WSU Cougars have a real shot at
national title
But WSU faces obstacles, including
East Coast bias and late-night games.
Walla Walla Union-Bulletin Editorial 11/1/2018
No Joke! Washington State University
is in the hunt for the national championship of college football.
This week, the Cougars were ranked as
No. 8 in the country in the initial College Football Playoff rankings.
“I think Washington State is up there
in striking distance,” ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit said
Tuesday as the top 10 of the CFP Rankings were released.
WSU is the highest-ranked team in the
Pac-12 Conference, and if it runs the table — thus winning the Pac-12
championship — it is possible WSU would be in the top four and therefore
qualify for the national championship playoffs.
Now, WSU still has three regular
season games left, so it’s far too early to book reservations for the title
game at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara. The Cougs can still Coug it.
But the Cougars also have East Coast
bias (and late-night game times) standing in the way of a chance to play for
the championship.
Herbstreit, who said he was surprised
WSU was ranked as highly as it was, believes the Cougars’ weak nonconference
schedule — Wyoming, San Jose State and Eastern Washington University — could
hurt their chances even if they keep winning.
He might be right, based on the fact
that members of the committee that selects the playoff teams are enamored with
the Southeast Conference (think Alabama and LSU) and the Big 10 (Michigan and
Ohio State) and view West Coast football like it’s the Pop Warner League. A
reason for that is the best teams on the West Coast are forced to play their
games late at night, when those on the East Coast are sleeping.
ESPN and other networks schedule the
best teams from the Pac-12 to kick off at 7:45 on Saturday night so they can
broadcast football all day and night. The Cougars are scheduled for the late
game this Saturday when they take on the Cal Bears in Pullman.
Beyond the lack of exposure for the
Pac-12 teams in the highly political FBS rankings, this also stinks for fans.
Watching a late game in November in
the Palouse can be very cold and wet — in short, miserable. Plus, there are few
motel rooms to be found within 50 miles. This means Walla Wallans who bought
their tickets expecting (hoping) for a 1 p.m. kickoff must start their drive
back late Saturday and won’t get back until early Sunday.
University of Washington Coach Chris
Petersen has been irked about this slight to the Pac-12 and its fans for years.
The coach called playing game after game at night “painful.”
“I just want to say something to our
fans: We apologize for these late games,” Petersen said in 2016. “And I’d also
like to reiterate it has nothing to do with us or the administration. We want
to play at 1 o’clock. It hurts us tremendously in terms of national exposure.
No one wants to watch our game on the East Coast that late, and we all know
it.”
Right on, coach.
And, while Petersen would not agree,
let us just say: Go Cougs!
:::::::::::::::
Pullman
Radio News 11/1/2018
The
City of Pullman Fire Department is reminding the public about the possible
criminal consequences for illegal burning. The warning comes ahead of the
potential for more celebration couch fires which has become a tradition
following Washington State University football home victories. The fires
started 2 years ago and continued last month when 6 blazes were set on College
Hill after the Cougars defeated Oregon. The PFD is reminding citizens that 1st
degree felony arson is punishable by up to life in prison. Felony reckless
burning can lead to a 5 year prison sentence. Misdemeanor reckless burning can
land someone in jail for up to a year. Disorderly conduct is punishable by up
to 3 months in jail. Charges are based on the severity of the illegal burning.
WSU football is hosting Cal on Saturday night.
:::::::::::::::::::
FRIDAY NOVEMBER
16, 2018: WSU Women's Basketball game time change
11/1/2018
from WSU Sports Info
PULLMAN,
Wash. - Washington State women's basketball has announced a schedule change for
their upcoming game with Nebraska slated for Nov. 16. The game time has changed
to 5:30 p.m. to give Cougar fans the chance to go to both women's basketball
and volleyball that night in Pullman. The volleyball team plays at 7 p.m. at
Bohler Gym against No. 2 Stanford in a critical Pac-12 matchup.
The
Cougars begin the 2018-19 season Tuesday, Nov. 6 against Utah State. The game
is scheduled for a 7 p.m. tip at Beasley Coliseum.
::::::::::::::::::::
Inland Northwest native takes on WSU
Linebacker from Spokane gave California its only TD in upset
win
By Dale Grummert, Lewiston Trib
Evan Weaver could have lied. He could have said he'd
thoroughly studied the tendencies of Washington's backup quarterback and
capitalized on that knowledge in manufacturing the game-winning touchdown in
California's upset victory.
