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Good afternoon, Coug fans!
Unfortunately, as you might have heard, Center Dishon Jackson announced yesterday that he’s hitting the transfer portal.
Some of you might have seen this one coming. In my opinion, I can totally understand this decision. It was probably not an easy one, but Jackson has had to overcome so much with this team this year, health wise, and I’m sure the opportunity to start fresh somewhere is appealing.
First and foremost I wanna thank YAHAWAH for allowing me to play basketball and blessing me with my talents. Next I wanna say thank you wazzu, it’s has been a great 3 years with The staff at Washington state. With that being said I will be entering the transfer portal❤️. pic.twitter.com/uuT26OWFMp
— D Jackson (@NoLimitDO) March 24, 2023
We’ll miss you!
This does open up a scholarship spot, and as my friend Nate likes to say, it’s “With That Being Said” season for basketball, and I’m sure Washington State will have their eyes and ears open for potential prospects.
In a similar vein, Mouhamed Gueye announced that he would test the NBA draft waters while maintaining his eligibility. This is actually good news for the Cougs, despite understandable concerns of losing him. Keeping Gueye on would be ideal, but there are some upsides.
For starters, the potential for Gueye to come back is still there. Staying out of the portal means he won’t go anywhere that isn’t up! I’d bet it’s about a 50/50 chance that Gueye returns to Pullman, and improves, based on NBA feedback. Lucky for the Cougs, the 2024 NBA draft class is relatively weak compared to 2023. While sophomores returning for their junior year rarely results in a major boost in draft stock, Gueye could be viewed the exact same way and still move up 10-15 spots based purely on the context around him.
But if he does go, the NBA route is great for WSU in the long run. The more talent like that we produce, the higher up our stock goes. Kyle Smith getting in on that action continues to prove how much he's pouring into this system. While it might be difficult to quantify, it’s clear in action.
Jackson leaving could also have something to do with some expected depth in our front court, and if Gueye does get a bite from the NBA, that could cause a small issue, but there’s still plenty of talent in the room!
Jackson proved himself at the Pac-12 level, but his injury did leave a lot up in the air. Smith’s staff has also shown their abilities to recruit big-man types that contribute early, and I’m sure that was on Jacksons mind when making this decision.
Once again, I can say with certainty that I will always be rooting for him. And as for Gueye, we’ll just have to wait and see.
Go Cougs!
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