Through the first three weekends of the 2020-21 men’s basketball season, Kyle Smith has led the Washington State Cougars to an unblemished 5-0 record, including 1-0 in conference play after a win over Oregon State. The first four of those games were nail-biters, with WSU needing second-half comebacks to secure victory; the most recent win, over Portland State, was a nice respite from the drama.
WSU even received votes in the AP top 25 poll at one point, giving Coug fans optimism about the future of this young program.
The Cougars have not yet left Pullman this season, due to their lone road trip to Colorado being cancelled, and they will continue with that trend, playing each of their next five matchups within the friendly confines of Beasley Coliseum.
The non-conference slate concludes next week with matchups against Montana State (on Friday), Prairie View (December 21), and Northwestern State (December 23) before hosting the Arizona schools the next weekend. WSU has a legitimate shot at beginning the season 8-0, the program’s best start since 2007-08.