Friday, February 2, 2018

News for CougGroup 2/2/2018


==WSU women’s basketball at Arizona on Friday, Feb. 2

WASHINGTON ST. (9-13, 2-8) at Arizona (5-16, 1-9)
5 p.m. PT | Friday | Feb. 2, 2018
Tucson, Ariz. | McKale Center (14,644)
Pac-12 Networks

The Cougs hit the road to Arizona to take on Arizona and Arizona State this week. The matchups will be the only regular season contests between the teams this season due to the unbalanced schedule in Pac-12 play. WSU starts off in Tucson against Arizona looking to snap a two-game skid against the Wildcats after Arizona won both meetings last season including a 56-55 decision in Tucson. The game in Tucson was the first for the Cougs after losing starting point guard Chanelle Molina for the season at Tempe two days prior. Arizona is 35-27 all-time against WSU including holding the slight 16-13 edge in Tucson.


==WSU men’s basketball Game Notes vs. No. 25/23 Arizona State for game to be played Sunday Feb. 4, 2018
From WSU Sports Info

• The Washington State men’s basketball team (9-12, 1-8) looks to snap its four-game losing streak as it welcomes No. 25/23 Arizona State (16-6, 4-6) to Beasley Coliseum as the two face off Sunday, Feb. 4 at 1 p.m.
• Sunday’s game can be seen on ESPNU as Roxy Bernstein (play-by-play) and Corey Williams (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.
• Live stats are also available at www.wsucougars.com.

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Siblings bond with basketball

Three Molina sisters have played together since they became interested in sport


By JACKSON GARDNER, Evergreen reporter
February 2, 2018

The Molina sisters have a unique family dynamic. Chanelle, Celena and Cherilyn Molina, despite their contrasting personalities, have a relationship that has thrived off a mutual love for sport and competition.

Long before Pullman entered the conversation, the sisters crafted their competitive edge playing pick-up games in their hometown of Kailua Kona on the big island of Hawaii.

Whether it’s on the soccer pitch, on the volleyball court or under the lights at Beasley Coliseum, competing is as natural as sinking a free throw for them.

Both Chanelle and Celena are already on the WSU women’s basketball roster, and Cherilyn will soon join them. The sisters are very accustomed to each other on the court — they have played on the same team, for the same coach, for their entire careers.

At 8 years old, the Molinas began their basketball careers when a volleyball coach admired Chanelle’s athleticism and referred her to Bobbie Awa, the women’s basketball coach at Konawaena High School in Kealakekua, Hawaii.

Awa, who has won seven of the past 13 Division I state titles in Hawaii, coaches a youth club called “the Stingrays,” where all three Molinas played before attending Konawaena.

“I started when I was like 10, [Celena] started at like 8 or 9,” Chanelle said. “We start ’em young. Then, through high school, you play for the same coach.”

WSU first noticed Chanelle, the oldest of the three. Awa had ties to WSU through her daughter, who played for the Cougs from 2012-16. As soon as Chanelle signed, Celena and Cherilyn followed suit.

“We are just really comfortable with each other,” Chanelle said. “We couldn’t imagine me going off to college, then they go somewhere else. They wanted to follow me.”

What you wouldn’t expect from Chanelle and Celena is how dramatically different their personalities are. Chanelle is incredibly outgoing, while Celena is more reserved. Both agreed their younger sister would land somewhere in between their contrasting personalities.

“We are completely different people,” Chanelle said of herself and Celena. “We’re sisters and we’re related, but we don’t like the same things. She is in to make-up and all that, and I love going to the beach and hanging out.”

Chanelle said she was more into mastering her craft.

“I would just call up some buddies and go play some pick-up ball or something,” she said. “[Celena] would be like, ‘do you want to go to the movies?’ and get all dolled up. Me, I’ll just throw on my clothes and say ‘let’s go.’ ”

As for their game, the Molinas each play with a distinctive style that distinguishes them from each other. Chanelle proclaimed herself as the best shooter of the three, with no argument from Celena.

Celena, a former center at Konawaena, said she is the best at rebounding and playing near the basket, and Chanelle said Cherilyn is a true point guard, possessing the best passing skills of the three.

While Chanelle described her sisters’ playing styles, a comparison for the ages dawned upon her.

“I feel like the family dynamic with us and the Ball family are alike,” Chanelle said with a laugh, referring to the three basketball-playing sons of LaVar Ball. “The oldest one is the golden child, then you have the youngest with a lot of potential, but is still young, and the middle one doesn’t get a lot of attention but is still there.”

Except the Molinas’ dad doesn’t serve as their LaVar Ball. Rather, their mother is the one making all the noise.

