WSU Tennis
drops first match of year against No. 1 Stanford
By Ty
Eklund, Evergreen
January
27, 2019
WSU tennis
dropped its first match of the season as it fell to No. 1 Stanford 4-0 Sunday
in the second round of the ITA Kickoff Weekend in Los Angeles at USC’s David X.
Marks Tennis Stadium.
The
Cougars (6-1) advanced to the second round after fighting back from a 3-0
deficit to defeat Southern Methodist University 4-3 Saturday.
In the
match against the Cardinal (2-0), WSU fell behind early as it lost the doubles
point.
Stanford
seniors Caroline Lampl and Kimberly Yee, the No. 7 doubles duo in the nation,
clinched the point by defeating Senior Tiffany Mylonas and freshman Hikaru Sato
6-2.
The
Cardinal dominated the singles matches winning all of them in straight sets to
complete a 4-0 sweep of the Cougars. Three of the singles matches did not finish
because Stanford had already secured the fourth point. The Cardinal were
leading all those matches as well.
On
Saturday against SMU, the Cougars started out losing the doubles point to the
Mustangs. Sophomore Michaela Bayerlova and senior Aneta Miksovska lost their
doubles match 6-1 but Sato and Mylonas were able to bounce back with a 6-4 win.
In the
decisive third doubles match, SMU squeaked out a 7-6 victory as the Cougar pair
of freshman Yang Lee and junior Melisa Ates fell to the Mustangs.
The Mustangs
would carry their momentum into the singles matches, claiming the first two
matchups to take a commanding 3-0 lead.
Bayerlova
started the Cougars improbable comeback with a 6-2, 6-3 win and Mylonas claimed
her match in three sets to pull the Cougars within one point of SMU.
Up first
was Mylonas who pushed her game to a third set victory 6-1, 1-6, 6-4 against
previous SMU doubles opponent Anzhelika Shapovalova.
Miksovska
then took down SMU sophomore Nicole Petchey 7-5, 2-6, 6-1 to tie the score at
3-3.
It all
came down to freshman Yang Lee as she battled senior Karina Traxler for the
decisive fourth point.
Traxler
took the opening set 7-6, but Lee dominated the final two sets to complete the
comeback victory for WSU.
WSU will
travel to Waco, Texas, next to face Baylor 3 p.m. Feb. 8 at Hurd Tennis Center
on the Baylor University campus.
::::::::::::::::
WSU men’s
basketball info from WSU Sports Information about upcoming UCLA at WSU game on
Friel Court at Beasley Coliseum on the WSU campus in Pullman…
COUGS HOST
BRUINS FOR ONLY MEETING OF THE SEASON: Washington State men’s basketball (8-12,
1-6) returns home to host UCLA (11-9, 4-3), Wednesday, Jan. 30 at 7 p.m. at
Beasley Coliseum.
• The game
will be televised on the Pac-12 Network as Roxy Bernstein (play-by-play) and
P.J. Carlesimo (analyst) have the call.
• All
season long, Cougar basketball can be heard on the Cougar IMG Sports Radio
Network with the Voice of the Cougars, Matt Chazanow on the call.
• Please
see page one of today’s notes for the list of affiliates.
• Live
stats are also available at www.wsucougars.com.
COUGARS
VERSUS BRUINS:
•
Washington State and UCLA are meeting for the 125th time in the two schools’
histories, as the Bruins hold a 107-17 advantage in the all-time series.
• WSU and
UCLA meet just once this season after meeting just once last season, a 96-82
Bruin victory at Los Angeles.
:::::::::::::
Report:
Gubrud picks Cougars
Eastern
Washington QB headed to WSU (if NCAA approves)
By Dale
Grummert, Lewiston, Idaho, Tribune
Jan 28,
2019
He beat
them once. He lost to them once. Now maybe he’s joining them.
Gage
Gubrud, the quarterback who orchestrated Eastern Washington’s upset of the
Washington State Cougars in 2016, plans to transfer to the Pullman school if
the NCAA grants him a sixth year of eligibility, the Spokesman-Review reported
Sunday.
Gubrud, a
first-team All-American on the FCS level two years ago, sustained a toe injury
that ended his 2018 season, which is the basis of his appeal to the NCAA. He’s
hoping to take the same graduate-transfer route to success that Gardner Minshew
took with the Cougars last season.