Instead, he came clean. He hadn't even noticed the Huskies
had changed Jakes.
It didn't matter. Weaver, an inside linebacker from Spokane
who'd grown up a Husky fan, made a leaping interception of Jake Haener and
romped 37 yards for the key touchdown Saturday in Cal's stunning 12-10 win over
then-No. 15 Washington at Berkeley, Calif.
Weaver, who was named Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week on
Monday, now faces another team from his home state when the Bears (5-3, 2-3)
challenge No. 10 Washington State (7-1, 4-1) in a football game Saturday (7:45
p.m., ESPN) at Martin Stadium in Pullman.
Cal's standout junior defender from Spokane's Gonzaga Prep
can be forgiven for overlooking Washington's QB switch last week. It was so
unexpected. Yes, the Huskies were sputtering, but they've always kept the faith
in Jake Browning, the school's all-time passing leader.
Late in the third quarter, though, they indeed inserted
Haener, a second-year freshman. Five plays later Weaver unwittingly punished
them for it.
"I'm not even going to lie - I didn't know Jake
Browning wasn't in there until people started telling me after I picked the
ball off," Weaver told the Pac-12 Networks this week. "When (Haener)
came out for the next series, I was kind of like, 'Let's see if we can do this
again.' "
As it turned out, once was enough. The next day, Weaver
repeatedly watched video of his big play: snagging an underthrow down the
middle, angling toward the left sideline and, in a flashback to his days as a
running back at Gonzaga, diving out of bounds to avoid a tackler and extending
the football into the pylon to give Cal a 12-7 lead.
"After I got past their quarterback is when I realized
I really have a chance here," Weaver said. "Then I saw the big right
tackle coming after me, and I'm like, 'Ooh, can't get tackled by this guy.' So
luckily he kind of just jumped right over me, and I just made it into the end
zone somehow. I just kind of blacked out after I caught the ball."
He wasn't exaggerating. Weaver, 6-foot-3 and 245 pounds,
ranks 10th in the country in solo tackles per game, but he isn't accustomed to
long touchdown gallops. Afterward he lay supine for a stretch as trainers
attended to him.
"Maybe 2 or 3 more yards and I would have run out of
steam," Weaver said, "but they didn't get me this time."
His first career interception was a particular thrill to
fellow Cal linebacker and friend Jordan Kunaszyk.
"I just saw Weav with the ball and I was like, 'Who can
I block, who can I block?' " Kunaszyk said. "And he didn't need
anybody to block for him. He was a man on a mission."
The game marked the first time in 20 years that Cal had won
without an offensive touchdown, and it brightened Weaver's Twitter feed
considerably.
Two weeks earlier, after the Bears' third consecutive loss,
he had tweeted, "I would like to apologize to the #Cal Fans! You deserve
better than what we are putting on the field. We will make this better!
#GoBears."
He and the Bears delivered on that vow, beating Oregon State
and Washington in successive games. After the latter win, Weaver posted a
mysterious photo of himself posing with a pack of Husky fans.
"My dad is actually a U-Dub alum, and those were a few
of his fraternity brothers that I actually remember going to games with,"
Weaver explained. "When I was little, I used to go to U-Dub games almost
every other week."
He even attended a few WSU games, if only because he was
friends with Pullman High player Ben Moos, son of then-Wazzu athletic director
Bill Moos and now a second-year freshman linebacker for Cal.
The Cougars had recruited Weaver but "He told us
no," WSU coach Mike Leach said this week.
Weaver said it was more complicated than that: "They
were definitely considered."
But he likes where he's at. In producing his team's only
touchdown in a momentous win last week, he underscored the emphasis that
second-year Cal coach Justin Wilcox is placing on his side of the ball.
"The defense used to be an afterthought here,"
Weaver said, "but now it's really at the forefront of where our program
is, and where our toughness is."
:::::::::::::::
Spokane native Evan Weaver picked on UW last week. Now he
has his sight set on WSU.
California’s Evan Weaver tackles UW’s Kamari Pleasant last
week in Berkeley, Calif. (Ben Margot / The Associated Press)
The Seattle Times' 2015 Defensive Player of the Year
returned an interception for a touchdown against the Huskies. This week, he'll
try to stop a high-powered Cougars offense and pull off another upset.
