WSU men head into season with new coach, players and conference | Preview
A new era for WSU men's basketball begins
Cougs look to make a splash in new league
The WSU men's basketball team tips off the 2022-23 season on Monday with a new coach, several new players and a new conference. Kyle Smith begins his second season at the helm of the Cougars after leading them to a 14-15 record last year. He brought in several new players during the offseason, including transfers TJ Bamba and Jabe Mullins. WSU also joins the Pac-12 Conference this season after spending the last decade in the Mountain West. The Cougars will play a challenging schedule that includes games against Arizona, UCLA and USC. Despite the challenges, Smith is confident that his team can compete in the Pac-12. "We have a lot of new faces on this team, but I like our potential," Smith said. "We have some good size and athleticism, and I think we can be a tough matchup for anyone."WSU is coming off a disappointing season in which they finished 14-15 and missed the postseason. But Smith believes that this year's team has the potential to be much better.
"We have a lot of new pieces to the puzzle, but I think we have a chance to be a really good team," Smith said. "We have some good size and athleticism, and I think we can play fast and up-tempo."
The Cougars will be led by senior forward Mouhamed Gueye, who is one of the best players in the Pac-12. Gueye averaged 14.4 points and 8.2 rebounds per game last season.
Other key players for WSU include Bamba, a 6-foot-7 forward who transferred from the University of San Francisco; Mullins, a 6-foot-4 guard who transferred from Loyola Marymount; and DJ Rodman, a 6-foot-6 forward who is the son of NBA Hall of Famer Dennis Rodman.
WSU opens the season on Monday against Seattle University at Beasley Coliseum. The Cougars will then host Eastern Washington on Wednesday before traveling to Arizona for their Pac-12 opener on Nov. 11.
