NCAA Basketball: Malachi Flynn is the must-have transfer this
off-season
By Tristan Freeman, Fansided.com
One of the best players in the Pac-12 Malachi Flynn has decided to
transfer from Washington State. He could be the best player to switch teams
this off-season.
The transfer season of college basketball has officially begun, with
already over 100 players declaring their intentions to leave their current
teams. There will be many different paths these young men take, from switching
mid-major programs to taking a step up or down the totem pole of conferences.
Some players will be making a huge impact on whatever team they choose
to go, especially now Malachi Flynn, a high scoring guard out of Washington
State. He had a solid freshman campaign but has added six more points per game
this season to get to 15.8 ppg, second on the team. His 4.3 apg also was the
best for the Cougars for the season.
What makes him such a coveted player is his ability to score at a high
volume. There were at least 10 occasions where he dropped at least 20 points in
a game, including a career-high 30 points in a win over the Colorado Buffalos.
Flynn came onto the scene earlier in the season in the Wooden Legacy Classic,
where he scored a combined 50 points in upset wins over two good defenses in
Saint Mary’s and San Diego State to win the tournament.
The upcoming junior will now be on the market for many teams to go
after. He’s a Washington State native, so there’s a chance that he’ll stay on
the west coast. That means that mid-major heavyweights Nevada and Gonzaga, who
have built their programs through transfers like Flynn, could be early
favorites. Expect in a couple of days a list to be circulating about his
potential suitors.
Next: Thoughts on AP All-American teams
There’s going to be hundreds of more players announcing that they’re
transferring away from their original team. But I doubt there will be many guys
better than Flynn, who’ll have two years left after sitting out per NCAA rules.
Whoever gets him will have a solid future backcourt.
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Slipperstillfits.com says
Malachi Flynn, guard, Washington State
This is probably not going to happen, but it is worth following. Flynn
didn’t even attract any attention from Gonzaga as a recruit, hell, he didn’t
even attract any attention from most schools out there (except Pacific).
However, as a Bellarmine Prep boy from Tacoma, Gonzaga has the in-state
theoretical advantage, and no conference affiliation with WSU to get in the
way. Flynn can ball too. He scored 15.8 points per game this season for the
Cougars, generally having to create much of that offense himself. Like Carr,
Flynn would have to sit out a year—and he is probably one of the most highly
sought after transfers on the market in general.
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WSU Professor and Architect Featured as Top Designer in the World, Will
have Work Featured in Venice, Italy
By Zach Anders, Pullman Radio News
A Washington State University professor in the School of Design and
Construction will have his work featured in a May edition of Biennale
Architettura 2018, the world's most prestigious international architecture
exhibition according to WSU. Paul Hirzel was one of only 15 American architects
invited by the Global Art Affairs Foundation, an exhibition that will show his
work and others from around the world from late May to November in Venice,
Italy. Hirzel's says he strives to bring balance between architecture and
landscape, working with the environment instead of against it. As a result
Hirzel has won numerous awards for both his designs and teachings at WSU.
Hirzel says he is excited to meet some of the world's most prominent architects
in Venice, and that "It's a real honor to represent WSU."
…………….
Former Washington State player McClure to join UNM women’s hoops
By Ken Sickenger Albuquerque Journal
Wednesday, April 11th, 2018 at 3:13pm
After a week of roster subtraction, the UNM women’s basketball team
tried addition Wednesday.
Nike (pronounced like the athletic shoe) McClure, a 6-foot-3 post who
has spent the last three seasons at Washington State, signed to join the Lobos
as a graduate transfer. She’ll be eligible to play as a senior in 2018-19,
giving UNM needed depth in the paint.
McClure appeared in 28 of WSU’s 30 games last season, starting seven.
She averaged 5.4 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game. She racked up
156 blocks in three seasons, two short of Washington State’s career record.
Lobos coach Mike Bradbury likes McClure’s defense but believes she’ll
bring more to the table as a complement to rising senior post Jaisa Nunn.
“Nike gives us options,” Bradbury said. “She’s versatile and she’ll
allow us to play Jaisa on the perimeter at times like we did when Richelle (van
der Keijl) was here. Last year we struggled some when Jaisa had to go to the
bench, too. Nike will help with that.”
McClure also figures to bolster the Lobos’ rebounding, an area where
they often struggled last season. UNM will add a third post in 6-2 freshman
Shaiquel McGruder.
Both Bradbury and McClure commented on how quickly she bonded with her
new team during recruiting.