By Theo Lawson, Spokane Spokesman-Review
Evan Weaver didn’t choose Washington State, but the Gonzaga
Prep product has still found a way to contribute to the Cougars’ cause.
Cal’s junior inside linebacker was lurking in pass coverage
last Saturday against No. 15 Washington when quarterback Jake Haener ripped a
pass up the middle of the field late in the third quarter. Weaver instinctively
rose up to pick the ball out of the air before landing on both feet, making one
cut to the left sideline and returning the first interception of his career 37
yards for a go-ahead touchdown.
Weaver’s pick-six nailed down a 12-10 upset win for Cal at
Memorial Stadium. UW’s loss in Berkeley catapulted WSU to the top of the Pac-12
North standings, and it could have more substantial implications on the
divisional race later this season.
Weaver did his part for the Cougars. Now he’ll try to lend
the Huskies a hand.
The former two-way Gonzaga Prep standout is returning to the
Inland Northwest on Saturday for Cal’s 7:45 p.m. (ESPN) game at No. 10
Washington State. If the Golden Bears beat the Cougars for the second straight
year, it will diminish Wazzu’s chances of winning the North.
“I’ve got a lot of family and friends who go (to WSU), so
it’s going to be awesome,” Weaver told reporters in Berkeley on Monday
afternoon. “I’ve got about 40 or 50 people going down, so it’ll be good to see
all of them and play in front of them, but it’s just another game at the end of
the day.”
Weaver was an all-state player for the Bullpups as a senior,
winning Washington 4A Defensive Player of the Year honors from The Seattle
Times, Associated Press and Tacoma News Tribune. An edge-rushing menace who
doubled as a 1,000-yard rusher, Weaver led Gonzaga Prep to an unbeaten 2015
season and a blowout win over Skyline in the State 4A championship game.
He was recruited by five Pac-12 schools other than the one
he chose, including both WSU and UW.
Asked Monday if the Cougars made a strong push for the
Gonzaga Prep star, coach Mike Leach responded: “Yeah. Yeah, we did. He told us
no.”
Later Monday afternoon, reporters in Berkeley relayed
Leach’s quote to Weaver during an interview after practice. He tells a slightly
different version of the story.
“I didn’t quite tell
them no,” Weaver said. “They were definitely considered and I just felt Cal was
the best place for me. … They’re all great coaches and they have a great team
everywhere. I haven’t really been in contact with them since.”
Weaver’s seen a good share of Cougar games from the
bleachers at Martin Stadium, though.
He befriended Ben Moos while both were standout prep
football players in the region and often drove to Pullman to join the son of
WSU’s former athletic director for home Cougar games. One year after the Golden
Bears secured a signature from Weaver, Moos also decided to take his college
football career to Berkeley.
Cal used Weaver as a defensive end his first season but
dropped him back to inside linebacker as a sophomore, and he’s thriving in that
role as a junior.
“Evan is playing at a high level right now. He loves
football,” Cal coach Justin Wilcox said. “The guy eats up everything about
football. He loves the physical part of the game. Loves hitting people. He’s a
throwback guy.”
Weaver’s 87 tackles this season – 52 solo and 35 assisted –
place him 18th in the country. He’s had 4 1/2 tackles for loss to go with 1 1/2
sacks, five pass breakups, one quarterback hurry and one interception.
“I think his football IQ has just gotten better and better
and he’s playing at a really high level,” Wilcox added. “He’s a good finisher,
really good finisher, and he’s a physical guy. And he can run – he’s got good
speed, he’s playing well.”
Saturday’s game is an important one for Weaver, but the
beautiful thing about the Cal junior, according to his head coach, is that he
treats every game with that approach.
“I think every game’s a big game for Evan Weaver, to be
honest with you,” Wilcox said. “And I know coming back home there’s probably
going to be a lot of friends and family, which is great. But Evan plays hard
every week and he prepares hard every week, so I don’t see it being different
in that regard.”
Three years after Weaver fell out of WSU’s hands, he’s still
on the Cougars’ radar.
“Biggest thing is he’s a big, physical guy that runs to the
ball,” Leach said. “That pretty much sums it up.”
