There's a 4/10/2018 posting at the Cougfan.com website
showing a photo of WSU Martin Stadium, a headline reading, "Washington
State and Darigold talk naming rights" and text reading, "No timeline
disclosed but goal would be to have an agreement in place for football
season" by Barry Bolton…… News for
CougGroup does not have access to the story. But, assuming the Darigold name
does replace or is added to Martin Stadium's name, you can be sure there will
be more information forthcoming from WSU Athletics
……….
MEN’S BASKETBALL
WSU:
Washington State
gets verbal commitment from Slovenian-born wing Aljaz Kunc
Thu., March 29,
2018, 10:20 p.m.
By Theo Lawson Spokesman-Review
of Spokane/Inland Empire
PULLMAN –
Washington State has potentially taken a step to fill one of its four vacant
scholarships, receiving a verbal commitment Thursday from 6-8 wing Aljaz Kunc,
according to Verbal Commits.
Kunc is a native
of Slovenia and would become the first player born outside of the United States
and Canada to sign with the Cougars under fourth-year coach Ernie Kent. A long
and versatile wing, Kunc most recently played at Impact Basketball Academy in
Las Vegas.
He’s also played
for the Slovenian Under-18 national team at the FIBA U-18 European
Championships. Kunc averaged 1.8 points per game and 0.2 rebounds per game in
the competition.
The Cougars,
who’ve already inked Cleveland High small forward CJ Elleby to a Letter of
Intent, would have at least three more scholarships to fill after Kunc signs.
That number could become four if Robert Franks hires an agent and chooses to
turn professional. Franks declared for the NBA Draft without an agent on Monda
:::::::::
WSU’s Ashley Brown Selected to U.S. Collegiate National Volleyball Team
From WSU Sports Info
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- Washington State's Ashley
Brown was one of 24 players chosen for the U.S. Women's
Collegiate National Volleyball Team - Detroit (CNT-Detroit) elite roster
competing this summer, USA Volleyball announced Tuesday.
The CNT-Detroit squad, part of USA Volleyball's High Performance pipeline and considered a second tryout for the U.S. Women's National Team, will train June 22-26, at the University of Michigan. The athletes will then be assigned to one of two 12-member teams that will play three exhibition matches against each other at the Cobo Center June 27, June 28 and June 30. The matches are being held in conjunction with the USA Volleyball Girls' Junior National Championships under the same roof.
Ashley Brown is a 5-9 sophomore setter from Prosper, Texas, who transferred to WSU from the University of Oklahoma in January of 2017. She was an integral part of WSU's 6-2 offense and later in the season took over sole responsibility of the setting duties. Brown was named to Dr. Mary Jo Wynn Invite All-Tournament Team. She averaged 5.90 assists per set overall and 5.75 assists per set in Pac-12. Her career-high 57 assists came in WSU's NCAA First Round win over Florida State and was the most in a four-set match during the 2017 Championship Tournament. The 57 assists also tied for the most by a Pac-12 setter in 2017. Brown served four aces in a 3-2 loss to Baylor and that total is second-most in a 5-set match in Pac-12 this year.
Brown joins WSU teammates Taylor Mims and Alexis Dirige as members of a Collegiate National Team for 2018. Mims, a rising senior, and Dirige, a rising junior, were selected to the CNT-Europe squad, announced last month. Athletes were selected through the U.S. Women's National Team Open Tryouts held March 2-4 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo.
The CNT-Detroit squad, part of USA Volleyball's High Performance pipeline and considered a second tryout for the U.S. Women's National Team, will train June 22-26, at the University of Michigan. The athletes will then be assigned to one of two 12-member teams that will play three exhibition matches against each other at the Cobo Center June 27, June 28 and June 30. The matches are being held in conjunction with the USA Volleyball Girls' Junior National Championships under the same roof.
Ashley Brown is a 5-9 sophomore setter from Prosper, Texas, who transferred to WSU from the University of Oklahoma in January of 2017. She was an integral part of WSU's 6-2 offense and later in the season took over sole responsibility of the setting duties. Brown was named to Dr. Mary Jo Wynn Invite All-Tournament Team. She averaged 5.90 assists per set overall and 5.75 assists per set in Pac-12. Her career-high 57 assists came in WSU's NCAA First Round win over Florida State and was the most in a four-set match during the 2017 Championship Tournament. The 57 assists also tied for the most by a Pac-12 setter in 2017. Brown served four aces in a 3-2 loss to Baylor and that total is second-most in a 5-set match in Pac-12 this year.
Brown joins WSU teammates Taylor Mims and Alexis Dirige as members of a Collegiate National Team for 2018. Mims, a rising senior, and Dirige, a rising junior, were selected to the CNT-Europe squad, announced last month. Athletes were selected through the U.S. Women's National Team Open Tryouts held March 2-4 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo.
………
Top WSU athletes: No. 10
to 6
Three of five picks are seniors, all athletes chosen have had
impact on team since stepping foot on campus
By SAM HEIKELL, Evergreen columnist
April 10, 2018
April 10, 2018
The following rankings of current athletes at WSU were
determined based on a variety of factors, including impact on their teams on
and off the playing surface, achievements in competitions and performance of
the team in their absence.
10. Viont’e
Daniels
With the potential absence of junior forward Robert Franks and
sophomore point guard Malachi Flynn announcing he will be transferring, WSU
basketball is going to lean heavily on junior guard Viont’e Daniels next
season. The 6-foot-2-inch guard from Federal Way is a player who can get it
done on both ends of the floor and has been blossoming for the Cougars,
improving and seeing the court more and more every season. Daniels likes to
take it to the rim, but can knock down perimeter shots as well, shooting a
team-best 45.5 percent from beyond the three-point line this past season.
