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Cougs!
…………
Scroll to end of this post. There are two Coug basketball
games today, Friday, Dec. 22, 2017. This morning it’s women’s team at Nebraska.
This evening in Pullman it’s men’s team versus Bethune-Cookman University of
Daytona Beach, Florida.
…………
Photo
shows Coug football signee Rodrick Fisher. He'll play in the US Army All-American Bowl in San
Antonio, Texas, Jan. 6, 2017. The bowl game is the "nation's premier
high school All-American (football) game, featuring the best 100 players in an
annual East vs. West matchup every January in San Antonio's Alamodome."
Rodrick Fisher: from
destitute to top-flight WSU recruit
Speedster from Spokane was homeless and alone when he asked
coach for help
By Barry Bolton, Cougfan.com 22 Dec 2017
WHEN IT COMES TO guys you just love to root for, go ahead
and pen in future Washington State wide receiver Rodrick Fisher, the 4-star
physical speedster from the Spokane Valley who signed his national letter of
intent with the Cougars on Wednesday. His story is almost hard to fathom: from
homeless and directionless to one of the top-rated prep receivers in the nation
-- and a Scout/247 top 125 overall prospect -- who will enroll at Washington
State next month.
Forgive us if you've read some of this on CF.C over the last
year of Fisher's recruitment, but the tale is so remarkable that it truly bears
repeating because it never gets old.
“My family life was not good, I didn’t have much structure
or help and guidance in the right direction,” the 6-2, 205-pounder told The
Rachel Ray Show in a feature story (see below) a year ago. “I was out of my
house for my whole sophomore year, so I was just couch-surfing, not knowing who
I was going to live with next. I was skipping school and cutting classes and I
ended up just dropping out.”
Fisher, whose last name formerly was Jackson, was homeless
and alone.
"I was just tired of trying to find places to stay and
trying to find people to love me," he told Spokane's KXLY-TV last year.
"And I just kinda broke down. I had to ask for help."
So he reached out to East Valley football coach Adam Fisher,
who had no idea of the youngster's dire situation. Soon, the isolated and
directionless kid had a home and a family. With regular meals and a structured
schedule, he gained 30 pounds and started thriving in the classroom. The
Fishers asked for and received custodial rights and just like that the family
of four was now the family of five.
KXLY-TV in Spokane had a feature piece on Fisher’s rise from
despair to football stardom: Rodrick’s Redemption.
THE FILE ON RODRICK FISHER:
The reigning Class 2A state champion in the 100 meters and
200 meters.
An all-purpose machine for East Valley High this fall: 49
catches for 805 yards, 7 TDs; 184 rushing yards and 2 TDs; 1 kickoff return for
a TD; 44 tackles; and 4 interceptions.
Selected to the play in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl in
San Antonio on Jan. 6.
MIKE LEACH ON RODRICK FISHER:
“Extremely fast
player. I’m not going to say that Rodrick’s the fastest, somebody on here might
be faster, but it would be hard to find somebody faster. Then when you consider
how big he is, that’s all the more impressive.”
OUTSTANDING WSU WIDEOUTS WHO HAILED FROM SPOKANE:
Jared Karstetter, 2008-11 (Ferris)
Mike Peterson, 1980-82, (University)
Bevan Maxey, 1975-79 (Lewis and Clark)
Gail Cogdill, 1957-59 (Lewis and Clark)
Don Ellingsen, 1956-58 (Rogers)
Jack Fanning, 1956-58 (Rogers)
+ Cogdill, Ellingsen and Fanning are all in the WSU
Athletics Hall of Fame, and Cogdill was the 1960 NFL Rookie of the Year with
the Detroit Lions.
………….
Cougar men’s hoops
From WSU Sports Info
WASHINGTON STATE CLOSES OUT NONCONFERENCE HOSTING
BETHUNE-COOKMAN:
• The Washington State men’s basketball team (7-4) closes
out nonconference play hosting Bethune-Cookman (5-8), Friday, Dec. 22 at 6 p.m.
at Beasley Coliseum.
