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He’s done a phenomenal job considering the headwinds that NIL and portal creates. Mind boggling to me that people don’t like Chun. Nailed the Football hire, nailed the BBall hire, nailed the women’s BBall hire. Soccer and VBall kicking ass. Yeah, let’s run him out of town 🙄
Damn guys - if you are going to post stories, how about not doing it from paywall sources (like the Seattle times, Spokesman, etc.) I can't pay to subscribe to every G-damn news source on the planet. Well actually I could, but choose not to.
Slow down buddy. Our Women's Soccer and VB coaches were hired long before Chun showed up. The FB and men's BB hire, while I like both head coaches, both still remain to be judged. Etheridge was a score to be sure.
Fundraising doesn't seem to be skyrocketing, unless you know more than me. So phenomenal seems like a bit of a stretch at this point.
Oh and didn't Chun hire Rolovich? How did that work out?
Here you go and no ads:
WSU men’s basketball coach Kyle Smith provides update on new-look team
Colton ClarkJuly 17, 2023 at 11:39 amBy
The Spokesman-Review
PULLMAN — Washington State men’s basketball coach Kyle Smith has spent the past month evaluating his rebuilt roster — “seeing where our strengths are,” he said.
The Cougars reassembled last month for a stretch of offseason training sessions.
Still, Smith has made a couple of observations during this period. He expects the 2023-24 WSU basketball team to boast a stronger frontcourt and a quicker backcourt than last year’s squad.
Underneath the basket, WSU has plenty of sizable options. Several of the team’s frontcourt players are first-year Cougars.
At the guard positions, Smith has been impressed with the team’s speed and depth, but the coach is looking for new leaders in the backcourt.
Overall, WSU has “a lot of new faces,” Smith noted. The Cougars overhauled their roster after losing a chunk of players, including four starters, during the offseason — six transferred out and two began their pro careers.
WSU is still in the early stages of fashioning a team, but it’s starting to come together.
Smith has one scholarship left to give out. He might not use it.
The Spokesman-Review caught up with Smith last week for an update on the team’s progress. Here’s what we learned:
WSU searching for new leaders at guard
The Cougars’ backcourt lost two standouts from its 2022-23 team, which went 17-17 and made an NIT appearance — Justin Powell, who shouldered point-guard responsibilities, and shooting guard TJ Bamba, who led WSU in scoring last season.Powell decided to head for the pro ranks early. He’s now playing for the Miami Heat’s Summer League squad. Bamba transferred to Villanova in April.
The most obvious candidates to replace them, says Smith, are second-year Cougar Jabe Mullins and newcomer Joseph Yesufu.
Mullins, now entering his senior season, appeared in 30 games and made eight starts last season after transferring in from Saint Mary’s. The 6-foot-6 Snoqualmie native scored 8.4 points per game and was the team’s most efficient three-point shooter, hitting 55 of 128 (43%) attempts.
Powell’s departure “opens an opportunity” for Mullins to become one of WSU’s primary ballhandlers.
“Jabe can do what Justin did for us this past year,” Smith said. “Although Justin played more point guard for us, I think Jabe can replace him on offense with his shooting and passing.
Yesufu is in line to adopt a starting role at WSU after appearing in 69 games (with three starts) over the past two seasons at Kansas.
The 6-foot senior is a quick on-ball defender, and a more-than-capable shooter and passer. He probably won’t score as much as Bamba did, said Smith, but Yesufu is a “strong, explosive player” who can get downhill to facilitate or attack the basket.
“We’re counting on him to replace TJ in a sense,” Smith said. “He’s starting to come on (in summer workouts) and he should be pretty good.
WSU’s other options at the guard positions may lack experience, but Smith feels comfortable with his backcourt’s depth.
Sophomores Kymany Houinsou and Dylan Darling should see their duties expand.
Houinsou averaged 3.9 points and 1.4 assists over 16 minutes per game, and made eight starts in 2022-23. The 6-7 France native can drive to the rim, distribute and defend multiple positions.
“Kymany could be a guy for us,” Smith said. “He’s a different kind of player. He played a lot of minutes as a freshman and did some good things. He can make a big step forward.”