“I’m extremely excited to announce that I will be finishing my college
career at The University of New Mexico!” McClure posted on social media. “Can’t
get over how much I already love the team and staff. Looking forward to next
season.”
McClure is leaving a Washington State program with numerous question
marks. The Cougars finished 10-20 last season and head coach June Daugherty
took indefinite medical leave in January. She has since retired and a new coach
has not yet been named.
The addition of McClure leaves New Mexico with two open scholarships.
Guards Mykiel Burleson, N’Dea Flye and Jasmine Smith have opted to transfer to
other schools for 2018-19.
WNBA PROSPECT: Former Lobo standout Cherise Beynon will hope to hear
her name called when the WNBA Draft is conducted today in New York. Beynon, who
ranks among UNM’s career leaders in scoring, rebounding, assists and steals has
drawn interest from several teams. A scouting report detailing Beynon’s
credentials is posted on the Las Vegas Aces’ team site.
“I’ve fielded calls from four or five teams about Cherise,” Bradbury
said. “She’s been working out and staying sharp since the season ended. We’re
all pulling for her. I hope she gets a shot.”
//////////////////
Cougar rowing hits the water in South Carolina
WSU will take part in second to last race before Pac-12 Championships
By JACKSON GARDNER, Evergreen April 12, 2018
No. 15 WSU rowing will travel across the country to compete in the
Clemson Invitational for its second-to-last tune-up before racing for a
conference championship.
The Cougars will make their fourth consecutive trip to the Clemson
Invitational and get a final taste of fellow Power Five conference competition
unless they qualify for the NCAA Championships for the sixth consecutive year.
WSU is among 21 teams, 11 of which are ranked or have received votes in
the USRowing poll, that will race on Lake Hartwell this Saturday and Sunday.
“This is a big event for us — we get to measure ourselves against a
strong conference,” Head Coach Jane LaRiviere said. “This is an important time
for us because the Pac-12 is so strong, and from that we can lose sight of how
we’re performing. So it’s good to go get some close racing as we learn more
about the team and hopefully get a few wins.”
The six top-20 programs the Cougars will race include No. 4 Ohio State
University, No. 9 University of Virginia, No. 13 University of Southern
California, No. 17 Indiana University, No. 18 Syracuse University and No. 20
University of Oklahoma.
Three additional Pac-12 schools will be at the Clemson Invitational
racing against WSU. It will be the last time the schools line up against each
other until they meet at the Pac-12 Championships in a little over a month. The
Cougars will run into Oregon State University, who they swept in four events
last weekend, as well as USC and University of California, Los Angeles.
“We feel support from the Pac-12 when we’re in a big regatta, and if
were not racing the Pac-12, we want to be supportive of the Pac-12,” LaRiviere
said. “I think the real important stuff is the people that we don’t have a
chance to face again.”
LaRiviere said traveling to South Carolina will be a challenge, but the
Cougars are prepared.
“It’s a big travel day and it’s a long way to go, but we’ve been doing
it for four years now and it’s part of the routine,” LaRiviere said. “All of
the juniors, seniors and sophomores have been there once before, so it’s not
like anything is unexpected.”
WSU’s first varsity eight will take to the water for the Cougars at
5:38 a.m. Saturday.
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WSU legend has a statue at the Superdome. Now he's up for Congress' top
civilian honor
BY Craig Hill, Tacoma News Tribune 4/12/2018
Steve Gleason, the former Washington State University star who became a
symbol for a city and people battling a debilitating disease, has been
nominated for the highest civilian honor awarded by Congress.
Gleason, who has Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (also known as Lou
Gehrig’s disease), was nominated by Washington and Louisiana lawmakers for his
work as an ALS advocate.
Legislation to award the former New Orleans Saints player the
Congressional Gold Medal was submitted by U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, a Republican
from Louisiana and a doctor who helped sponsor the legislation, and Senator
Patty Murray, a Democrat from Washington.
“Steve Gleason was a hero for Saints fans and now he is a hero for all
Americans as he finds hope and meaning in overcoming disability and creating
greater opportunity for others who are disabled,” Cassidy said.
:::::::::::::
Ex-WSU standout Steve Gleason considered for Congressional Gold Medal
UPDATED: Thu., April 12, 2018, 7:27 p.m.
By From staff and wire reports at Spokane S-R website
Steve Gleason, the Spokane native who starred for the Washington State
University Cougars and played football for the NFL’s New Orleans Saints, had
his name submitted for a Congressional Gold Medal, the highest civilian honor
awarded by Congress.
