The reason why I projected a coug loss, is that UTEP is USUALLY a high midmajor CBI, NIT, NCAA team. They beat WSU last year. And Artis, Mora are equal to maybe even better than our guards, and their big men are also almost as good or almost equal to Bigs.
Combine, add that to bad loss to Idaho, and that UTEP would beat Idaho easily, and that should have equalled a coug loss. But I am glad the cougs won.
The thing I didn't know at the time however, but know now, is that UTEP lost their ENTIRE starting 3 front court players to injury. That would be like taking away Hawk, Clifford, Izundu, all at once, all at same time, over multiple games, and then still expect WSU to win.
But despite that UTEP still has a decent ok record.
That probably means that if UTEP hadn't lost their front court, that they either probably just barely beat, or just barely lose to WSU.
That means that UTEP is a better team than given credit for, and that since didn't have starting frontcourt, because injured, that beating UTEP wasn't that big of an accomplishment, except that WSU really needed that bounce back win, after Idaho and would have been extremely bad if they had lost, after losing to Idaho.
While WSU'S talent, may, maybe, might, probably be not as good as almost most of the PAC 12, the talent is not big sky, FCS, low midmajor, like stormy is saying, but rather low to almost mid Power 5, PAC 12, D1 talent.
That should be good enough that when combined with Kents coaching, be good enough for only 2,3 non con losses, which only loss be against Oklahoma, and 5 to 8 conference wins, for about 14 to 18 wins, 1 PAC 12 tourney win, for about 16.5 wins