Darling, a 6-2 Spokane product, made four starts last season. He averaged 1.7 points, 1.7 rebounds, 0.6 assists and 12 minutes per game across 25 appearances.
Darling is one of the quickest players in WSU’s fleet-footed group of guards.
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“Our guards are fast,” Smith said. “We have a lot more speed available to us back there. Dylan, Myles (Rice), Joseph and Isaiah (Watts) are fast, and Parker (Gerrits) isn’t slow. Those guys have elite speed.”
Outside of Bamba and Darling, the Cougars didn’t have much speed in the backcourt last season, Smith said.
The coach also mentioned redshirt freshman Myles Rice, and true freshmen Isaiah Watts and Parker Gerrits as guards who have impressed during offseason workouts.
WSU coaches were high on Rice’s potential heading into the 2022-23 campaign, but the point guard missed the campaign as he battled Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Now cancer-free, Rice figures to make his collegiate debut this year.
“Myles is looking healthy,” Smith said. “Obviously, it’s a concern with him being out for two years, but his speed is good. It’d be a great story, but I don’t want to put too much pressure on him.”
Watts, a 6-3 Seattle native who is coming off a postgraduate season at South Kent School in Connecticut, signed with the Cougars in May over an offer from Seton Hall.
“He’s a puppy right now, but when he’s healthy and running, you can tell he’s going to be a good player,” Smith said of the three-star recruit.
The 6-1 Gerrits averaged 19 points per game last year at Olympia High and signed with WSU in November over several mid-major offers.
Remade frontcourt shows intriguing potential
Last year, the Cougars played short-handed in the frontcourt. Gueye was the only post player who was consistently available.Center Dishon Jackson missed the season with an unspecified medical issue, then transferred to Charlotte. Backup post Adrame Diongue, a four-star recruit, played sparingly as a true freshman, then transferred to San Jose State. Reserve forward Mael Hamon-Crespin left the team in December and moved back to Paris. Center Jack Wilson, a former WSU football player, relieved Gueye for a few minutes per game, then transferred to Minnesota.
The Cougars have remade their frontcourt, stocking up on length and size. They added three big men and a forward with high potential.
“That should be a strength for our team — size and length,” Smith said. “Our front line is mature and ready to roll.”
Senior Idaho transfer Isaac Jones will be an instant starter. The 6-9, 245-pounder earned All-Big Sky honors last year after averaging 19.4 points (62.9% from the field) and 7.8 rebounds per game.
“He’s pretty special offensively,” Smith said. “He’s so unselfish. He’s very efficient. Offensively, I think he’s a little more advanced (than Gueye), but I don’t think he’ll be as impactful defensively. That’s where he can get better.
“But he’s a good decision-maker, dribbler, passer, finisher. He’s got one year left, so he’ll make the most of it. He’s a good kid — he’s engaged and he’s mature. He’s from the state (Spanaway), so we have a good story there.”
Junior college transfer Oscar Cluff should pair nicely with Jones. The 6-11 Cluff averaged 18.2 points and 9.8 rebounds per game last season at Cochise College and led all NJCAA players in field-goal percentage (74.8%). He landed on the NJCAA All-America second team.
“He’s a really skillful ‘5 man,’ ” Smith said of the junior from Australia. “That’s something we haven’t really had. He’s a high-percentage field-goal guy who can pass and has a good feel for the game. He’s easy to play with. When he gets the ball, it’s good offense, because something usually happens.”
Another intriguing newcomer is Rueben Chinyelu, an explosive athlete out of the NBA Academy Africa.
The 6-10, 245-pound Nigeria native is a four-star recruit and WSU’s No. 5-ranked recruit since 2000, according to 247Sports.com.
Chinyelu, who signed with the program in November, averaged 5.4 points and 7.6 rebounds per game last season with Stade Malien, a pro club in the Basketball Africa League. Chinyelu has been practicing with WSU for two weeks now.
“He has such a good motor and a good attitude,” Smith said. “Where he can really impact us is just being a strong athlete around the rim that defends and rebounds. His offense will grow, too. He’s gonna be a high-percentage guy, and he’s gonna be dunking a lot.”