Federal lawmakers from Washington and Louisana seek to honor Gleason
for work as an advocate for people with amyotrophic lateral schlerosis, or ALS,
also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.
Sens. Bill Cassidy and John Kennedy, Republicans from Louisiana, helped
sponsor the legislation along with Sens. Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell,
Democrats from Washington.
“Few people make Washington state as proud as Steve Gleason, a Spokane
native and WSU standout who not only excelled on the field, but who has gone on
to make his biggest impact as a tireless advocate in the health world,” Murry
said.
Cassidy said Gleason was “a hero for Saints fans and now he is a hero
for all Americans as he finds hope and meaning in overcoming disability and
creating greater opportunity for others who are disabled.”
The 41-year-old Gleason, famous for blocking a punt in 2006 on the
night the Superdome reopened for the first time since Hurricane Katrina, was
diagnosed with ALS in 2011. He has spearheaded efforts through the Team Gleason
foundation to develop and provide technology to help ALS patients live longer,
more fulfilling lives. Those include devices that track eye movements to help
people who are paralyzed type words that can be transformed into speech.
Gleason has used the technology to communicate, post messages on social media,
address lawmakers from around the world and give motivational speeches to
athletes.
Congress this year approved the Gleason Act, which provided funding to
help ALS patients get those devices.
Also sponsoring the legislation in the House is Rep. Cathy McMorris
Rodgers, R-Wash.; Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La.; and Rep. Cedric Richmond, D-La.
The bill must be passed by the House and Senate and signed into law by
the president before the medal can be awarded.
Previous recipients include Thomas Edison, Robert Frost, Bob Hope, Walt
Disney, Roberto Clemente, John Wayne, Jesse Owens, Mother Teresa, Rosa Parks,
Jackie Robinson, Ruth and Billy Graham, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and
Coretta Scott King.
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A bit more info, this from Cougfan.com Facebook page
Posted April 10, 2018 at 9:18am
Washington State football: Darigold and WSU talk naming rights for
field at Martin or perhaps even entire stadium.
:::::::::::::::::::
From WSU Annual Giving on 4/12/2018
Why I Give: My Impact Story
Fellow Cougs,
My affinity for WSU started
back when I was a baby. Both of my parents are WSU alums. My father, Jack, was
an All-American quarterback and my mother, Molly, was known to “tear it up” on
the intramural fields. I guess you could say I was born to be a Coug. I came to
Washington State University myself as a student-athlete (football) in 2005.
I give to WSU because the
University has given me so much over the years. I earned a scholarship as a
student-athlete, forged lifelong friendships with fellow Cougs, and work with
the most amazing staff and faculty here at the Carson College of Business and
School of Hospitality Business Management. I am forever grateful to WSU for the
opportunities it has provided me.
The biggest reason I love
coming to work every day is the impact I get to have on our students. In fact,
I’m sure a lot of staff and faculty would say the same thing. Giving back to
WSU as an employee shows you have a vested interest in the overall student
experience. The future is bright for WSU, and we as Cougar Colleagues can play
a huge part in that success!
Go Cougs!
Tony Thompson (’09 Liberal
Arts)
Pullman purchases new city
hall
Officials say they have
been leasing space in the facility while they approach the construction phase
By Scott Jackson, Moscow Pullman Daily News
staff writer Apr 12, 2018
Pullman purchases new city
hall
This rendering from Design
West Architects shows how the sanctuary of the Encounter Ministries building
could be remodeled into the City Council chambers if the building is purchased
to serve as Pullman City Hall.
Design West
Architects/Daily News
Pullman has finalized its
$3.5 million purchase of the Encounter Ministries campus, which city officials
plan to convert into a new city hall and recreation center, Pullman Mayor Glenn
Johnson said.
Voters approved a
proposition in February that permits the city to issue $10.5 million in general
obligation bonds to finance the project. Johnson said the city plans to begin
offering the bonds for sale in the early summer. He said the remaining $7
million will be used to remodel the two buildings into a space more suitable to
house city operations.
"We've engaged with
Design West; they're going to help with all of our design and getting us
through the construction side," City Supervisor Adam Lincoln said.
Lincoln said Design West
Architects, which has offices in downtown Pullman, has been assisting with a
community outreach strategy to gather input from residents on what features
they would like to be included in the project. He said the city should begin to
accrue feedback and consider what can fit in the budget near the end of the
month.
