Blessed. Unbelievable. Madness.
Those are the words that come to mind for WSU senior Isaac Jones, senior Andrej Jakimosvki and freshman Myles Rice, respectively when thinking about the big dance.
After spending their whole lives watching March Madness, filling out brackets and witnessing iconic March moments, the Washington State Cougars finally get to experience the tournament for themselves.
WSU junior Jaylen Wells grew up in Sacramento, California. He spent 15-plus years watching the tournament on his couch and even got to attend several tournament games when they came to Sacramento.
“Being in it is it’s amazing to be able to see mine see my team’s name on the bracket. Like crazy to think about,” Wells said.
For the vast majority of the WSU roster, they have never been to the tournament before.
But, junior Jabe Mullins, in his second year at WSU, transferred to Wazzu from Saint Mary’s where he was a part of the 2022 tournament.
Mullins said playing in the tournament is a different experience and vibe from watching it on TV.
“As a kid, you always think ‘Okay, fill out the brackets,’ you know, when you’re playing it, it’s even more hype than you think. Because you have practice in the arena. And there’s media, like a ton of media just there filming you, you know asking questions. There’s a lot. So you just got to kind of tell people you know what, I’m gonna stay in my lane. We’re gonna focus on the game. It’s pretty hectic,” Mullins said.
Mullins is not the only Coug with tournament experience, as Kansas transfer Joseph Yesufu was part of a KU Jayhawks roster that won it all in 2022. Thursday is extra special for Yesufu because he started his college career at Drake, WSU’s first-round opponent.
Although Yesufu will not suit up, he arrived in Omaha earlier this week after playing just six games, exiting with an injury and rehabbing at his home. Having Yesufu’s experienced presence should guide the Cougs as they embark on what for many is a first-time experience and a lifetime goal.
Rice, whose journey back to the court from his cancer diagnosis has been appropriately documented and celebrated, said he wrote a list of goals on his iPad that he has referred back to during the season.
Written on his iPad, playing in the NCAA Tournament.
“And then we got a couple more things we can check off but yeah, it feels great to be in this, you know in this tournament. We just got to keep doing what we do,” Rice said.
Although this is WSU men’s basketball’s first NCAA Tournament in 16 years, they have postseason experience. The Cougs earned two consecutive NIT berths and made the NIT Final Four two years ago which took them to New York’s Madison Square Garden for the NIT Final Four.
WSU caught lightning in a bottle, so to say, behind veterans Michael Flowers Jr., Tyrell Roberts and the longest-tenured active Coug Jakimovski. Rice was also on the team as a redshirt freshman.
Looking back at their NIT Final Four run, Jakimovski and Rice said the Cougs had the roster and focus to advance in a tournament setting.
I think that helps us a lot. You know, we thought that we had a team to make it to the NCAA Tournament. But we had some tough losses that year. And obviously we made it to the NIT semifinals, right? We played in Madison Square Garden,” Jakimovski said.
Rice said the NIT experience prepared him to know how to play in a win-or-go-home setting.
“I sat there my freshman year see, you know, kind of like from a cerebral standpoint of like, how people go about their business when we’re playing they know that deep into the season. You know, just being a professional about your job and your craft and treating every game like it’s your last,” Rice said.
The Cougs are excited to be in the spotlight and know that their march to madness was forged through their diverse journeys to the D-I level and through a slew of close, clutch and crazy moments.
WSU men’s basketball (24-9, 14-6 Pac-12) tip off their first NCAA Tournament in 16 years against the Drake Bulldogs at 7:05 p.m. at the CHI Health Center in Omaha, Nebraska, on Max.
“It’s hectic. I mean, a lot is on the line, a lot of high-pressure moments. I’m honestly looking forward to that,” Wells said. “You know, I think a lot of names are made in March and I think a lot of us on our team are ready to be in the spotlight.”