The
Spokesman-Review cited an unnamed source “close to the player” in reporting
that Gubrud had chosen WSU over the other school he was considering, Utah.
His
proposed transfer would hinge upon the NCAA’s response to Gubrud’s application
for a medical redshirt waiver. Having already used a conventional redshirt
year, he would be eligible for another season only if his injury kept him out
of at least two-thirds of his team’s games in a particular season. That appears
to be the case, narrowly. He suffered the toe injury in Game 5, and the Eagles
wound up advancing to the FCS championship game, their 15th contest of the
season.
During
that period, their QB picture grew more complicated through the success of
Gubrud’s replacement, Eric Barriere, who passed for 2,450 yards and rushed for
a gross 768 as a sophomore.
Before
that, Gubrud had been the star of their program, twice being named a finalist
for the Walter Payton Award, given to the top offensive player in the FCS, the
lower tier of NCAA Division I football.
Before
getting hurt, he threw for 1,416 yards and 13 touchdowns last year, competing
62 percent and throwing five interceptions.
Although
he probably wouldn’t be asked by the Cougars to be a designed-run threat, the
6-foot-2, 205-pounder boasts the type of mobility that helped Minshew
revitalized their Air Raid offense last year.
The
Cougars know that first-hand. In a season opener in 2016, Gubrud rushed for 101
gross yards and passed for 474 in a 45-42 upset win in Pullman. The Cougs did a
better job of containing him in a rematch last year, winning 59-24 and keeping
Gubrud to 20 gross ground yards.
Gubrud,
like Minshew, has raised his stock considerably during his college career. He
drew no Division I scholarship offers despite a successful prep career at
McMinnville, Ore., and chose a preferred walk-on offer from Eastern over an
opportunity from Linfield on the NCAA Division III level.
If he
transfers to WSU, the Cougars would have an unusually high number of
quarterbacks on their roster. Returning QBs Trey Tinsley, Anthony Gordon, Camm
Cooper, Connor Neville and walk-on John Bledsoe, among others, are being joined
this semester by touted true freshman Gunner Cruz.
:::::
(Below is
an edited version)
Grip on
Sports: There’s not an old saying about if you can beat them, then join ‘em
but, if there were, EWU’s Gubrud and WSU would fit
Mon., Jan.
28, 2019, 8:17 a.m.
By Vince
Grippi
Spokane
S-R
A GRIP ON
SPORTS • Yes, it’s the end of January. But a small piece of football news once
again holds the promise of remaking Washington State’s football season. Read
on.
• If you
were in Pullman that late September day in 2016 when Eastern Washington rolled
into town, you may have left Martin Stadium a little stunned. It didn’t matter
if your sweatshirt was crimson or just plain red, what you had witnessed was
astonishing.
The Eagles
had upset the Cougars 45-42, but that wasn’t the only thing that would have had
you shaking your head.
Gage
Gubrud’s performance was the catalyst, not only for the upset win but the
dumbfounded looks as well.
The
sophomore quarterback, holding the reins of Beau Baldwin’s offense, torched
Washington State for 474 yards on only 40 passes, throwing five touchdowns.
Only six of his throws didn’t find his intended target, a jaw-dropping 85
percent completion rate. He lit-up Alex Grinch’s defense.
Sure, it
helped to have a trio of NFL-caliber receivers to throw to, including Cooper
Kupp, but Gubrud was spectacular that day.
And now it
may not be his best one in Pullman. (To be fair, his other visit, a 59-24 loss
last September, was not good, as he completed just 14 of 36 passes and threw
three interceptions. But his 231 yards did include three touchdowns.)
Our Theo
Lawson confirmed yesterday Gubrud will transfer to Washington State and play
his sixth season, NCAA-willing, in Pullman. (He needs the NCAA to grant that
sixth year due to injuries, though the organization has been more lenient
recently.)
Yes, there
are overtones here of what happened last season, with Gardner Minshew
transferring in from East Carolina and grabbing the nation by the mustache
hairs.
But there
is a difference.
Gubrud has
been quite a bit more successful in his previous stop, throwing for nearly
10,000 yards in an Eagle uniform. And he doesn’t have the same amount of
experience with the Air Raid offense.
