Bill Moos talks Cougar basketball, Ken Bone

The current state of the Cougar basketball program has been a popular topic in recent weeks and WSU athletic director Bill Moos weighed in with some of his thoughts.

Some athletic directors choose their words methodically and say a lot without really saying anything. They frame their answers like a press release, providing little beyond a generic statement or two. Moos is not one of those athletic directors. John Blanchette of the Spokeman Review has the quotes, here's a small sampling.

On bringing Ken Bone back last season:

"But the mere fact that I retained Ken shows I have confidence in him. If this thing ends up that we get hot and get some momentum, there's a chance there will be an extension.

"If I didn't believe in him, I would have let him go last year. Money wasn't a factor."

On the basketball program:

"But we have Cougar football ascending, and I don't want to see Cougar basketball continue to descend. We don't reward not being successful."

"What we need to do in Cougar basketball one way or another is get a spark, make it exciting," he said. "I get concerned when the students don't even show up because they only have to walk four blocks. Basketball has to be the thing to do on whatever night we're playing or whatever time, and it starts inside out."

And on the future:

"To fill the seats, we're going to have to invest one way or another - whether it's with this staff or another one," he said. "I'm a believer in investing - if there's a belief there'll be a return."

Blanchette's column has a couple more quotes and some other details. The biggest takeaway is obviously the money, with the prevailing thought being WSU didn't have the money to fire Bone and still afford a new coach. The years remaining on Bone's contract may not provide as much job security as we thought.

Men's basketball:

Moos wants to bring buzz back to basketball - Spokesman.com - Jan. 9, 2014
After practice on the eve of Washington State’s Spokane Arena rumble with Colorado, the Cougars’ Brett Boese took a basketball a few rows up into the seats and began lofting one-bounce alley-oop setups in the direction of teammate Que Johnson.

Pac-12 basketball power rankings - SportsLink - Spokesman.com - Jan. 9, 2014
Washington State (7-8, last week 11) — WSU is the only Pac-12 team with a losing record. While a competitive effort against Colorado to force overtime gives the Cougars hope for the rest of these season, it can't completely erase the dreariness of the Arizona swing in which the Cougars scored 25 and 47 points in two losses.

WSU Cougars: Week at a glance - Spokesman.com - Jan. 9, 2014
The Cougars will likely be without leading scorer DaVonte Lacy once again when WSU takes on Utah on Sunday.

Football:

WSU redshirt inspires West Richland students | State | The News Tribune
A Washington State University football player who's never played in a college game has a dedicated fan base at one West Richland elementary school. "He's tall. He's huge," whispered the fourth-graders as 6-foot-4 Clayton Simundson walked into their Wiley Elementary School classroom.

Bill Moos Talks 2014 Football Schedule in Latest Podcast - Washington State University Official Athletic Site
Director of Athletics Bill Moos, who hinted at the schedule during Monday's Cougar Calls with Bill Moos show, discusses the 2014 schedule during his podcast, conducted Thursday morning. Moos also discusses what Cougar fans can expect to see and experience at Martin Stadium during the 2014 season with the completed Football Operations Building.

Women's basketball:

Cougars Make Return Trip To Face Washington Saturday - Washington State University Official Athletic Site
Washington State University (9-6, 3-0 Pac-12) will face the University of Washington (8-6, 1-2 Pac-12) for the second time this week, heading to Seattle for a 3 p.m. matchup Saturday on the Pac-12 Networks.