Hello Cougar Nation,
It’s great to be back after a little bit of an extended layoff to focus on getting my academics in order. While I’ve struggled through Comparative Politics and Anthropology the past week, a lot has gone on over here on the Palouse.
The Huskies poached perhaps our two best recruits. Bill Moos recently went to the Board of Regents to get his plan for a renovated Martin Stadium and football-only facility approved.
The Cougars suffered easily their most heartbreaking loss of the season against Arizona last Saturday.
And……. wait for it……. THE HUSKIES COME TO TOWN SUNDAY NIGHT! In nearly two years of attending Washington State University, I haven’t seen the Cougs beat the Huskies in ANYTHING.
Why will Sunday be any different? Click on the jump to read more.
Analysts will claim that the Cougs playing at home might give them a slight advantage. (I will be the fan in the third row yelling a “No Means No” chant) They’ll point to how our perimeter defense is much improved over last year’s squad. Hell, they could even look at the offensive and defensive consistency DeAngelo Casto has provided lately and conclude he has the edge in his match-up against the talented but inconsistent Matthew Bryan-Amaning
However, the fact is that no matter how well our Cougs play in the half court or defend a potent Husky offensive attack, the game will come down to Klay Thompson.
Our Pac-10 Player of the Year Candidate is fresh off a 4-16 performance Saturday night that culminated with missing a wide open eight-footer to send the game into overtime. FSN camera crews panned in on Thompson’s face right after the missed jumper. He looked devastated as he threw his hands over his head.
Cougar basketball fans have watched this before. When Thompson gets down on himself, it’s “game over.” The Cougars collectively tank. Thompson is his own worst enemy. The only thing that can derail his pure jumper and ridiculous offensive skill-set is himself. How else can you explain him inexplicably missing two technical foul free throws against Arizona in the final ten minutes? This coming from a guy I once witnessed knock down 48 of 50 three’s while warming up before the Gonzaga game.
To his credit though, Thompson has carried the Cougars through this whole season. He hit a three that sent the Santa Clara game into OT, and he dropped a 30 footer right in the face of LaceDarius Dunn to beat Baylor. This, however, has been the point in the last two seasons when our most talented player has folded like a cheap tent in a Palouse windstorm.
Thompson must step up Saturday night. He must do his best Jimmer Fredette impression if the Cougars are going to win. Klay is 0-4 all-time against the Huskies. That needs to change Sunday if he wishes to go down as one of the greats in Cougar basketball history.
If Klay drops 30 and the Cougars upset the Dawgs in front of a frenzied, sold-out Beasley Coliseum, look out Pac-10. With momentum, this team still has the ability to do great things. However, if Thompson gets shut down by Justin Holiday for 40 minutes and the Cougs lose by 20, we might as well pack it in. Because with a 4-5 start and a superstar with waning confidence for a third consecutive season, any realistic chance of making the NCAA Tournament is over.
For what it’s worth, here is my prediction for Sunday’s game:
Cougars 74 UW 70
That’s all for now. Go Cougs!
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