It’s a
combination that makes this transfer experiment even more compelling. Well,
that and the fact Gubrud played his first three-and-a-half seasons just up the
road. And led the Eagles to that 2016 win.
Gubrud has
skills, including quick feet (he rushed for as many as 606 yards in a season),
an accurate arm (he completed 65 percent of his throws as an Eagle), toughness
and leadership traits – the latter two he shares with Minshew.
Whether he
will share another trait, WSU starting quarterback, this season remains to be
seen.
::::
Is
McMinnville’s Gage Gubrud the next impact QB at Washington State? Issues &
Answers
Updated
9:29 AM; Posted 9:25 AM
By Ken
Goe, regonian
Washington
State coach Mike Leach might have successfully worked the grad-transfer market
again.
The
Spokesman-Review reports Eastern Washington quarterback Gage Gubrud wants to
transfer to WSU.
Folks here
might remember Gubrud as a McMinnville High School player, or from the way he
operated the EWU offense against Portland State.
He is good
enough to twice be a finalist for the Walter Payton Award, given annually to
the most outstanding player FCS level.
Whether
that means he can step in and play in Pullman and be as successful against a
steady diet of FBS competition is an open question.
The Oregon
Ducks have had mixed results with grad-transfer quarterbacks. Vernon Adams, who
also came from EWU, was lights out for the Ducks in his single season. Dakota
Prukop, who transferred in from Montana State, didn’t do as well.
Leach
struck gold last season with grad-transfer Gardner Minshew from East Carolina.
Before we know whether he can do the same with Gubrud, there are a couple
hurdles to clear.
Gubrud
must obtain a sixth season of eligibility from the NCAA. As the
Spokesman-Review’s Theo Lawson explains in his story, the request isn’t a slam
dunk. And, if the NCAA does grant Gubrud another season, he would have to win
the starting job while competing against quarterbacks recruited to Leach’s
system, most of whom are already in the program.
::::::::
Vegas, baby? Pac-12
football championship game…
On the move: Pac-12
football championship game needs a new home (Las Vegas and Los Angeles are
prime options)
The Raiders’ stadium in Sin
City should be the first choice
By Jon Wilner, San Jose
Merc News
PUBLISHED: January 25, 2019
at 8:09 am | UPDATED: January 25, 2019 at 9:05 am
The Pac-12 title game and
Levi’s Stadium, which never felt like a long-term partnership, are separating.
The conference is looking
for a new home for its marquee football event starting in 2020.
If only one of the world’s
most popular tourist destinations were opening a state-of-the-art football
facility next year, the Pac-12 might have a decent option.
But before we get to the
future of the title game, let’s address its past and present in Santa Clara.
A joint statement provided
to the Hotline by the conference and the 49ers explains the decision to split
up after 2019:
“The Pac-12 Conference and
Levi’s Stadium have agreed to opt out of the final year (2020) of the agreement
to hold the Pac-12 Championship Game at the venue.
“At the time the
partnership was announced both parties agreed to leave open the option for the
Conference to explore other new venues that would become available throughout
the region.
“Both organizations have
deeply enjoyed their partnership throughout the years and look forward to
working closely on this year’s Championship Game, while continuing to discuss
the future of the game.”
While a return in 2020
hasn’t been ruled out (under an entirely new contract), that’s clearly not the
conference’s first choice.
Or its second.
Or maybe even its third.
Upon splitting into
divisions in 2011, the Pac-12 used the home-host model for its championship for
three years, then moved to Levi’s Stadium in 2014.
The arrangement wasn’t an
unqualified success the way the men’s basketball tournament has thrived in Las
Vegas, for example.
But commissioner Larry
Scott’s decision was the right call, providing a bigger stage for the event and
cash to the schools’ bottom line. (The contract with the 49ers is believed to
be worth $750,000 to $1 million per school per year.)
For a variety of reasons
that include the recent matchups and difficult logistics (Friday at 5 p.m.),
it’s fair to say the partnership has run its course.
What’s next for the championship
game?
Glad you asked, because the
Hotline has given this topic serious consideration
A return to the home-host
model is under consideration, but the conference has its sights on new NFL
stadiums in Las Vegas (Raiders) and Los Angeles (Rams/Chargers) as potential
homes.