:::::::::::::::::::
Women’s Basketball Cougs adjusting under new Texan
Kamie Ethridge a breath of fresh air for WSU
By Colton Clark, Lewiston Trib, Nov 1, 2018 Updated 9 hrs
ago
When Kamie Ethridge landed on Washington State's campus in
April as the new commander of the Cougars' women's basketball team, a breath of
fresh air came with her.
That's referring to this new wave of coaches and the unseen
schemes they're implementing. And yeah, Ethridge is about as new a face (and
voice) as WSU could imagine, and the Cougs are all the better for it.
For starters, she's a Texan, whose refreshing accent
reverberates through Beasley Coliseum with pointed design. Persistently at
practice, the whistle cried, and Ethridge scooted into the frontcourt,
readjusting positioning and constructively criticizing execution of the
"plays, not the people," she specified.
It's safe to say her aims for perfect operation are lofty -
she's a Women's Basketball Hall of Famer, an Olympic gold medalist point guard
and an NCAA national champion Longhorn who vaunts a storied coaching pedigree,
ranging from 19 years as an associate at Kansas State to a complete rebuild of
Northern Colorado's program, which made the NCAA tournament for the first time
ever last season under her guise.
So how'd WSU manage to snag her after dismissing 11-year
coach June Daugherty?
"Pac-12 jobs are hard to come by," she noted as a
driving factor to apply. Aside from that, athletic director Pat Chun and
president Kirk Schulz were keen to invest in the program. They welcomed change,
even pushed for it.
"They said they'll give us time to build it the right
way," Ethridge said. "They want it to be successful and they want to
help us get it there. In women's basketball, you don't often hear those words
from many athletic directors."
Three key contributors (Louise Brown, Nike McClure, Kayla
Washington) are gone, lost to transfer. So the rebuild is on, to say the least.
It's a whole new package, a "free-flowing offense," which
"allows us to just be basketball players," acknowledged floor general
Chanelle Molina.
It's a massive alteration for Wazzu, which might need
"a couple years of teaching," admitted Ethridge - what with expanded
focus on communication, transition defense and a tendency to run-and-gun with a
guard-heavy blueprint.
It might be a colossal shift for players, but it's another
step in the plot for Ethridge.
"I can't change," Ethridge said. "I'm pretty
much transparent - what I say is really what I'm thinking. I can be a hard
coach to play for, because I'm critical. I want people in the right spots and I
want people to play unbelievably hard."
Despite the Cougs being young on paper, and that all are
practically "freshman in my program," Ethridge said, they've
undeniably been quick to buy into the culture. It's new, but certainly notable.
Ethridge moves in with three fresh-faced assistants, two she
brought along from UNC - the associate head coach, Laurie Koehn, cemented
herself as one of the best-ever 3-point shooters during her time under Ethridge
at Kansas State. Afterward, she played 11 seasons professionally. Then, was a
Bears assistant for three campaigns of sharp improvement.
"We're adjusting," all-conference forward and
Cheryl Miller watch list (best small forward) player Borislava Hristova said.
"There's still little things we're trying to figure out, but we all
believe in the system they brought from their experience."
Ethridge has noticed; her players "love to be held to a
high standard," she said, and the upperclassmen are "coming
along" in Ethridge's communication-first preference.
Case in point: Say Hristova - Ethridge has "been
on" her for taking too many "hard shots" - or Molina might dish
one inside to Maria Kostourkova, who finishes it off with a turnaround flip-in.
But if the Cougs aren't definite in either their saluting of the scorer and
passer, or resolute in gesturing alignments for defensive changeover, there's a
hiss. In walks Ethridge, who reiterates clearly with a Lubbock inflection the
importance of audible contact.
"We're just emphasizing communication," said
Molina, the oldest of three sisters on the team. "We were running a lot
(after practice) because we weren't communicating. Like the little things - if
someone makes a basket, say good job and pat 'em on the back."
To Bulgarian native Hristova - one of six players from abroad
- who dropped 17.8 points per game last year, it's all a "step forward in
our growing process and the culture we're building."
Five of 11 are freshmen, so WSU can't "get too
loose." See, even the more experienced of the bunch, like Molina and
Hristova, still "don't quite know yet what's all expected," Ethridge
said.
More than three Pac-12 wins (10 overall in 2017-18) would be
a good start. Considering the skipper, a more substantial progression isn't too
far-fetched.
