Grip on
Sports: Flynn the latest Cougar to follow a roadmap drawn by former WSU point
guard Thames
Tue., May
8, 2018, 8:35 a.m.
Spokane
Spokesman-Review
By Vince
Grippi
A GRIP ON
SPORTS • One of my favorite players while I was covering Washington State was
Xavier Thames. The California kid didn’t stay in Pullman long, leaving after
one season and transferring to San Diego State. Turns out he was a trendsetter.
Now Malachi Flynn is following the same path. Read on.
Thames’
transfer was one of those you could see coming from two rest areas ahead.
Recruited by Tony Bennett’s staff, he arrived at WSU with Ken Bone, the
replacement head coach who had different ideas of what he wanted in a point
guard.
And a
different point guard, Reggie Moore.
Bone
handed Moore the keys to the offense his first year, with Thames, also a
freshman, serving as his backup. That didn’t go over well, especially
considering Thames didn't seem to have much of a chance to earn the starting
spot. After a year of coming off the bench, Thames decided to return to
California. He picked San Diego State.
Where he,
and the Aztecs, thrived.
Thames
developed into what Bennett imagined, a 17-point-a-game scorer, a lockdown
defender and the Mountain West Player of the Year. The Aztecs went to the NCAA
Tournament each year he played, including the Sweet Sixteen his senior year.
Meanwhile,
Bone struggled in Pullman, never making the NCAAs, and Moore was ultimately
dismissed from the team in 2012.
Thames,
who is still playing professionally in New Zealand, was the first player of
consequence to leave during Bone’s tenure in Pullman. He wasn’t the last. Nor
the last Cougar to head to the mesa.
Valentine
Izundu played two years for Bone’s successor, Ernie Kent, before leaving Pullman
for San Diego. The 6-foot-10 center never really starred at Houston (his first
college stop), Pullman or with the Aztecs. But he seems to have been part of a
trend.
See,
yesterday, Kent’s own version of Moore, Malachi Flynn, announced he was
transferring to San Diego State.
When Kent
replaced Bone a few years back, he went looking for a point guard who could run
his up-tempo offense. He found him in Flynn, the Tacoma kid with the quiet
demeanor. For two seasons Flynn ran the Cougar attack, scoring when needed (he
averaged 15.8 points a game last year) and setting up his teammates when needed
(he also averaged 4.3 assists).
He seemed
to be the perfect fit for the Kent offense. Until he announced in March he was
leaving Pullman.
Now we
know where he’s headed. It's where Thames and Izundu headed before him.
The
Aztecs’ basketball trajectory is somewhat different than the Cougars. In 12 of
the past 13 years, SDSU has played in a postseason tournament, eight of those
in the NCAA. That’s not something Washington State can brag about.
Flynn will
have to sit a year, of course, but being the Aztecs played in the NCAA tourney
last season under first-year head coach Brian Dutcher, there is little doubt
they will be back again sometime in his two seasons in the land of perpetual
70-degree weather. The roster seems stacked.
The
Cougars? Next year will probably be Kent’s last unless his made-over roster can
show marked improvement, a goal made tougher by the latest defection southward.
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Forget
somebody?
Did you
know that Cougar Aron Baynes is the starting center for the Boston Celtics, who
just went up 3-0 on the 76ers in the second round of the playoffs?
And he is
doing a solid job, now taking on the overrated but still imposing Joel Embiid
of Philly. Baynesie is alos 6-11 from 3 point range in the playoffs, displaying
the versatility that Tony Bennett ignored for 3 years in Pullman.
Posted by
Loyal Coug on May 6, 2018 | 5:51 PM
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WSU
Athletics Honors Senior Student-Athletes
May 4,
2018
WSU
ATHLETICS HONORS SENIOR STUDENT-ATHLETES
From
Washington State Univ Athletics
PULLMAN,
Wash. - Washington State University Athletics honored its senior
student-athletes at the 36th Annual Senior Recognition Luncheon Friday
afternoon at the Bohler Athletic Complex.
The
luncheon highlighted the academic and athletic contributions of this year's
senior class of Cougar student-athletes.
The Pac-12
Conference Tom Hansen Conference Medal recipients are Alissa Brooks-Johnson
(Track & Field) and Luke Falk (Football). The conference medal winners are
those who best reflect the greatest combination of performance and achievement
in athletics, scholarship and leadership, as selected by the athletic director
and senior administrative staff.