Lincoln said the city is
leasing the space back to Encounter Ministries for its Sunday services while
the group prepares to renovate and move into its new headquarters - the YCC
building on Grand Avenue. Lincoln said the city is also leasing space in the
recreation building to another Christian organization as well as a local cheer
squad. He said the groups are only using the space on a short-term basis and
will likely be out of the building by the time construction begins.
"We figured the
planning phase is going to be eight or nine months and then (another) eight or
nine months of construction," Lincoln said.
The project is scheduled to
be completed by October 2019.
When planning the initial
cost estimate, Lincoln said the city created a "smart" budget that
allows room for relocation expenses as well as unexpected costs and
embellishments. Lincoln said he doesn't foresee many problems moving forward.
"The church building
in particular, it's something that's pretty easily remodeled," Lincoln
said. "It's a giant rectangular building, so moving walls a little bit and
making some adjustments shouldn't be a major concern."
Lincoln said all
departments currently housed in the old City Hall building, which includes city
administrative offices as well as public works and planning, will transfer into
the new facility once it is complete. Additionally, he said parks and
recreation administrators will move from their offices in Pioneer Center to
spaces in the new gym building. While Pioneer Center has the potential to be
reclaimed by the school district for office space, there is little word on the
fate of what is to become of the old City Hall. Lincoln said the City Council
has not made a decision yet, but speculated the city would likely explore
options to sell the property.
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Cougar Men’s Basketball
announces new signees
By PJ Kendall Coug Center
April 12th of 2018,
Good morning. If you’re
like me, you had no idea that Wednesday was the beginning of college
basketball’s regular signing period. I don’t know about you, but I was unaware
of this due largely to the fact that recruiting under Ernie Kent has been an
eminently forgettable affair. Nonetheless, the Cougs welcomed two players to
the fold.
The day’s first official
signee was Aljaž Kunc.
I don’t know if he’s any
good, but spelling his name out would certainly give you a big lead in
Scrabble. Kunc hails from Slovenia, but spent his most recent year at Impact
Academy in Sarasota, Florida. Oh, and I know I’m old an all, but that photo
would lead me to believe that Kunc was getting ready to play for his seventh
grade team; he looks incredibly young and thin. Kunc reported no other offers,
but he apparently drove by the freeway exit that takes you to West Lafayette,
IN recently.
WSU’s second signee was an
extreme outlier for Ernie Kent, in that he hails from a junior college. I’m
almost certain this is the first JuCo signee of Ernie’s tenure.
Isaiah Wade spent his first
two collegiate years at Iowa Western CC. In his sophomore season, he was third
on the team in scoring, with 12.1 points per game. The power forward also led
his team in rebounding, with 9.5 boards per game.
Wade reported offers from
Coastal Carolina, Montana State, SIU-Edwardsville and Idaho (Suck it, Verlin!
You may have beaten WSU by 27 but you better respect Ernie’s crootin’ hustle!)
One more Isaiah Wade fun fact: His step father is former Oklahoma State great
Byron Houston. Maybe Byron has some eligibility left?
::::::::::
FOOTBALL
Coach Mike Leach: football
coach, raccoon tracker
By Jeff Collier
Coug Center Apr 12th, 2018
Mike Leach is a fan of
raccoons. He talked about his affinity for the masked creature late last year
in an article for the Players Tribune. “At my place in Key West, raccoons will
show up sometimes and I’m always happy when they do,” Leach wrote. “I named my
pet raccoon after one of my favorite book characters, Bilbo Baggins.”
That was in his childhood
days. But Leach has had plenty of interactions with Raccoons since then. In his
media availability after WSU’s spring practice Tuesday, the Cougar head coach
detailed one particularly interesting one.
Leach was asked about the
weirdest animal he’s seen on his famous walk to work. “I tracked a raccoon one
time in the snow,” Leach replied. “I was in a neighborhood and I was just
curious where this raccoon lived, you know.” Leach followed the tracks in the
snow for, what he calls, a half of a mile out of his way into a neighborhood,
“just to sort it out.”
As for what else Leach has
found on his walks to campus? He mentions a couple of animals, including hawks,
owls and foxes, but Leach gives a warning about one in particular. “If you walk
up on a quail and they’re under the snow, it will lift up right in front up and
will scare the hell out of you.”
Imagine showing up to your
work late because you decided to walk a half-mile out of your way because you
were curious about where a raccoon lived. I don’t think you or I would get away
with it. But Mike Leach can and does, because he is living his best life.
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