• The game can be seen on Pac-12 Network as Guy Haberman
(play-by-play) and Ben Braun (analyst) have the call.
• All season long, Cougar basketball can be heard on the
Cougar IMG Sports Radio Network as the voice of the Cougars, Matt Chazanow will
have the call.
• Please see page one of today’s notes for the list of
affiliates.
• Live stats are also available at www.wsucougars.com.
COUGARS VS. WILDCATS; THE MEAC:
• Out of Daytona Beach, Fla., Bethune-Cookman is one of 13
teams in the Mid Eastern Athletic Conference, joined by; Coppin State, Delaware
State, Florida A&M, Hampton, Howard, Maryland Eastern Shore, Morgan State,
Norfolk State, North Carolina A&T, North Carolina Central, Savannah State,
South Carolina State.
• Washington State and Bethune-Cookman are meeting for the
first time in the two schools’ histories.
• WSU has never lost to a current member of the MEAC with a
5-0 mark, holding 1-0 records against Coppin State, Delaware State, Florida
A&M, Maryland Eastern Shore and North Carolina A&T.
• Most recently WSU played North Carolina A&T Dec. 28,
2007, at Beasley Coliseum, winning 67-34.
………………………………….
Cougar Football
Analysis: 10 things to know about the WSU Cougars’ 2018
recruiting class
Originally published December 21, 2017 at 6:00 am Updated
December 21, 2017 at 9:22 am
This is shaping up to be Mike Leach's best recruiting class
at WSU, and it's full of intriguing characters
By Stefanie Loh Seattle
Times
Washington State signed 18 recruits on Wednesday, the first
day of the early signing period. Here are 10 things we know about this class.
1. This is the most highly-regarded class of the Mike Leach
era at WSU
Sure, rankings aren’t everything. But WSU’s recruiting
classes under Leach have traditionally come in ranked in the 40s or 50s. This
class is currently ranked 38th nationally, per 247Sports.com, and boasts two
four-star signees (QB Cammon Cooper and WR Rodrick Fisher) for the first time
in the Leach era.
2. WSU’s recruits hail from eight states – but none are from
American Samoa
Pac-12 recruiting rankings
TEAM 24/7 SPORTS RIVALS
Arizona 53 39
Arizona State 72 78
Cal 39 36
Colorado 44 38
Oregon 13 12
Oregon State 87 92
Stanford 50 71
UCLA 33 41
USC 23 34
Utah 77 82
Washington 11 10
Washington State 38 31
From Destiny Vaeao in 2012, to Fred Mauigoa in 2016 the
Cougars signed at least one player who had Polynesian origins in each of
Leach’s first five recruiting classes. LB Fa’avae Fa’avae, from the 2017
recruiting class, is of Polynesian descent, but hails from Santa Ana.
But this recruiting class is WSU’s first since Joe Salave’a
left for Oregon, and WSU did not make any recruiting trips to Samoa this cycle.
The Cougars did, however, sign one player of Polynesian descent, defensive
tackle J. Pono Lolohea, who is from Hawaii, but comes to WSU from
Copiah-Lincoln (Miss.) Community College. Athlete Patrick Nunn from Junipero
Serra (Calif.) High, has also accepted an invitation to play in the Polynesian
Bowl in January.
Nine signees came from California, with two from Washington
and Texas, and one each from Florida, Utah, Michigan, Oregon and Hawaii.
3. The Most Compelling Backstory Award goes to …. WR Rodrick
Fisher
Rodrick Fisher, a four-star receiver out of Spokane’s East
Valley High, has had to fight to get to where he is. With a complicated
parenting situation, at one point, Fisher was homeless, and almost dropped out
of high school. Help came in the form of his high school coach, Adam Fisher,
who took the receiver into his home and eventually adopted him.
With his coach’s help, Fisher went from having a 0.70 GPA to
a 2.82 GPA and made up 13 credits in 18 months. He graduated from East Valley
High on Friday in what his adopted father says was, “a real emotional day for
my wife and girls and for Rodrick.”