"I have a lot of confidence that we'll be a competitive
team," Ethridge said. "I don't know what that means wins-wise, but
I'm excited to represent Washington State and I'm excited that this is my
team."
NOTES
Ethridge on potentially playing former Big Sky rival Jon
Newlee's Idaho Vandals:
"We've talked a little bit - it may happen. It's kind
of a no-brainer for us. It's convenient and obviously good for crowds. I'm sure
we'll get back on each other's schedules."
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Washington State basketball men: Cougars are bigger, but
will they be better?
Thu., Nov. 1, 2018, 6 a.m.
By Theo Lawson S-R of Spokane
Player to watch
Robert Franks elected to stay in Pullman for a final season
and instantly gave Washington State’s starting five a first-ballot All-Pac-12
player. The conference’s reigning Most Improved Player declared for the NBA
Draft without an agent and got valuable feedback from pro scouts, who
challenged him to be more aggressive, dynamic and even more selfish when he has
the ball in the hands. As the primary scorer on this WSU team and the only
returning player to average double figures last season, the Cougars will want
Franks to do that anyway. If he can become a better defender and use his length
to stymie opponents at the rim, his NBA stock should be soaring by the season’s
end.
Key games
There aren’t too many enticing matchups on the nonconference
schedule, but the Cougars always draw a crowd for the Battle of the Palouse,
which will take place for the 119th time on Dec. 5 in Pullman. WSU has conceded
three of the past four games against Idaho in the rivalry series, but the
Vandals lost 80 percent of their scoring from last season and their leading
returner is out for the year. Spokanites will have a close-to-home opportunity
to see WSU at 11 a.m. on Dec. 29 – a Saturday – when the Cougars take on Santa
Clara at Spokane Arena in their nonconference finale. The Cougars open Pac-12
play with the other rivalry game that’s important to them – at Washington on
Jan. 5. Ranked No. 25 in the preseason, the Huskies received two first-place
votes in the Pac-12 media poll and WSU could be the first team to set back
their conference title ambitions. Leg two of UW-WSU is slated for Feb. 16 in Pullman.
The Oregon team Ernie Kent coached from 1997-2010 is picked to win the Pac-12,
and Kent returns to Eugene on Jan. 27. The Ducks, led by junior point guard
Payton Pritchard and highly touted freshman center Bol Bol, visit Beasley
Coliseum March 6.
In the past, Washington State hasn’t always had the size,
the length and the athleticism to combat the Pac-12’s elite big men, but this
season the Cougars should at least be 2-for-3 there. The frontcourt averages
almost 6-foot-9 across the board, and while WSU won’t have the girth or
physicality to match up with certain opponents, the Cougars have long
wingspans, and increasing their activity on the defensive end could lead to
more deflections in the passing lanes, blocked shots at the rim and improved
rebounding numbers.
Frontcourt
When opposing teams size up WSU this year, Robert Franks
will be the first, second and third name on their scouting report. The senior
from Vancouver, Washington, essentially doubled his scoring and rebounding
totals between his sophomore and junior season, and was named the Pac-12 Most
Improved Player in 2017-18. Franks, who scored 17.4 points per game and grabbed
6.6 rebounds as a junior, appeared on some mock NBA Draft boards toward the end
of last season, and the 6-foot-9 forward should reappear on most of those as
his senior year begins.
Another asset of this frontcourt is its number of capable
ball-handlers. Ernie Kent likes big men who are capable of snatching rebounds
at one end and leading the fast break on the other. Franks, of course, is
well-schooled in that regard, as is every forward/center on this team with the
exception of Jeff Pollard and Davante Cooper. Isaiah Wade and Marvin Cannon are
skilled forwards who have experience at the junior college level. True freshmen
Aljaz Kunc and CJ Elleby each bring something different to the table. Kunc is a
springy 6-8 forward who has a delicate touch from three-point range and Elleby,
son of former Cal player Bill Elleby, has impressed Kent’s staff with his
basketball savvy and on-court maturity.
Backcourt
Malachi Flynn transferred from WSU in March and left the
Cougars without a player who likely would’ve contended for All-Pac-12 honors in
his third year as the program’s starting point guard. Replacing Flynn isn’t
easy – and the Cougars won’t do it with one player – but Kent was able to
inject some experience into his backcourt by snagging two junior college point
guards during the offseason. Ahmed Ali, a Toronto native whose claim to fame is
scoring 103 points in a high school game, will competefor the position with
Jervae Robinson, who averaged 13.3 points and 4.1 assists in two seasons at
Colorado’s Otero Junior College.
