News for CougGroup 7/9/2017
WSU LOWER SOCCER FIELD IMPROVEMENT PHASE 2
If you’ve been on the WSU campus in Pullman lately, you’ve noticed activity at WSU Lower Soccer Field on Cougar Way.
=For
your info, the field, home of WSU Soccer, is partially across Cougar
Way from Smith Gym. Cougar Way is the lower part of what used to be
Colorado Street. Yes, Colorado Street still exists. Just the lower part
of it is now Cougar Way. More info about Cougar Way from Aug. 27, 2014,
Evergreen:
The activity at WSU Lower Soccer Field is “Soccer Field Improvements Phase 2.”
** Info from WSU Regents Meeting (s) includes:
--“As
part of the Athletic Departments long range plan, WSU identified the
renovation of the Soccer Field as a priority. This facility did not meet
NCAA requirements for best practices for intercollegiate play and the
minimum requirements for television broadcasting as established by the
Pac-12 Network. “
--“This
project will improve the outdoor soccer venue to support the growth in
this area of campus and the women’s soccer program. Last year in Phase
One, the soccer facility was upgraded with a new field drainage system,
field turf, field lighting, and new communications infrastructure to
allow required television broadcasting. The Soccer Field Improvements,
Phase Two project will continue this long term plan by providing
permanent seating, press box, restrooms, ticketing area, and television
broadcast camera locations.
**
Illustrations (in a slide show format) depicting “Soccer Field
Improvements Phase 2” with this posting at Facebook’s “News for
CougGroup” and “Die Hard Cougs” are also from WSU Regents Meeting(s).
The same illustrations (in PDF format) posted here:
Malachi Flynn's freshman output looks even better in wake of NBA draft
THE
PAC-12 led all of the nation’s conferences in the number of players
picked in last month’s NBA draft, with 14, and that got me to thinking
about rising WSU sophomore guard Malachi Flynn.
Here
was a kid who received only one major-conference scholarship offer
coming out of Bellarmine Prep and yet he not only started every game for
the Cougars last season but earned Pac-12 all-freshman recognition.
Here’s
the interesting footnote that is now readily apparent in the wake of
the NBA draft: Flynn put together that outstanding rookie campaign in a
league that was truly overflowing in top-tier talent.
Watching
court side at Hec Ed on Jan. 1, in Flynn’s first-ever Pac-12 game, I
was struck by how the unsung kid from Tacoma took over the game in the
final two minutes, completely overshadowing the Huskies’ Markelle Fultz,
who was the No. 1 overall pick in last month’s draft.
In all, six first rounders — including the first two overall — hailed from the Pac, and another eight went in the second round.
The
Pac-12 was a great conference last season. Sure, Cougar fans wanted
more from their team, but for a re-building program to win six
conference games and come close to more is something to note when you
both consider 1) the amount of NBA talent being faced night in and night
out and 2) the psychological hurdle of overcoming the tribulations of
2015-16.
Detractors
will point to the graduation losses of stalwarts Josh Hawkinson and Ike
Iroegbu and question the state of WSU’s rebuild in this
rough-and-tumble conference.
Fair
enough. But anyone who has studied the history of WSU basketball knows
that patience is the key to the program elevating itself to the upper
tier of the conference. It hasn’t ever happened “overnight” at WSU.
As
coach Ernie Kent has said many times, rebuilding is a process.
Sometimes it’s two steps forward and one back. What is important is
keeping the bigger arc on an upward trajectory.
Malachi
Flynn gave us a glimpse last season of what that arc looks like. He led
the team with 58 made 3-pointers while dishing 91 assists — sixth-most
by a freshman in WSU history. His work earned him an invitation to try
out for the USA U19 World Cup team.
Here’s what else “moving forward” looks like:
•Robert
Franks and Vionte Daniels getting a lot of minutes last season and now
being in position as rising juniors to take the next big step. Jeff
Pollard, a rising sophomore, is one to watch as well, given his
defensive prowess and increased minutes in the second half of last
season.
•
Milan Acquaah, the touted guard from Los Angeles, redshirted last
season following knee surgery, was a force in practices, and is more
than ready to work magic in the backcourt with Flynn. Fellow redshirts
Arnize Chidom (6-9) and Jamar Ergas (6-4) are long, athletic and a year
stronger and bear watching.
