In the era of NIL and transfer portals, Washington State University has lost plenty of star athletes. In the past two weeks, the men’s basketball team has lost Isaiah Watts, Nate Calmese and Marcus Wilson to the portal. Two Cougs, however, are staying loyal. Freshman forward Kase Wynott and redshirt freshman guard Parker Gerrits will be back at WSU next fall.
Gerrits and Wynott appeared on the Coug’d Up Podcast, a student-hosted podcast, where they expressed their love for Pullman and their loyalty to the nation of Coug fans around the world.
“I just wanted to be here so bad that I took a walk-on spot,” said Gerrits on his journey to Wazzu.
He said he had been a Coug fan his whole life. The Olympia, Washington, native grew up rooting for Wazzu and said he declined scholarship offers from Division II and III schools to walk on at WSU.
“I feel like a lot of people probably don’t know as much…being an underdog,” said Gerrits.
Gerrits, at six feet, one inches, is not the tallest or most physical player on the court, but he plays with a scrappy energy that brings life to the Cougs.
Wynott comes from Lapwei, Idaho, a small town on the Nez Perce Indian Reservation. He said he forged a unique path in basketball.
“I think being from the reservation, a lot of kids aren’t given the opportunity that I’ve been given,” said Wynott. “I feel like I always carry that chip on my shoulder, being from a small town.”
Both Wynott and Gerrits said they are expecting more playing time and rotation minutes next season. With the team currently down five of its six starters from last season, they will need the freshmen to step up next year. However, they’ll also need to find new pieces in the transfer portal to plug holes in the roster. Wynott and Gerrits made their pitch.
“We’re a players’ program,” said Wynott. “The biggest thing for me that I’ve noticed…the development aspect, that these coaches have, I feel like they are really committed to development and making you better as a basketball player.”
Gerrits praised the city of Pullman.
“It’s God’s country, that’s what I like to call Pullman,” said Gerrits. “I would just say…give it a chance, ’cause once you get here and see how special it is and see how special the community is…it’s a pretty special thing to be a part of.”
Head coach David Riley has praised Gerrits and Wynott throughout the season for their development as players.
“Parker’s had three or four games where he’s really impacted…winning,” said Riley. “Kase is starting to come into his own, it was good to see him knock down some shots.”
Riley has acknowledged the difficulty of getting comfortable while playing limited minutes. Wynott averaged 13.4 minutes per game while Gerrits averaged 9.4 minutes per game.
Still, in their limited playing time, both found ways to impact the game. Gerrits swished nine of thirty three-point attempts, and was sixth on the team with 14 steals. Wynott averaged 1.2 points per game and 1.5 rebounds per game, while Gerrits averaged 1.5 points and 1.0 rebounds.