Las Vegas should be the
preferred option, for so many reasons.
Fox and ESPN hold the
rights in alternating years and have shown a strong preference for slotting the
Pac-12 on Friday, to avoid the clutter of championship Saturday with the ACC,
Big Ten, Big 12 and SEC games.
Let’s assume it remains
there. Is Friday at 5 p.m. more fan-friendly at Hollywood Park than Santa
Clara? Wouldn’t seem to be, and neither option is as alluring as anytime on any
day in Las Vegas.
What’s more, Las Vegas is
actively seeking partnerships.
In April, then-Nevada
governor Brian Sandoval established the Southern Nevada Sporting Event
Committee and tasked the group with attracting major events.
“Additional opportunities
to attract major sporting events and associated activities to our state are
arising, especially with the addition of the new stadium,” Sandoval said in a
statement accompanying the unveiling of the committee.
But moving the championship
game to Las Vegas should be the first of two steps. The Pac-12 needs to
leverage the event to help generate exposure for its basketball product.
Specifically, it should
schedule a men’s basketball doubleheader for the same weekend at T-Mobile Arena
and create a hotel or ticket package that incentivizes football fans to attend
the basketball games, even if their team isn’t participating.
There are two options for
basketball:
1. A traditional non-conference
doubleheader.
2.
Pac-12 teams would
participate on a rotating basis, or at least be given the option (some might
decline the neutral-court game in favor of preserving the home date).
One year, it’s Washington
against San Diego State and Arizona against Gonzaga; the next, it’s Oregon
against Nevada and Utah against UNLV.
If Power Five programs are
interested, all the better.
3. An unconventional non-conference
doubleheader.
4.
The 18-game conference
schedule precludes a true double round-robin — each team only plays one game against
four opponents.
The Pac-12 knows years in
advance what the ‘misses’ will be, so why not schedule a doubleheader in Las
Vegas with conference teams that only play once in that year’s rotation.
Except the matchups in Las
Vegas wouldn’t count as conference games, just like Colorado and Arizona State
are meeting in a non-conference game in China in November.
Either way you structure
the doubleheader, it’s played on Saturday at T-Mobile and turns the weekend
into a major event for the conference, with multiple fan bases involved.
(The Pac-12 could make it a
triple-header at T-Mobile, with a women’s game in between the men’s matchups.
The women’s tournament, if you didn’t know, is moving to Las Vegas this
season.)
Of course, the basketball
component makes little sense without major TV exposure, and the Pac-12 Networks
don’t have the necessary reach. But guess what: Despite the glut of football
championship games, there are ESPN and Fox windows available.
On championship Saturday in
2018, for example, Pac-12 basketball teams appeared on:
FOX at 1:30 p.m. (USC vs.
Nevada)
ESPN at 2:30 p.m. (Stanford
at Kansas)
ESPN2 at 6 p.m. (Oregon at
Houston)
ESPNU at 7 p.m. (Cal at St.
Mary’s)
In addition, Gonzaga was on
FOX at 11 a.m., Michigan was on ESPN at 12:30, Duke was on ESPN2 at 4, and
Syracuse was on ESPNU at 5.
There’s no shortage of
options for the conference to explore with its major broadcast partners.
Maybe play at 6 and 8:30
p.m., or go mid-afternoon through 8 p.m. if it’s a triple-header.
Don’t clear the arena
between sessions, don’t charge full price for anyone who buys football tickets,
and don’t think small.
The Pac-12 needs greater
exposure and bigger events for its marquee sports.
Vegas is waiting.
::::::::::::::::
Pac-12 media strategy:
Larry Scott explains the pursuit of an equity sale, long-term partnership
The Pac-12 is looking for
both an equity investment and a strategic partner
By Jon Wilner, San Jose
Mercury News
PUBLISHED: January 28, 2019
at 6:31 am | UPDATED: January 28, 2019 at 12:53 pm
The Pac-12 announced Monday
that it has hired The Raine Group, an investment bank with experience in sports
media, to advise the conference on its media rights strategy.
Basically, Raine is charged
with playing the role of matchmaker, helping the Pac-12 identify a long-term
strategic partner. That partner, in turn, would provide immediate cash to the
schools and help the conference position itself for upcoming media rights
deals.