At the wing/forward position, the Cougars will likely rely on two players — program vet Andrej Jakimovski and transfer addition Jaylen Wells. Smith said WSU will also test Houinsou at forward.
Jakimovski, the Cougars’ only returning starter, posted per-game averages of 7.7 points and 4.6 rebounds last season. The 6-8 senior has appeared in 85 games and made 45 starts since 2020. He is by far the most experienced high-major player on WSU’s roster.
The 6-7 Wells spent the past two years at Sonoma State, a Division II program in the Bay Area. He captured D-II All-America honors last season after averaging 22.1 points — ranking 10th in D-II — and 8.7 rebounds per game.
He’s a late bloomer and will need some time to grow accustomed to high-major competition, Smith said, but Wells has tremendous upside.
“He’s been an incredible worker and I really like his size and skill set,” Smith said.
Colton Clark
Thanks buddy. To be honest, I'm not a big BB fan in general. Loved the Raveling years when I was in school, loved the Bennett years as well. But I hope we do well.
Yes he hired Rolo…a hire I liked at the time. Didn’t work out, cut bait, and made a swift decision that has played out well so far.
Slow down with what? I said KS has done a phenomenal job…specifically reloading a roster that is constantly getting poached w the portal. Look at the improvement of guys like Bamba and MG.
I said I don’t understand why people don’t like Chun. There’s an argument to be made that Cougar Athletics is collectively in the best place it’s ever been - on field performance, facilities, etc. we still have a ways to go with funding and facilities but it’s moving in the right direction. Chun is AD, think the guy deserves some credit, certainly not all of the hate that I hear.
I don't hate him at all. Just not that enamored with him. His results have been mixed. You have to look at fundraising as the biggest marker. I'm not seeing it. Although granted I quit giving years ago. So I plead guilty.
The people who don't like Chun are the people who loved Bill Moos. Hard not to like a guy with a "money's no object attitude," especially when you choose to ignore the huge financial mess and the mismanagement he left behind. Chun's a bean counter, but unless he has some good ideas to do more with less, yet to be seen, few will particularly enthusiastic about the man.
I agree on MBB. Could care less about the Women's Olympic sports. Football....the winds of Turd are wafting through the Palouse. The "rah rah" stuff is getting old. I'll change my mind if we see a physically strong--tough--team this year.
Would have rather seen John Johnson hired for the job at some point.
Good mix between personable/fund raiser and bean counter. Doesn't get the credit he deserves for the Martin construction and FOB project.
And no icky stench of carpet bagger looking for the next gig.
The biggest hurdle that Chun faces is that he was forced into implementing COVID policies that nobody liked and a lot of fans are holding a grudge over something that he likely had no real control over. They'll say that he did, but realistically, it was all a giant FUBAR and he's as much a victim of the situation as the rest of us.
I have a friend who was a season ticket holder from 2002 to 2020. He is an anti-vax person who lost his job because of his refusal to "take the jab". He quit donating to WSU and dropped his season tickets in protest of the COVID policies and has vowed to not support WSU until both Schulz and Chun are fired. His loss of employment made this too personal and he's harming the university that he used to love. That sucks.
Is anyone who didn't want that poison injected into their body "Anti-vax"? If people like you don't want the reaction maybe stop saying sh!t like that. I refused the vaccine and in no way am I an "Anti-vaxer"...... Lets stop with these idiotic, hyperbolic denigrating labels people like you place on others.
I will stop with denigrating labels when people quit claiming that the vaccination was poison. You talk "hyperbolic" but you led with a hyperbolic statement. So if you want people to quit labeling...look in the mirror and do your part first.
FWIW, your response nicely highlights the problem that WSU faces. A lot of people have an irrational hatred of the response to COVID and logic and reason are out the window. That's tough for WSU to deal with.
Going back to the topic of Kyle Smith...he's done an amazing job of making WSU basketball more relevant despite enormous hurdles on the roster front. It'll be interesting to see what he can accomplish if we ever get guys to stay.....even though the NIL virtually guarantees that's going to be an ongoing problem.