“She would get so crazy during games,” Celena said. “Whenever the refs would make a bad call, she would scream and yell. My family wouldn’t even sit next to her. She would be in the front row, while the rest of our family would be sitting in the back of the bleachers.”

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Washington State Football Player Gets Community Service Award For Completing Court-Mandated Hours

By Daniel Rapaport February 2, 2018
Sports Illustrated

Washington State defensive lineman Logan Tago recently was named the recipient of the Fall 2017 Community Involvement Award, which is given out by the university's Center for Civic Engagement. From Washington State's press release, Tago seems like a perfectly worthy winner—he completed 240 hours of community service around the City of Pullman and Palouse communities.

The press release conveniently did not mention Tago was literally ordered by a court to do that community service as part of a plea bargain he accepted to avoid a felony robbery conviction.

Back in 2016, Tago, then 19, was arrested and charged with second degree felony robbery and fourth degree assault after he punched a man in the head and stole a six pack of beer from him. Per the Seattle Times, the victim told police that Tago's punch left him concussed. Tago accepted a plea bargain and his charge was lowered to third-degree assault—not a felony—and he was ordered to spend 30 days in jail and do 240 hours of community service.

Perhaps Tago really wanted to do the community service and would have even without the court's order. But it's more than a little fishy that he's given the award for completing 240 hours, the exact same amount of time the court mandated. Not an hour more, not an hour less.

Hat tip to Deadspin for this remarkable find.

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Washington State gives football player a Community Involvement award, but his service was court ordered

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Friday, February 2, 2018, 3:50 PM

The courts in Washington may object to this award.

Washington State linebacker Logan Tago was given the University's CCE Community Involvement Award Thursday after he completed 240 civil engagement hours this past fall. While the Washington State website says Tago "volunteered," the service was actually court-ordered.

Logan Tago was named the Community Involvement Award Winner for Fall, 2017!

Tago accepted a plea deal last January for a third-degree assault charge after he allegedly took another man's six pack of beer and hit the victim in the head in June 2016, The Seattle Times reported.

As part of the plea deal, he was ordered to serve 30 days in Whitman County jail, pay $800 in fines and perform 240 hours of community service.

Logan Tago had to complete 240 hours of community service after accepting a plea deal in January 2017 to a third-degree assault charge.
The senior linebacker was also temporarily suspended by the school.

His suspension was lifted in November 2016 after the WSU student-conduct board reevaluated its procedures following a court decision that went against the school's conduct process. Tago was able to return to practice and played in the team's final two games in 2016.

Tago appeared in all 13 games for the Cougars this year, recording 24 tackles.
It's unclear why the school chose to award the linebacker who didn't have a choice when it came to completing his community service hours.

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BREAKING: Hard-hitting safety tells CF.C why he's headed to WSU

Mike Leach has connection to Ross family, lands the former SEC commit

By  Braulio Perez - 52 minutes ago Cougfan.com

Mike Leach has connection to Ross family, lands the former SEC commit

(remainder of story not available to News for CougGroup)

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Maybe the safety is:

“Cougars Officially Announce Addition of Deontay Anderson. … The Cougars officially add former Ole Miss safety Deontay Anderson who is still waiting to find out if he will get to play in 2018.”

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A pair of WSU football players have left the program

Cedric Bigge-Duren and Greg Hoyd III are no longer on the roster

By Chet Broberg Coug Center  Feb 2, 2018, 5:00am PST

Photo by William Mancebo/Getty Images
The Washington State football team released its spring roster and two names were missing unexpectedly. Junior offensive lineman Cedric Bigge-Duren and senior linebacker Greg Hoyd III are no longer listed and their time as WSU football players has come to a close

WSU confirmed to Cougfan that the two players have left the program, with Hoyd opting to graduate in December of 2017. According to the report, it is unknown whether Bigge-Duren will transfer elsewhere, or finish up his degree in Pullman.

Both players were reserves in 2017 and seemed unlikely to make a big impact in 2018. There was plenty of hype surrounding Bigge-Duren early in his career. Going into his redshirt freshman season he was 6-foot-6 and already weighed 320 pounds.

A Spokesman-Review profile by Jacob Thorpe from 2016 foreshadowed the talent that never quite materialized. Offensive line coach Clay McGuire said that Bigge-Duren could be a “special player” but that he was still far from reaching his potential. The Oceanside, California native never appeared in a game.

Greg Hoyd III saw action in each of his three seasons but was never able to crack the linebacker rotation. In 2017 he appeared in a career high five games, playing mostly on special teams.
Best of luck to both Cougs in their future endeavors!


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