Pac-12 Men’s Basketball Tournament

Washington State University Athletic Director Bill Moos said that he’s optimistic the Cougars can take down California this Wednesday on his weekly radio show, Cougar Calls, on Monday.

“We played them close at home and beat them at their place,” Moos said. “I like our chances. Anything can happen in these tournaments.”

The excitement transcends blind faith. With a strong performance on Saturday from both the underclassmen and the seniors, the Cougars will have the momentum on their side going into the tournament.

“We’re coming off a great overtime victory over Colorado, which I really thought, as a team, that may have been the best we’ve played all year,” Moos said.

If the Cougars beat the Golden Bears tomorrow, then they would face Arizona on Thursday.

Radio host Bud Nameck pointed out that every time the Cougars played a team they’ve struggled against, they have performed much better the second time around. That was supported by the Cougars’ play this past weekend against Utah and Colorado.

Head Coach Ernie Kent joined the program for a brief discussion about what the team plans to do between now and the 12:10 p.m. tipoff tomorrow. The Cougars travelled to Las Vegas yesterday and will continue practice today.

Moos asked Kent if he thought his team was at a disadvantage after playing an overtime game on Saturday, noting that “this time of year, you want to get your legs back.” But Kent said he’s pleased with where his team is at, both physically and mentally.

“We’ve done a really good job managing their legs in the last month,” he said. “They’re really fresh.”

Even though the Golden Bears haven’t played in seven days, Kent didn’t seem to buy the notion that they might come out a little flat.

“If (California’s Head Coach) Cuonzo (Martin) looks at us the right way, he knows that we’re playing at a high level, we’re scoring, we’re getting productivity all over the floor, we’ve been playing a lot more tougher, physically and mentally,” Kent said.

He added that the Golden Bears won’t take WSU for granted, and that this extended break may work in the Golden Bears’ favor. “They’re looking at it as fresh legs and getting their energy back.”

During the show, the All-Conference Team for Pac-12 Men’s Basketball was released. Senior guard DaVonté Lacy was named to the first team All-Pac-12, while sophomore forward Josh Hawkinson won the Most Improved Player award. Hawkinson was also named as an honorable mention for All-Pac-12, though Moos expressed surprise that he wasn’t named to at least the second team.

Late start times for Cougar football

Concerns have been expressed regarding the late start times of WSU football games due to the Pac-12 Networks scheduling, although that hasn’t stopped Cougar fans from filling up the stands.

“We had three sellouts last year, and two of those were night games. We also had 93 percent capacity at all six home games at Martin Stadium last year,” Moos said.

Part of the fun of going to the games is seeing all the great pregame activities that take place in the stadium, he said.

There will soon be even more opportunities to see the Cougars play in Pullman.

“Starting next year in 2016, we’ll go three straight years with seven home games,” he announced.

Moos said that his goal is to appeal to the fan base and make all Cougar home games a destination event.

He knows that the product on the field is a big part of getting students in the stands.