korea's spies - BBC News
How North Korea kidnapped unsuspecting Japanese citizens and refused to give them back.