When redshirt junior Royce Woolridge decided to transfer from Kansas University to Washington State University, he had the intention of getting an opportunity to play and score the basketball. Little did he know that instead he would be the pilot of the Cougar offense.

From the first moment he stepped on the basketball court, Woolridge’s role was to score the basketball. He played shooting guard at Sunnyslope High School in Phoenix, Ariz., where he averaged 30.2 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.9 assists his senior year. Rated as a three-star recruit and the No. 42 shooting guard in the country, according to rivals.com, Woolridge declared he would play college basketball at Kansas.

As a true freshman in 2010, Woolridge did not see the floor that much. The Phoenix native played in 16 games and averaged 2.8 minutes a game.

Woolridge transferred to Washington State in 2011 with the hope of attaining a role similar to the one he had during high school. After sitting out the 2011-2012 basketball season due to the NCAA transfer rules, Woolridge finally got his opportunity to play the following season. However, WSU men’s basketball Head Coach Ken Bone decided to switch Woolridge to point guard instead of shooting guard.

“I don’t think it was a comfortable position for him last year,” Bone said. “I think he struggled with it.”

Bone said he started Woolridge out as a point guard for the first six games of last season, but he moved Woolridge to the off guard position in the middle of the season.

During those first six games last season at point guard, Woolridge averaged eight points and 2.5 assists per game. When former WSU point guard Mike Ladd suffered an injury toward the end of the year, Bone decided to move Woolridge back to the point guard position.

With Ladd graduating last year, it was Woolridge’s turn to take over and steer the offense this season at the point guard position.

“The transition has been a little different, but you know it’s something that I need to get used to,” Woolridge said. “I feel way more comfortable as the point guard (this year). I just try to find my teammates, it feels better playing now.”

So far this season Woolridge has averaged 8.6 points a game and 3.1 assists per game at the point guard position for the Cougars.

“He’s performed well,” WSU junior guard DaVonte Lacy said. “I mean it’s hard, you’ve  been playing one position (for) 17, 18, 19 years of your life and you have to learn a whole new position people have crafted for the same amount of time, and you have to compete with them at one of the highest levels.”

Woolridge said after playing both the shooting guard and point guard position, now he prefers to distribute rather than shoot.

“What I love most about point guard is just being in control, you have control of the game,” Woolridge said. “I like throwing nice flashy passes.”

During his transition from playing shooting guard to point guard, Woolridge reached out to seek advice not only from his former teammate Mike Ladd but also his former teammates from Kansas.

“I think this year he’s done a better job of embracing the role (as a point guard) and doing a pretty good job,” Bone said. “Again it would help if guys were doing a better job making shots, and I think all of a sudden Royce would be looking better.”

Although the Cougars have struggled scoring the ball this season and during conference play, Woolridge said he never gets frustrated when he delivers a nice pass to a teammate and the shot doesn’t fall in.

“I just tell them to be confident,” Woolridge said. “If I pass you the ball and you’re open, shoot it.”

With this being his first full season playing the point guard position, Woolridge is still in the process of making this unique switch but understands his new role.

“You got to always be under control, you kind of have to run the team and make sure that you’re vocal,” Woolridge said. “You run the plays and execute everything right because it all comes back to you.”