Despite a poor regular season record, Daniels got a chance to continue to grow,
playing the second-most minutes and emerging as a leader on the team this year.
9. Scotty
Sunitsch
Entering his senior year, left-handed pitcher Scotty Sunitsch
was tied for ninth in WSU baseball history with 71 career appearances. The Todd
Beamer High School alumnus has been a work horse from the very start, appearing
in 24 games from the bullpen and making two starts his freshman year. He was
selected to be one of the team’s five captains this year and currently holds
the lowest ERA out of the team’s starters. Most recently, Sunitsch etched his
name into the history books, throwing a no-hitter in the series finale at
University of Oregon on Sunday. Striking out nine and walking four batters, he
claimed WSU’s first solo no-hitter since Eric Wilkins in 1976.
8. Jasmine
Margetts
Earning a team-best 11 individual wins over the season, junior
swimmer Jasmine Margetts can do it all. She holds top-10 times for WSU in seven
different events and was a member of the 800 yard freestyle relay team that
currently holds the school record. Margetts picked up her season-best times in
the 200 yard butterfly and the 400 and 200 yard individual medleys at the
Pac-12 Championships, finishing 17th, 20th and 21st respectively. She was
selected to participate in the USA College Challenge last fall, where swimming
stars from the Pac-12 compete against members of the USA Swimming National
Team. Aside from swimming, Margetts earned an honorable mention on the Pac-12
All-Academic honor roll.
7. Alivia
Brown
Over the last four years golfing for the Cougars, senior and Gig
Harbor native Alivia Brown has built up an impressive resume. She became the
first WSU freshman to compete as an individual in the NCAA regional tournament
and qualify for the NCAA Championships. She hasn’t looked back since, earning
at least a top-25 finish in nearly every event this year. Brown has been a
leader every season, helping the Cougars maintain a solid record. Last
September, Brown captured her first-ever individual win at the WSU Cougar Cup.
Her six-under-par performance tied for the second-lowest score in the
tournament’s 10-year history. With the ends of the season and her career
nearing, she is looking to make one final run in the NCAA tournament.
6. Derek
Bayley
Senior
Derek Bayley has put together an illustrious collegiate golf career, leading
the Cougars to tournament victories since his freshman year. Since the 2014-15
season, when he had the lowest scoring average as a freshman in WSU history,
he’s racked up numerous top-five finishes and even has an individual tournament
win to show for it. Claiming first place at the Itani Quality Homes Collegiate
his sophomore season with a three-round score of 12 under par, Bayley has been
a key player in WSU’s golf team. Recently, Bayley earned his best all-time
finish away from home, taking sixth place and carding a 201 (-12) at the Bandon
Dunes Collegiate. With just one more regular season tournament left in his WSU
career, Bayley will look to lead the Cougars to a successful outing at the
Pac-12 Championships later this month.
::::::::
((Note
below: The commentary below from June Daugherty was in the Spokane
Spokesman-Review on/about March 31, 2018.))
Commentary:
After 11 years, gratitude to all
By June
Daugherty
April 10,
2018 Moscow Pullman Daily News and Lewiston Tribune
As March
Madness comes to an end, I wanted to tell you that I have retired from
Washington State University as your women's basketball coach. It has been an
honor to have been a coach for over a decade and represent this outstanding
institute of higher education.
I have
been fortunate to have worked with so many dedicated, talented student-athletes
who I know will each go on and enjoy great careers because of their academic
and athletic experiences at WSU. One of my most proud moments is having
graduated every player who competed for four years.
Thank you
to the parents of these great people for sharing your daughters with us.
It has
been a joy to have worked with top-notch professionals both in the athletic
department and with the faculty and staff across campus. My extreme heartfelt
gratitude goes to my coaching colleagues (and their spouses) and all the
athletic support staff personnel. Thank you for your loyalty, dedication and
passionate work. Deepest condolences to the Lang family on the loss of our
great strength and conditioning coach David Lang. He was an amazing mentor and
friend.
Thank you
to all of the Amateur Athletic Union, high school, club and national-team youth
coaches who trusted and supported me to recruit your athletes over three
decades of recruiting.
Being able
to hang three postseason banners in the Beasley Coliseum rafters was an amazing
accomplishment that took so many people's talents and supports. Thank you to
the fans who believed in and supported our Cougar teams. A special recognition
and thanks needs to be made to our Cougar Pawz members, alumni, drumline, Gray
Squad, band, cheer, dance, managers, ushers and media. It truly does take a
village to have remarkable success.
What a
privilege it has been as a parent of Doc and Bre to raise them in the WSU and
Pullman community. They were so fortunate to be surrounded by 15 outstanding
"Big Sisters" to look up to as positive role models each year. They
have been incredibly supportive for the entire journey and we couldn't have
asked for better kids.
Thank you
to my husband Mike, who has been my lifelong partner both professionally and
personally. I feel so blessed that he always allowed me to follow my dream of
coaching and sacrificed his goals for me.
I want to
express how special it has been to share my basketball team with our own
extended families (Brewers/Daughertys). Even though the time differences were
huge they always stayed up late to cheer on the Cougs from afar. What a thrill
it's been to have our 80-plus-year-old parents' unconditional love and support
always, win or lose.
My health
is improving and I am getting stronger every day. I thank you for the prayers,
get-well wishes and kindness that so many of you have taken the time to send my
way. And I look forward to staying in contact with you.
I leave
WSU with lifelong friends and many special memories. And I am so thankful to
WSU for providing me this amazing journey. All the best to each and every one
of you. Keep supporting this great university and the Cougar basketball team.
Once a
Coug, always a Coug.
June
Daugherty was women's basketball coach at Washington State from 2007 to 2018.
The school announced last month her tenure was ending.
#