“What he’s been able to do in making up classes, it’s
legit,” says Adam Fisher. “It’s the real deal. It’s a true story. It’s been fun
to be part of his journey.”
Rodrick Fisher will play in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl
in January.
Fisher says his adopted son’s biggest asset is his speed.
Rodrick Fisher ran a 10.46 100m last spring – fastest among high school
athletes in the state of Washington.
“There’s not many kids in the country, and even in college
that are running his speed and able to move like him and catch the ball,” Adam
Fisher said.
4. The “Top Recruit” Award goes to …. QB Cammon Cooper
This is filed in the “no, duh” category. Lehi High School
quarterback Cammon Cooper is the top-ranked recruit of the 2018 signing class,
and per WSU football chief of staff David Emerick, Cooper might be the most
highly ranked quarterback recruit Leach has signed since Graham Harrell in
2004.
Harrell, who coached receivers at WSU in 2015, was ranked
eighth nationally among pro style quarterback recruits coming out of Ennis (Texas)
High School that year, and he went on to lead Leach’s Texas Tech squad to a No.
2 national ranking.
Cooper is ranked 14th nationally, and his potential is
tantalizing.
“He’s able to sling it. He’s got a great release, quick
release. He goes from the side, and reminds you of Philip Rivers,” said former
WSU quarterback Jason Gesser.
Eric Mele, who headed Cooper’s recruitment, calls the kid
“the next version of Cool Hand Luke (Falk).”
“No offense to my guy Luke,” Mele said. “But he’s got some
intangibles and can run and jump and do all those things.”
5. The “Most Likely to Surprise” Award goes to … DT Ahmir
Crowder
It’s rare for linemen –both offense and defense –to contribute
as true freshmen because it’s often tough for these 18-year-olds to compete
with grown men.
However, the Cougars are desperately in need of some bodies
at defensive tackle. And Crenshaw’s Ahmir Crowder is physically developed and
could fulfill that role.
Roy Manning, who recruited Crowder, calls the tackle a
“man-child” and gushed about how he dominated his competition and demonstrated
tremendous violence at the point of attack. Gesser speculated that Crowder
could be bigger than his listed weight of 280 pounds because he’s “all muscle”
and former WSU quarterback Alex Brink says Crowder “was dominating in the
backfield damn near every clip.”
If the tape translates to the field, you could see Crowder
in the middle of WSU’s defensive line in 2018.
6. The “Most Likely to Contribute Immediately” Award goes to
… WR Drue Jackson or WR Rodrick Fisher. It’s a tie.
WSU is in need of some outside receivers next year. Lucky
for the Cougs, they’ve signed four receivers for 2018, and all four are tall,
rangy playmakers who project favorably.
Fisher stands out because of his speed and the fact that
he’ll enroll in January, which should give him a leg up on his competition.
Jackson stands out because he’s played a high level of football in Texas, and
has a versatility the Cougs could use.
7. There’s lots of big-game experience in this class
Two signees WR Patrick Nunn (California), and QB Cooper
(Utah) come to WSU fresh off state championship wins. Two others – OT Cade
Beresford (Washington) and DB Myles Green-Richards (Oregon) – led their
programs to the state title game, but finished as runners-up.
8. WSU used to beat Mountain West and Big Sky schools for
recruits, now, it’s winning some battles against the “big boys.”
Valley Christian safety DeAngelo McKenzie picked WSU over an
offer from Notre Dame. Beresford and and defensive back Halid Djibril picked
WSU over offers from USC –Djibril also turned down UW to sign with the Cougs.
With the Cougars having been in the Pac-12 title race till
late in the season three years running, WSU is now going toe-to-toe with some
big programs and winning those recruiting battles. That marks progress.
9. Did Leach’s dalliance with Tennessee, and the interest
other programs have shown in defensive coordinator Alex Grinch unnerve
recruits?