Cis this is an honest question … do you ever read your stuff… I get when you say “stop with these idiotic hyperbolic denigrating labels”… I mean honestly hard to not chuckle when you write this
Gawd you are such an idiot. You are an anti-vaxer. WTF don't you understand about that characterization? Poison? Really? Did you actually graduate from WSU?
As I've stated previously, I've had 4 jabs. one J&J, two Pfizers, and one Moderna. Damn glad I had all of them. No side effects from any, when I finally did get Covid it was a very mild case. And I am a heart patient.
He had no choice. Your buddy’s response is irrational, as is anyone else’s who doesn’t like Chun for this specific reason.
Back to sports, the funny thing about people liking moos because of his party personality and are critical of Chun for fundraising…you do realize even wit h his glad handing ways Moos was not an effective fundraiser right and Chun has done considerably better? I wouldn’t say he’s been great, but better is better.
With Cougar athletics there’s really not an argument to the contrary. Collectively our programs are in a good spot and the coaches have been meeting/exceeding expectations across the board. While that’s not his only job, it’s a huge part of it.
I ran into John Johnson at a buffet in Las Vegas many years ago. He was decked out in a ridiculous amount of WSU gear head to to for breakfast. I went over and talked to him and he was the humblest person you've ever met. He mentioned his name was John and just said that he worked in the Athletic Department. No clues given that he was the second in command at said Athletic Department.
Is it because you followed the science and other people who rejected the mainstream response were just retarded? You're actually what's wrong with the way COVID was handled and seriously "out of touch" with how people reacted when dissenting opinions were expressed. Nothing hyperbolic with what I said. The vaccine is poison and it had serious side effects for many people including death. To me, the risk of taking versus the risks of a COVID infection greatly outweighed having that injection. Its strictly my opinion and I made the best decision for myself. Do you look in the mirror thinking how incredibly magnificent you are because of how virtuous you believe yourself to be?
Nice post. As said, I don't hate Chun, just don't find him very appealing. But I guess he's doing OK. WSU is in a good spot overall. But like US Presidents, they get too much credit when things are good, and too much blame when things are bad. And yeah, I was in the room during Moos's "open interview", AKA coronation. It was great. The guy could thrill a crowd.
Sounds like John. We've had some good ones at WSU. John David Wicker (now SDSU's AD) was another one. Thick Southern drawl. Not sure why those Southern folks use all 3 names, but whatever. Sterk was a good guy, regardless of his perceived faults. Slick Rick Dickson? Not so much.
More fun to have a beer with…Moos by a mile. Since we all like drinking beer, I get the “eh” attitude towards Chun. While you may not hate him, there’s several other on here who are constantly calling for the guys head. That’s what I don’t get.
I'd like to see numbers to back that up.
He, or someone in his regime, landed a couple of big fish which is more than Moos could ever pull off, but I'd be curious to see how the CAF is doing with both membership numbers and total giving.
I could tell you, but I'm sick of having to constantly renew my membership (that's supposed to be on auto-renew) and didn't get all the goodies this year. I'll probably get to it before football season.
I would too 😂. Since we all get our facts and numbers from varying sources that contradict each other, not sure it matters…maybe I’m wrong and if so I’m happy to be called out. Pretty sure Moos wasn’t a spectacular fundraiser though and plenty would agree to that. And from what I’ve heard Chun has produced an uptick in his time here. Maybe that’s expected with normal economic activity/output though 🤷
No one is saying, "look at me, I'm the mastermind behind the Stadium and FOB projects." That is because it utterly failed in its intend purposes. We have been left in a house rich, penny poor situation, with no end in sight. All the claims: increased revenues and ticket sales, big money donors, luxury box sales, it will pay for itself, the ability to attract high end coaches and last but not least, better recruiting -- never happen. ... and before anyone says what about Mike Leach Leach, he committed to WSU well before construction on the FOB was given the go ahead, and Leach had no suitors other than Moos.
I have no idea if Johnson is any good at what he does, but he was never a candidate to replace Moos because of the mess Moos left when he fled the sinking ship. He was tainted by Moos' financial incompetence, rightly or wrongly.
