Senior’s final swing at WSU
See photo ..
Cougar athlete has been golfing since she was young, her
father says she has always been gifted on the course
Senior Madison Odiorne reflects on the support system
provided by WSU Athletics during her time at WSU
“Everything kind of just pushed her back to being a golfer,”
Odiorne’s father says.
By Katie Archer, story. By Jacob Bertram, photo
May 3, 2019, WSU Daily Evergreen
When she was about 3 years old, senior Madison Odiorne swung
her first golf club, and a few years later she started competing in golf.
Madison comes from a family of golfers. Her grandfather
played golf at Northwest Nazarene University and her grandmother, mom, dad,
aunt and uncle all play golf too.
As a girl, Madison would often accompany her dad, Dan, to
the driving range about twice a week. Her grandparents were one of the founding
members of Broken Top Club, in her hometown of Bend, Oregon.
From an early age, Dan saw that his daughter had a talent in
golf.
“She just had the ability to concentrate as a young girl and
focus,” Dan said.
In addition to golf, she participated in gymnastics, soccer,
cross country and track growing up. Eventually, the other sports came to an
end.
After coming back from a tournament, Madison’s middle school
track coach asked her what her golf handicap was. When she responded with a
five, he told her that she needed to play golf and did not need her running
track, Dan said.
That memory always stuck with him, he said.
“She tried to do more than just be a golfer … everything
kind of just pushed her back to being a golfer,” Dan said.
In high school, Madison’s handicap was about +2.5, Dan said.
She earned four varsity letters and was the team captain her sophomore, junior
and senior years.
She was the first Oregon high school golfer to win four
consecutive class 5A titles. She was also a two-time Junior America’s Cup team
member.
Madison said she decided on WSU because of Head Coach Kelli
Kamimura and Assistant Coach Emma White.
Before Madison made a decision to come to WSU, her parents
did research on Kamimura. They talked to other parents and other coaches so
they knew their daughter would develop under the coaching staff.
Dan said Kamimura is the reason why his daughter played golf
all four years of college, which was important to him as a parent.
“You’re entrusting your child with a university or with a
coach,” Dan said.
Kamimura and White watched Madison compete in the U.S.
Girls’ Junior Championship before signing with WSU. Madison said she got paired
with a No. 3 girl from Mexico and lost after the two tied and went into
overtime.
Madison said you can’t compare yourself because you never
know what’s going to happen in golf.
“At the end of the day, it comes down to just what can you
do and doesn’t depend on what other people do,” Madison said.
About a year ago, Madison was deciding between a
professional golf career and a more traditional career. She said she decided
against a professional golf career because she thinks golf is something that
should bring you joy, and having to depend on a sport for her income would take
away a lot of that joy for her.
She loves learning and the human body, Madison said. She
studied kinesiology and completed the prerequisites for medical school.
After WSU, Madison wants to go to physician assistant school
and would like to attend Oregon Health and Science University.
Madison said she has looked at other schools across the
country, including the University of Washington.
Although UW is not her first choice, she still liked the
program. She will remain a Coug at heart reguardless of where she goes, she
said.
“I’ll still be a Cougar,” Madison said. “Yeah, I’ll be
wearing my backpack there.”
Madison said she will continue to play golf, but it will be
different because she will have to make time for golf.
Madison enjoyed the relationships she has made because of
golf. Unlike other sports, golf allows players to interact with their
competitors as they walk through the course, she said.
“I have made my best friends for life, I’m pretty sure we’ll
be friends for life, through this,” Madison said. “I’m very grateful to have
had the experience of where you can play competitively but also get to know people.”
:::::::::::
BASEBALL: Cougars Welcome Top-Ranked UCLA For Weekend
Series
May 8, 2019 from WSU Sports Info
Cougars Welcome Top-Ranked UCLA For Weekend Series
No. 1 UCLA at WASHINGTON STATE
Pullman, Wash. |
Bailey-Brayton Field (3,500)
Friday, 5:05 p.m. |
Saturday, 2:05 p.m. | Sunday, 12:05 p.m.
COUGARS WELCOME
TOP-RANKED UCLA FOR WEEKEND SERIES
Washington State
(10-33-1, 2-18-1 Pac-12) returns to Bailey-Brayton Field to host No. 1 ranked
UCLA (38-8, 16-5 Pac-12) for a weekend series beginning Friday at 5:05 p.m.
PROBABLE STARTERS
Ryan Garcia | Jr. |
RHP | 6-0, 1.29 ERA, 56.0 IP, 77 K vs. Ky Bush | Fr. | LHP | 0-4, 12.35 ERA,
31.1 IP, 31K
Jack Ralston | RS-Jr.
| RHP | 8-0, 2.57 ERA, 70.0 IP, 66 K vs. A.J. Block | Jr. | LHP | 0-6, 5.86
ERA, 58.1 IP, 55 K
Jesse Bergin | Fr. |
RHP | 5-0, 3.36 ERA, 61.2 IP, 71 K vs. Brandon White | Fr. | RHP | 2-7, 5.67
ERA, 46.0 IP, 42 K
ON DECK
The Cougars will head
to Utah for a Tuesday nonconference game at Utah Valley before facing Utah for
a three-game series running Thursday-Saturday.