Senior Viont’e Daniels and junior Carter Skaggs are the
returners in the backcourt, and both are 3-point snipers who shot better than 40
percent from behind the arc last season. With Flynn out of the picture, and
Franks in need of some help on the score sheet, Daniels and Skaggs, who
combined for 17.2 points per game last season – less than Franks averaged alone
– will see an uptick in floor time and will be expected to hoist more shots.
Bench
The reserves combined for a scoring output of 20.7 ppg last
season and the Cougars didn’t have enough firepower in their starting five, let
alone someone who could come off the bench and make hefty contributions. Milan
Acquaah and Kwinton Hinson did it occasionally, but both players transferred
out with Flynn, along with Jamar Ergas and KJ Langston. Eleven different
players started games for Kent last year, and it’s unclear who will be the
primary starters this season, but the influx of JC transfers should give the
Cougars more depth and experience on the bench.
Coaching
Kent’s skeptics have plenty of ammunition in the coach’s
fifth season. His best record came during his first season at WSU, when the
Cougars won seven conference games and finished in a tie for eighth in the
Pac-12. But they’ve gone just 18-54 in conference play since he arrived, 47-77
overall. WSU hasn’t exceeded 13 wins under Kent and the Cougars are going on
six straight years without a postseason appearance. His two top assistants,
Bennie Seltzer and Ed Haskins, are no longer Pac-12 newcomers and each enter
their second season with the WSU program. Kent promoted another coach this
offseason, elevating former coordinator of operations Tim Marrion to full-time
assistant.
::::::::::::::::::
Washington State women basketball look to climb in Pac-12
Thu., Nov. 1, 2018, 6 a.m.
By Jim Allen, Spokane Spokesman-Review
Kamie Ethridge isn’t sure what to expect in her first season
as women’s basketball coach at Washington State.
“Probably some black eyes and bruises,” Ethridge said with a
laugh after a recent practice.
That may happen – the Cougars face tough schedules in
nonconference play and the Pac-12 – but so far there are nothing but smiles.
“I’m excited about the new staff – they’re amazing,” point
guard Chanelle Molina said. “And the system is more free-flowing and allows us
to just be basketball players.”
Ethridge, a Hall of Fame player who won a national title at
Texas in 1986 and a gold medal in the Seoul Olympics two years later, said
she’s excited at the prospect “to build your own culture and get it going the
way you want.”
After several stints as an assistant, Ethridge did just that
at Northern Colorado. Last season’s Bears team was among the best in Big Sky
Conference history, winning the regular season and tournament titles and
landing a 10 seed in the NCAA Tournament after knocking off several top programs.
She’s optimistic about doing the same at WSU, though she
said that “I get it when everybody says it takes four years to really see the
fruits.”
Certainly, the expectations will be modest for a program
that finished 3-14 in the Pac-12 and 10-20 overall in the final season of the
June Daugherty era.
The Cougars haven’t posted a winning record in conference
play since the 1991-92 season.
However, WSU returns three starters, several key reserves
and just two seniors, giving Ethridge a chance of success in her four-year
plan.
The key may be Molina, the first five-star recruit in WSU
history when she signed in 2016. Sidelined by a season-ending knee injury as a
freshman, she bounced back last season, appearing in all 30 games, starting 18
of them while averaging 7.7 points and 2.9 assists per game.
“Right now I’m just learning to be a better leader,
encouraging my teammates,” Molina said. “And when I criticize them, they know
they can trust me.”
The big question is how much Molina can spread the wealth
and ease the scoring load for junior forward Borislava Hristova, whose 17.8
scoring average last season was nearly eight points more than any other Cougar.
Last season, the versatile Hristova shot 44.6 percent from
the field, 32.4 percent from three-point range and averaged four rebounds.
Guard Alexys Swedlund, one of two seniors, knows what it’s
like to win after leading the injury-plagued Cougs to the WNIT semifinals in
2017.
Also back for her senior year is 6-foot-4 post Maria
Kostourkova, who averaged 5.5 points and four rebounds last season.
#