Sixteen
student-athletes were recognized for the Senior Excellence in Academics Award,
given to seniors who have earned a minimum of 90 credits with at least a 3.5
cumulative GPA, been members of the WSU Athletics All-Academic Team each
semester, enrolled at WSU for at least two years, and excelled in their degree
program and sport program. This year's recipients are Greer Alsop (Women's
Track & Field), Sofia Anker-Kofoed (Soccer), Miranda Armstrong (Rowing),
Devon Bortfeld (Women's Track & Field), Alivia Brown (Women's Golf), Ellie
Burg (Rowing), Katherine Dittmann (Women's Track & Field), Jake Finney
(Men's Track & Field), Collin Maier (Baseball), Jenna Mangiagli (Rowing),
Kristen McDonnell (Women's Track & Field), Tucker Mjelde (Men's Track &
Field), Emily Morrow (Rowing), Pinelopi Pavlopoulou (Women's Basketball), Casey
Schoenlein (Volleyball) and Marlow Schulz (Women's Track & Field).
The Pac-12
Conference Postgraduate Scholarship recipients are Drick Bernstine (Men's
Basketball) and Kristel Tohu (Rowing). The scholarships are awarded to one male
and one female student-athlete at each Pac-12 school who have excelled
academically and athletically and intend to pursue a graduate degree.
The Cougar
Pride Trophy is awarded to one male and one female senior who has maintained
over a 3.00 cumulative GPA and has displayed exceptional academic, athletic and
outstanding personal qualities. This year's award winners are Luke Falk
(Football) and Casey Schoenlein (Volleyball).
Frankie
Luvu (Football) and Lucie Weissova (Rowing) were presented the Athletic
Director's Star Performer Award, given to the male and female senior
student-athlete who best reflect a commitment to academic improvement leading
to successful completion of their degree.
Six
seniors were presented the Steve Gleason Community Service and Leadership
Award, given to those who have demonstrated strong citizenship skills and
leadership qualities within their team and throughout the athletic department
and community. This year Miranda Armstrong (Rowing), Devon Bortfeld (Women's Track & Field),
Mahal Johnson (Rowing), Abu Kamara (Men's Track & Field), Jenna Mangiagli
(Rowing) and John Whelan (Men's Track & Field) were recognized.
The
Student-Athletic Advisory Committee (SAAC) True Cougar Award was presented to
Devon Bortfeld (Women's Track & Field) and
Wyatt Meyring (Men's Track & Field). This award is presented to a
female and male senior student-athlete who started their WSU careers as
non-scholarship student-athletes, and who, to their respective teams, define
leadership, commitment to excellence and Cougar Pride.
The Damien
Ficek Athletic Training Award was presented to one male and female senior
student-athlete who is humble, hard working in the training room and has
overcome physical and/or other personal challenges to succeed at WSU. The award
is presented in memory of former WSU athletic training student Damien Ficek,
whose life came to an end in 2004 while serving his country in Iraq. This
year's award winners are Casey Schoenlein (Volleyball) and Drick Bernstine
(Men's Basketball).
The Rob
Oviatt and David Lang Strength and Conditioning Award is presented to one male
and one female senior student-athlete who possess a great commitment to
training, are accountable to his/her workout, led by example and show an
overall improvement in the weight room. Honoring the work ethic and training
ideals of former WSU Directors of Physical Development Rob Oviatt and David
Lang. This year's recipients are Pinelopi Pavlopoulou (Women's Basketball) and
Blake Clanton (Baseball).
Alivia
Brown (Women's Golf) and Blake Clanton (Baseball) were named as recipients of
the Beulah M. Blankenship Outstanding Student-Athlete Award, given to
acknowledge personal achievements of a senior male and female student-athlete
at WSU. The award recognizes contributions to the highest values of athletic
expression by sportsmanship, dedication and positive regard for others.
The WSU
Alumni Association Big Ten Senior Award recognizes the most qualified five men
and five women from across the campus, each representing a specific aspect of
the college experience. The categories are academics, athletics, campus
involvement, community service and visual/performing arts. This year's
athletics recipient is Alivia Brown (Women's Golf).
The Cougar
Athletics Leadership Award recognizes the senior student-athletes who have
impacted a positive change within his/her sport, the athletics department,
Washington State campus, at the conference and/or national level, as well as
the greater Pullman community. The recipient of the Cougar Athletics Leadership
Award has been a consistent voice while representing the student-athlete
experience at WSU. The recipients have also demonstrated personal growth and
development through active participation in student-athlete development
programming such as the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, leadership and peer
academic counseling and mentoring programs, and community engagement
activities. This year's recipients are Casey Schoenlein (Volleyball) and Abu
Kamara (Men's Track & Field).
Graduation
at Washington State takes place Saturday, May 5.