Leach downplayed this on Wednesday, saying he “didn’t find
it to be much of a problem.” But, until he signed his contract extension on
Monday, Cooper’s father, Cole Cooper, was vocal on Twitter about wanting some
assurance of Leach’s long-term future at WSU.
Rodrick Fisher’s father and football coach Adam Fisher also
admitted to feeling some uncertainty about Leach’s situation until this week.
“There was some angst,” Fisher said. “But naturally the way
college football works, and with me being a coach and understanding that things
will happen quickly, we just kinda stayed the course and know that it will work
out. Trust in the process.”
10. So, after a whirlwind three weeks of nonstop recruiting
home visits interspersed with bowl practices, does Leach have any fun anecdotes
from the road?
Why, of course he does.
Some gems from Leach:
“It’s not an accident
that Cade Beresford is a big strong offensive lineman. They eat very well
there, they’re very good at barbequeing and things of that nature.”
“I breezed through Lehi. When I went to college (in Utah, at
BYU), Lehi had one bitty street in one bitty town – now they’ve expanded
through the valley.”
“The background of Rodrick Fisher, and the fact that he went
through some tough times and of course has evolved into the young he is, I
think is very impressive.”
“With (WR) Kassidy Woods, I coached I think his uncle,
Shannon Woods. He was a good running back there for us at Texas Tech.”
“(Syr) Riley lives in a cool apartment which they had just
finished remodeling.”
“It’s all kinda a whirlwind. As a head coach you go out
there, you’ve got the area coaches and you’re passed from one area to the next.
I’d be lying if I told you I remembered where I woke up every morning. You just
cover as much ground as you can and go see the families. With our class being a
big class, there were a lot of stops in that process.”
……………………………….
Shoplifting charge against former Washington State defensive
back Zaire Webb dismissed
UPDATED: Thu., Dec. 21, 2017, 4:33 p.m.
By Stefanie LohSeattle Times
SEATTLE – The theft charge against former Washington State
defensive back Zaire Webb has been dismissed due to insufficient evidence,
according to Whitman County court records.
Webb and former WSU receiver Anthony White were arrested and
accused of shoplifting at the Walmart in Pullman on Oct. 4.
Webb and White, both freshmen, were accused of paying only
$50 for $275 worth of merchandise. Store surveillance cameras showed Webb
standing next to White as White operated the self-checkout machine.
Based on surveillance camera footage all obtained by The
Seattle Times, on several occasions, White appeared to weigh items in his hands
before running some items past the scanner while bypassing the scanner on other
items and placing them directly into plastic bags. Store employees detained the
men on their way out the door, and Pullman Police was alerted.
White, from Miami, Fla., pleaded guilty to third degree
theft and served one day in jail and was ordered to pay fines.
Webb, from Jacksonville, Florida, pleaded not guilty, and
the theft charge against him was dismissed due to insufficient evidence. Per
court records, the charge against him could not be proved beyond reasonable
doubt.
“He had absolutely nothing to do with the theft,” said
Webb’s attorney, Luke Baumgarten. “The person who committed the theft pled
guilty. This was purely a case of ‘guilty by association’ by Walmart security
officers, the Pullman Police Department and WSU. The prosecutor agreed with us
there was no evidence to tie Zaire to the theft. He wasn’t involved.”
Webb and White were both dismissed from the WSU football
team after their arrest in October. White did not appear in a game this season,
and Webb played in five games in a reserve role before his dismissal.
WSU Athletics spokesperson Bill Stevens confirmed Thursday
that Webb and White remain off the football team
…………………………
Charge dismissed against Webb, but defensive back remains
off WSU roster
Father says his freshman son has been denied due process
By Josh Babcock Lewiston Trib
Despite a third-degree theft charge dismissed due to lack of
evidence, freshman Zaire Webb remains off the Washington State football team
roster.
The defensive back, who is from Jacksonville, Fla., was cut
from the team Oct. 5 - one day after he was arrested and charged with
third-degree theft for allegedly stealing from Walmart in Pullman.
