The renewed rivalry between the Washington State Cougars and Gonzaga Bulldogs continues to drum up excitement among fans.
According to SWX NonStop Local Sports, WSU is expecting a sell-out crowd, their first of the year, and their first since hosting Oregon State for Klay Thompson’s jersey retirement ceremony a year ago.
Gonzaga is riding a four-game win streak. They recently took down San Francisco in a game that was essentially for the second seed in the West Coast Conference. Despite their hiccups, Gonzaga is a clear tournament-caliber team, ranked No. 11 by the NET rankings.
WSU, meanwhile, is ranked No. 98 by the NET. They struggled in January and are coming off a loss at Saint Mary’s in which the team collapsed in the second half, something that also happened during their 13-point loss at Gonzaga.
At home, the Cougs are 9-2, with their losses coming at the hands of Pacific and Saint Mary’s. Most of their recent losses have come on the road, where they are 3-7.
Last time the Cougars and Bulldogs squared off, WSU led for most of the first half, and was only down three at the midway point in the game. The Bulldogs came out of the gates in the second half on a 20-5 scoring run, which effectively put the game away.
Gonzaga head coach Mark Few was complimentary of WSU after that game.
“They’re hard to guard, they’re big and they’re physical,” Few said.
With Isaiah Watts injured during their first meeting, WSU tried to lean on their physicality, which helped them keep it close early but also got them called for too many fouls. This time, Watts will be back, offering more presence on the perimeter for the Cougs.
“Missing that at Gonzaga, I’m that type of player that just enjoys playing against big crowds,” said Watts. “I’ve been working really hard … just making sure I put my extra work in … I feel like tomorrow’s gonna be a big game for me.”
Since returning from injury, Watts has started five games in a row. He’s averaging 11 points, 2.6 assists and 2.6 rebounds since he returned.
Despite Watts being back in the lineup, the Cougs are heavy underdogs. ESPNBet has Gonzaga as a 12.5-point favorite, and the ESPN matchup predictor gives Wazzu a 14.4% chance of victory.
Although they are not projected to win, an army of Cougar fans will be supporting them, a testament to the fan support for the team with the second-highest total attendance in the WCC.
Head coach David Riley appreciated the fans’ support at his pregame press conference.
“We have a lot of Cougar nation cheering us on … it’s kind of an opportunity this late in the season to show who we are,” said Riley. “We owe this community and these fans a heck of a game and a great effort. This is what it’s all about.”