The Pac-12’s current
contracts with ESPN, Fox and the Pac-12 Networks’ distributors (Comcast, Cox,
etc) all expire in the summer of 2024, meaning negotiations for the next round
of deals could begin as early as the fall of ’22.
News of a potential
investor was made public last month in a report by the Oregonian, which
indicated the Pac-12 was looking for an equity infusion:
In exchange for $500
million, the investor would receive 10 percent ownership in a newly-created
holding company that would manage all the conference’s media rights (dubbed
‘Pac12 NewCo’). The schools would retain the remaining 90 percent.
The cash provided by the
investor would be split among the schools to help compensate for the revenue
gap that exists with other Power Five conferences.
But in the wake of hiring
Raine as an advisor, commissioner Larry Scott told the Hotline that he hopes
the process does more than identify a source of cash.
“We’re most interested in a
strategic partner that will help us prepare for 2024 and beyond,’’ Scott said.
“The ability to invest is a secondary consideration …
“With a partner by our
side, that strategic asset (the media-rights holding company) will allow us to
build out and help the schools.”
Could the partner be a tech
behemoth or legacy media company?
Scott declined to discuss
specifics, including the $5 billion valuation of Pac-12 media rights that
appeared in the documents published by the Oregonian.
With Raine’s help, the
process of identifying a strategic partner should take several months.
Pac-12 presidents and
chancellors, who voted unanimously to explore a strategic partnership, have
meetings scheduled for March and May.
A full report on their
options from Raine — and potentially a vote on whether to move forward with an
investor/partner — is more likely to come in May.
“The presidents and
chancellors are aligned on this project,’’ Colorado chancellor Phil DiStefano,
chair of the Pac-12’s CEO board, told the Hotline. “We want to explore what to
do before ’24.
“It’s a way of looking
innovatively at ways to do things around media. I’m stressing strategic
patience. We have three or four years’’ — until the negotiations for the next
media deals — “and this will give us an opportunity to see what’s out there.”
(DiStefano told the Hotline
in September that he wanted to “put as many things on the table as possible”
upon taking charge of the CEO board.)
The financial
underperformance of the Pac-12 Networks seemingly has spurred the conference to
seek an investor, with the cash helping bridge the revenue gap until the
expected windfall in 2024.
In a news release issued
early Monday announcing The Raine Group’s advisory role, DiStefano mentioned
the need “to provide maximum support for our University athletic departments
and our student-athletes.”
The same business model
that led to financial angst across the conference is allowing the Pac-12 to
pursue an investor/partner:
Because the conference owns
100 percent of the Pac-12 Networks and all of its media rights expire
simultaneously, the full inventory will be available in a few years.
At the same time, the
conference might decide against bringing on an investor/partner, based on the
feedback it gets from Raine.
“I look at this as an
exploration,” DiStefano said.
The Pac-12 pursued a
similar strategy several years ago, hiring a consultant (Lazard Asset
Management) to explore options for the Pac-12 Networks. The conference
ultimately decided to retain full ownership, rather than selling equity.
The number of potential
partners is seemingly greater this time given the warp-speed evolution of the
media landscape.
Because there are so many
potential bidders for the Pac-12 rights in 2024 — from legacy media companies
to Over-The-Top distributors to Direct-to-Consumer players — there could be a
wide variety of entities willing to partner with the conference now, in
exchange for the cash infusion sought by the schools.
Scott emphasized that an
investor would not own a piece of the conference itself but, rather, a minority
percentage of the media rights holding company. He added that the conference
currently has “capitalization” deals with media partners ESPN and Fox.
“That (new) entity would
manage all of it with an investor,’’ Scott explained, “We could partner with
someone who helps us develop plans.”
:::::::::::
Are Cougs losing rising
special teams star Kainoa Wilson from Mililani, Hawaii?
By JACKSON GARDNER Cougfan.com
1/28/2019
PULLMAN –
Washington State appears to
be losing a rising special teams star. Walk-on wide receiver Kainoa Wilson has
entered his name in the NCAA transfer portal. A player can still pull his name
out of the portal and return to his team, but a quick check of WSU's official
roster would seem to throw cold water on that idea.