According to the Washington State University Athletics Code
of Conduct and Discipline Policy, "In the case of behavioral problems
which involve formal criminal charges by a law enforcement agency, the involved
student-athlete will be placed on suspension by the department of athletics
until the facts of the incident are reviewed."
According to court documents, Webb's case was dismissed
Wednesday.
University records provided by Marcus Webb, the athlete's
father, indicate the charges stemming from the incident were also dropped by
the WSU Office of Student Conduct in a letter to Zaire on Nov. 22.
However, in the same letter, the student conduct board found
Zaire was responsible for a violation Aug. 14.
Marcus Webb, Zaire's father, said the violation was
marijuana possession.
Despite that violation, Zaire, a special teams starter,
played in every game and attended every practice up until he was cut, according
to his father.
"That never got him kicked off the team; he never got
suspended and he played all the way up until Sept. 29 in the USC upset,"
Marcus Webb said. "They're reaching."
Marcus said his son never smoked marijuana, but was around a
group while they were smoking inside a WSU residence hall.
He said his son lost a four-year, $125,000 scholarship based
on coach Mike Leach taking due process into his own hands and cutting him for
the theft before the conclusion of the case.
"There was no due process," Marcus said.
"There's no such thing as a deadly sin; he really can't kick them off the
team. According to their bylaws they are
supposed to suspend students first."
Now, the Webb family says they are considering a civil suit
against the university.
"It's a breach of contract," Marcus said. "He
was entitled to four years to play football and get his academic degree, he's
not going to get his degree because they revoked his scholarship for a theft he
didn't commit."
Bill Stevens, spokesman for WSU athletics, said Zaire was
cut from the team due to a violation of team rules. He wouldn't get more
specific than that.
//////////////////////
WEATHER
It's about to get cold
Pullman Police lobby open for those seeking a warm place to
sleep
By Katie Short, Moscow Pullman Daily News 22 Dec 2017
The blue skies and bright sun may be deceptive as residents
on the Palouse were hit with cold arctic winds Thursday that are expected to
last for the foreseeable future.
Bryce Williams, a forecaster for the National Weather
Service, said for the past several weeks there has been a strong ridge of high
air pressure that has been preventing cold winds out of Canada from moving in,
but that ridge has finally started to break up.
Arctic blasts are common for the months of December and
January, said Williams, but what is unusual is how cold they are this year.
Williams said this December the temperature is about 10 degrees lower than
average.
"The average temperature for Pullman this time of year
is 35 degrees, but for the next couple of days the high will be in the low
20s," he said.
Over the last week, Williams said, southwestern winds swept
across the Palouse bringing with them warm air that in turn brought rain -
washing away what little snow the Palouse had. However, hopes for a white
Christmas are not lost, Williams said. There is a 50 percent chance that the
brisk air coming from the north will bring snow today, he said. Williams also
said Saturday is expected to be the coldest day this week with a high of 23
degrees during the day and low of 11 degrees at night.
For those seeking a warm place out of the cold, Cmdr. Chris
Tennant with the Pullman Police Department said their lobby is open 24/7.
Tennant said that although there have been some discussions
about creating a designated warm sleeping space for Pullman's homeless
population, the only city building equipped is the police department lobby.
Tennant said anyone is welcome to sleep in the lobby as long as they behave
themselves and don't prevent normal business from being conducted.
The lobby is not the most comfortable with its wood planked
benches, "but it's warm," Tennant said.
So far this year no one has taken advantage of the open
lobby, though, he said, explaining that the homeless population in Pullman
typically opts for a warmer climate during the winter months, or they find a
friend's couch to sleep on.
In the winter of 2016 the Unitarian Universalist Church of
the Palouse in Moscow opened its doors for those in need of a warm place to
sleep, but this year the Rev. Elizabeth Stevens said they are still grappling
with whether to do the same this year.
"We're still wrestling with it," she said
Stevens said last year finding volunteers to stay the night
in the church was difficult and ultimately there were not many people who took
advantage of the opportunity.
Alternatively, the church was looking to partner with
Sojourners Alliance, but their recent fire has made that impossible.