•JC
transfers Kwinton Hinson and Davonte Cooper — one an athletic shooter
and the other a 6-foot-11 defensive presence — bring experience and
agility to the court.
•
Intriguing bookends — fifth-year graduate transfer Drick Bernstine of
North Dakota and incoming 4-star freshman Roberto Gittens of Tacoma/Foss
— add skill and speed at forward.
•
A remade staff that, crimson-colored glasses aside, looks to be as
stout as any around as Kent brought on Bennie Seltzer, Ed Haskins and
Elwyn McRoy to join Curtis Allen and Tim Marrion.
Does
all this add up to a Pac-12 title for the Cougars in 2017-18. Of course
not. But it does tell me the program is moving forward -- fueled by
more speed and athleticism on the court and and staff full of
recruiters. Kent says to trust in the process. In my view, all these
factors spell progress.
Josh
Hawkinson has signed a contract to start his professional career with
the Toyotsu Fighting Eagles Nagoya of Japan's B League D2, Eurobasket
announced. Irogebu is in the midst of an NBA Las Vegas Summer League
stint with the Phoenix Suns that concludes on Tuesday.
Since
the additions of Colorado and Utah to the Pac-12 in 2012, each school
plays four teams in the league once per season rather than the standard
twice. The cycle goes in two-year rotations. This coming season marks a
new rotation. After playing Oregon, Oregon State, California and
Stanford just once each in 2015-16 and 2016-17, the Cougars this season
and next will play UCLA, USC, Arizona and Arizona State just once.
The
Cougars open the season with an exhibition at home against Saint
Martin's on Nov. 5 and the regular campaign begins Nov. 12 at Beasley
against Texas Southern, which advanced to the NCAA Tournament last
season. Pac-12 play opens in Los Angeles against UCLA and USC on Dec.
27 and 31.
A college football fan's guide to surviving the dog days of summer
Coug Center
June 21, 2017, 4:48pm PDT 5
PJ's
piece on this being a pretty quiet period as far as Cougar athletics
goes got me thinking about things to do between now and when my season
tickets come in the mail (does anybody else treat that day like
Christmas?).
Here's what came to mind:
Read (or re-read) 'Swing Your Sword'
This book isn't all about the Adam James incident. There are lots of nice leadership lessons as well, as you all know.
This
is seriously one of my top-ten books I've read of all time. Authors
Jeff Benedict and Armen Keteyian show all sides of college football,
including a number of chapters on Bill Moos and his quest to secure Mike
Leach as head coach. The chapter on Jim Tressel's path to unemployment
was fascinating as well.
This
is my last book recommendation and I haven't even read it. It's ten
years old but I'm always intrigued by the world of college sports
recruiting. I've heard athletic department employees express disgust at
the way recruiting works nowadays. Bruce Feldman wrote it, and he's
mentioned it here and there on his Audible podcast, and I need to pull
the trigger and buy it.
Subscribe to 'The Audible' podcast
You
might get an idea for a book to read, but it's also one of the best
podcasts around, and there's a show about twice a week in the summer.
Bruce Feldman and Steward Mandel are the hosts, and they're not a bunch
of screamers and hot take artists. They know their stuff and have
tremendous conversations (they also discussed the possibility of Bob
Stoops retiring a day before he did - they're that good!).
Watch (or re-watch) 'Last Chance U'
I've
been late the game my whole life when it comes to good movies and TV
shows. I just started watching Last Chance U last week on Netflix and
I'm hooked. It's only six episodes but the documentary crew does a
fantastic job of storytelling. From the head coach to the academic
advisor to the players to the guy in the crowd that tries to roar like a
lion, it's an incredibly addictive show. And there's a second season
coming up! But ear muffs for the kids, please.
Watch recent Wazzu games on YouTube
I
do this constantly. I'll skim through the 2OT win at Oregon, or the win
at UCLA in 2015, or last year's win at home against UCLA, or the
comeback at Oregon State this past season. It's a lot of fun when you
know the outcome and don't have to have a defibrillator nearby, just in
case.
So there. Now you have no excuse to be bored this summer.
