”We lost some hunger, which was the most upsetting
thing, other than we just didn’t play well,” said sophomore big man Robbie Cowgill. “We weren’t mentally ready and we didn’t come
with defensive energy. I think we took for granted the
win at UW. We had a chance to make some noise, maybe
even take first place in the Pac-10, and we bit the
big one.”
Head coach Dick Bennett praised the team for
staying close to the Bruins and Trojans. The Cougars
lost both games by a combined seven points.
”The bright spot was the willingness to compete and
not give up, even when things were difficult,” Bennett
said in his weekly press conference. “We were really
out of the game at halftime against UCLA, but we
fought back. And I thought we were just thoroughly
outplayed by Southern Cal and still found a way to
stay close. That’s a characteristic of this team that
I really admire.”
REBOUNDING IS KEY
With the Ducks coming to town, Bennett has
stressed that WSU has to prevent a track meet, as well
as keep Oregon off the boards. That will likely mean
more playing time for Aron Baynes, the 6-foot-10
freshman from Australia. Baynes grabbed seven rebounds
against USC in 14 minutes.
The team also needs more from Cowgill, who had just
six rebounds total in the two LA games.
”I was disappointed in my play this weekend,” Cowgill
said. “With D-Low out, Josh (Akognon) stepped up, and
I should’ve been one of those guys to step up, too. I
just need to play tougher. I’m 6-10; I can’t be a
guard. I need to give us some interior presence.”
Bennett suggested that perhaps Cowgill’s struggles
have been the after-effects of a broken collarbone
that kept him out for WSU’s first three games of the year.
Cowgill said he feels 100 percent, and if there have
been any psychological effects -- such as the
unwillingness to accept contact, as Bennett commented
on -- it isn’t even conscious on his part.
”It doesn’t bother me at all,” Cowgill said. “I wish
it was the injury, then maybe I’d have an excuse, but
I’m fine.”
TRANSFER FROM TULANE
The Cougars recently added another point guard,
although this one -- like D-III transfer Jeremy Cross --
also won’t play this season.
Taylor Rochestie, a transfer from Tulane, is enrolled
in classes at WSU and has been at practice this week,
though not participating due to a knee injury. In
October, Rochestie dislocated his right kneecap and
tore his MCL. Due to NCAA transfer rules, he should be
eligible to play next season.
Rochestie hails from Santa Barbara, Calif., and
averaged 10.9 points and 3.7 assists as a freshman at
Tulane last season. He was named to the Conference USA
All-Freshman team, starting in 25 of the Green Wave’s
28 games.
AKOGNON STILL HOT
Including his breakout performance against the
Huskies, sophomore combo guard Josh Akognon has
averaged 23.6 points per game in his last three games.
”Offensively, we could not get more from a person than
we’re getting from Josh, and that sets the tempo of
the team's offense,” Bennett said Tuesday. “But I
worry about the nights when he’s taken out of the
game, who’s gonna pick up the slack.”
During Akognon’s hot streak, the second-most prolific
Cougar has been sophomore swingman Kyle Weaver, at
12.3 points per game.
NOTES:
* Bennett said senior guard Randy Green (ankle) should be able
to play this week, but probably not for any extended
period of time.
* Derrick Low, who fractured a foot two weeks ago, was out of his walking boot for practices
this week, doing some very delicate shooting drills.
Low can’t do much more than walk moderately fast at
this point. The original prognosis had him sidelined for all but the last few games of the season, but there are some rumblings he could return a bit sooner.
* While Brandon Gibson, a freshman wide receiver on the
WSU football team, has been practicing with the
basketball team in recent weeks, the Ducks have a
football player of their own in Jordan Kent, a
6-foot-5 guard who is also a receiver for Mike Bellotti. Kent, in fact, caught a 68-yard touchdown pass against
the Cougars in November. Kent is also the son of Ducks head
basketball coach Ernie Kent. He plays about 15 minutes per game. ”He does a lot of little things that makes it easier
for their stars to play well,” Bennett said of the
younger Kent.
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