Stevens said that until the church decides whether to open
their doors, they will continue to provide motel vouchers for those in need of
a warm place to stay.
"My heart is just torn about this, and I've been trying
to figure something out," Stevens said, adding that if another ice storm
and power outage hits this year, she won't hesitate to provide a place for
people to come.
……….
COUG WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Washington State at Nebraska Based on info from Omaha
World-Herald
When: 11 am (Pacific Time) Friday Dec 22, 2017
Where: Pinnacle Bank Arena, Lincoln Neb.
WSU Women’s Hoops at Nebraska Watch: BTN2GO (but might need
a subscription)
https://www.btn2go.com/game/washington-st-at-nebraska-on-12222017
WSU Women’s Hoops at Nebraska Listen: Washington State IMG
Sports Network
WSU Women’s Hoops at Nebraska Live Stats: From Nebraska
Athletics
http://www.huskers.com/liveStats/v2/basketball/index.dbml?GAME_STAT_ID=3159078&db_oem_id=100
WASHINGTON STATE (6-5)
F, Louise Brown, 6-3, Jr., 8.3
F, Borislava Hristova, 6-0, So., 17.0
C, Maria Kostourkova, 6-4, Jr., 5.7
G, Caila Hailey, 5-10, Sr., 4.9
G, P. Pavlopoulou, 5-8, Sr., 6.6
NEBRASKA (9-3)
F, Maddie Simon, 6-2, Jr., 10.8
C, Kate Cain, 6-5, Fr., 11.8
G, Hannah Whitish, 5-9, So., 12.7
G, Nicea Eliely, 6-1, So., 8.4
G, Jasmine Cincore, 5-10, Sr., 7.0
Scouting Washington State: After a slow start to the season, the Cougars
have won five of their past six, including a 61-53 win over Boise State on
Monday. … Brown is WSU’s leading rebounder at 7.2 per game. She’s also second
on the team in made 3-pointers (16) and hasn’t missed a free throw (17 of 17).
... The Cougars get production off the bench from Alexys Swedlund, who is
second on the team in scoring at 9.7 points a game. She also leads the team
with 20 3-pointers. ... The Cougars use a 10-player rotation.
Scouting Nebraska: The Huskers finish nonconference play
looking for their sixth straight win. During the streak, NU is averaging 79
points and outrebounding its opponents by 9.4 per game. ... On Tuesday against
Florida Atlantic, Kate Cain recorded the third triple-double in school history
with 22 points, 14 rebounds and a school-record 11 blocked shots. Cain ranks
third nationally in blocked shots with 47. ... The Huskers are 7-0 when Maddie
Simon is in the starting lineup. She’s averaging 13.2 points in the past five
games.
Opening tips: Washington State’s probable starters are from
five countries — Brown is from Australia, Hristova from Bulgaria, Kostourkova
from Spain, Pavlopoulou from Greece and Hailey from Inglewood, California. Its
roster also includes players from France, Macedonia and Serbia. ... The last
time WSU played in Lincoln, it handed NU its first loss at Pinnacle Bank Arena
on Nov. 30, 2013. ... NU owns a 5-2 edge in the series.
More information
Freshman Kate Cain records triple double, sets school record
in Huskers' win against FAU. Behind 21 points, 14 rebounds and a school-record
11 blocks from freshman center Kate Cain, Nebraska rattled off its fifth
straight win of the season on Tuesday night with an 86-69 victory over Florida
Atlantic.
……………….
COUG MEN’S BASKETBALL
6pm Pacific Time Friday Dec 22 2017
Bethune-Cookman University (of Daytona Beach,
Florida) at WSU playing on Friel Court in Beasley Coliseum in Pullman
on the campus of Washington State, located at Fairway Avenue and Stadium Way on
College Hill
WSU men’s Hoops vs. B-C on TV: Pac-12 Network
WSU men’s Hoops vs B-C Live Stats:
Read about B-C Hoops here:
WSU men’s Hoops vs. B-C radio:
Washington State IMG Radio Network
#