Wilson as of today is no
longer listed on the Cougs' spring roster.
Wilson, a fourth-year
junior last season, more than made his presence felt on special teams. He was named honorable mention All-Pac-12
this past season as an all-purpose player after leading the Cougars with 10
special teams tackles -- he also blocked a punt that was returned for score,
recovered two fumbles, including one for a touchdown, and forced a fumble.
He was awarded WSU's
Special Teams Player of the Week award twice in 2018 for his efforts against
Oregon State and Arizona.
Wilson walked on at
Washington State in 2015, coming out of Miliani High in Nanakuli where he was
named the school's 2015 Athlete of the Year after starring in football,
baseball and track and field.
After a redshirt year in
Pullman, he saw action in three games the next two seasons, before his breakout
special teams campaign of 2018. He has
two career catches for nine yards, with one grab coming in 2016 and another
this past season.
Wilson joins RB Caleb Perry
as the second Cougar scholarship player to enter his name into the transfer
portal this offseason.
Three scholie players departed earlier in 2018 with WR Drue Jackson
and safety D'Angelo McKenzie leaving the team midseason, and CB Myles
Green-Richards departing in December.
In addition to Wilson, the
following undergraduate walk ons from the 2018 season are no longer listed on
the WSU roster as of today:
Safety Alex Flood
K Ryan Henderson
Safety Makiah Gilmer
P Oliver Graybar
WR Jonathan Neville
RB Isaiah Rankin-Donzelli
Safety Hayden Schmidt
OL Carson Shuman
::::::::::::::::::::::::::
In Eugene: After advice
from Walton, Oregon smacks Cougars/men’s basketball
Jan 28, 2019
EUGENE (AP) — A timely
chalk talk with Bill Walton inspired Oregon’s Kenny Wooten to check out the
Hall of Famer’s moves.
The video session then
played a part in Wooten’s best offensive game of the season for the struggling
Ducks.
Louis King scored 13 of his
22 points in the second half and Wooten matched his career high with 20 to help
Oregon rally past Washington State 78-58 on Sunday night.
Wooten and Walton chatted
courtside for several minutes after Thursday night’s loss to Washington. The
Ducks had squandered another late lead by giving up the last 10 points, and
Wooten scored just two.
“I talked to him for quite
a while,” Wooten said. “I decided to watch a little bit of him and I started
watching a lot of (his) post work and stuff he told me to look up. I just
decided to really focus on it.”
Paul White added 18 points
for the Ducks (12-8, 3-4 Pac-12), who came back from a four-point halftime
deficit to end a two-game losing streak and avoid a fifth home loss of the
season.
Oregon went ahead for good
at 48-44 on two fast-break baskets by King off WSU turnovers as the Ducks
opened the second half on a 13-5 run. They finished the game the game on a 20-5
run over the final 8:20 that included 10 straight points.
Wooten went 8-for-10 on the
night and had 14 points in the second half, many of them coming from roaming
the baseline behind WSU’s defense.
“We were just looking for
the lanes under their zone,” Wooten said, “and we ended up being successful in
the second half.”
The 6-foot-9 sophomore
known more for his shot blocking had three more against the Cougars, but Oregon
coach Dana Altman had been encouraging him to become an offensive force, too.
“I’ve been talking to him a
lot about being more aggressive and not being afraid to take (a shot),” Altman
said. “He’d miss a couple and he doesn’t want the ball, and I told him that
none of our other guys have that problem.”
Robert Franks had 19 points
to lead the Cougars (8-12, 1-6), who lost their third game in a row and ninth
of their last 10. CJ Elleby added 15 points, eight rebounds and seven assists,
and Jeff Pollard had 10 points.
Franks was 6 for 6 with two
3-pointers for 15 points as WSU took a 39-35 lead into halftime. The Cougars
made 15 of their first 17 attempts, including a run of 10 in a row, and
finished the half 17-of-22 for 77.3 percent.
Washington State appeared
to be in position for its first win in Eugene in 10 years.
“That’s the best basketball
we’ve played all year in the first half by far,” coach Ernie Kent said. “We’ve
just got to understand how to put two halves together.
“Both our offense and
defense were outstanding in the first half. We got away from that in the second
half and they took full advantage of it.”
#