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WSU men basketball Cougars Land another Northwest Signee in
Isaac Bonton
From WSU Sports Info
Junior college transfer, Isaac Bonton (6-3, 185, guard,
Portland, Ore./Casper College), has signed a National Letters of Intent and
will join the Washington State men’s basketball program beginning with the
2019-20 season, Cougar head coach Kyle Smith announced Wednesday.
“Isaac is an important addition to the program on many
levels,” Smith said. “He is an accomplished junior college player who was named
Region 9 Co-Player of the Year. He led his team to a 32-3 record and won the
Region IX Championship, reaching the NJCAA Tournament in Hutchinson, Kan. He is
from the Northwest, a native of Portland, which enhances our footprint in the
area.”
A former member of the Montana State basketball team, Bonton
comes to the Palouse after a season at Casper College in Casper, Wyoming. As a
sophomore during the 2018-19 season, Bonton started all 31 games, averaging a
team-best 21.4 points and 5.6 assists per game while adding 1.8 steals and 5.5
rebounds per game as he was named a NJCAA Second Team All-American. He helped
lead the Thunderbirds to a 32-3 overall record en route to the Region IX
Championship. Casper fell to Cleveland State CC in the NJCAA National
Tournament.
Bonton played 11 games for Montana State as a freshman in
2017-18 before transferring in December of 2017, averaging 7.8 points and 1.4
assists per game. Prior to MSU, Bonton started his high school career at
Columbia Christian in Portland, Ore., where he earned first team all-State honors
as a freshman before transferring to Parkrose High School for his final three
years. After transferring to Parkrose,
he was named all-State as a sophomore and junior before missing time as a
senior due to an injury.
Bonton will have two years of eligibility and be immediately
eligible to play.
::::::
89th Annual Washington FFA Convention starts Thursday at WSU
From Pullman Radio News
The 89th Annual Washington FFA Convention is this weekend at
Washington State University. Over 3,000
FFA members from high schools around the state will take part in the convention
Thursday through Saturday.
::::::::::::::::::
Seattle O’Dea’s High School’s Noah Williams will play for
WSU men’s basketball Cougars after pulling back Buffalo commitment
May 8, 2019 at 11:02 am |
Updated May 8, 2019 at 2:51 pm Seattle
Times
By Theo Lawson
Spokane Spokesman-Review
PULLMAN — Kyle Smith and his vision for the Washington State
basketball program have apparently struck a chord with one of the top players
from Seattle’s highly regarded Metro League.
Noah Williams, a 6-foot-5, 190-pound point guard from O’Dea
High School, signed with Smith and the Cougars, he announced on Twitter Tuesday
night. A three-star prospect according to ESPN.com and 247Sports.com, Williams
had previously been committed to Buffalo — a top-10 program in 2017-18 — until
April 3, when he reopened his recruitment, citing a desire to locate “a system
both academically and athletically that is the right fit.”
Williams’ decommitment came not long after Buffalo coach
Nate Oats left the Bulls to take the vacant job at Alabama. The Seattle native
also had one other Pac-12 offer listed, from Mike Hopkins and the Washington
Huskies, but rather than stay home, Williams ultimately selected the program
his father played for nearly four decades earlier.
It was also reported by multiple outlets, including
Cougfan.com, that Williams had attracted some late interest from Big 12 program
Kansas State.
Williams announced his commitment to the Cougars in a video,
unzipping a pullover and displaying a white Nike T-shirt with “Washington State
basketball” script.
“Now that high school is a wrap, it’s time for me to let
everyone know that I officially committed to Wazzu, Washington State,” Williams
said. “Go Cougs.”
An All-Metro League Second Team selection, Williams will
wear a crimson uniform some 40 years after his father, Guy “The Fly” Williams
played for George Raveling’s Cougars. Guy Williams averaged 18.8 points per
game and 8.9 rebounds for WSU as a senior before sustaining a season-ending
knee injury.
Ironically, both he and Smith, the first-year Cougars coach,
also have ties to the University of San Francisco. Guy Williams, a stalky
6-foot-9 point guard, played two seasons with the Dons before transferring to
the Palouse. Smith, of course, coached at USF for three seasons, before taking
the job in Pullman two months ago.
“We are excited to have (Noah) join our program,” Smith said
in a school news release. “He has been a priority for us since we were hired.
Noah brings a winning pedigree as he was a State champion this past season at
O’Dea High School. He is a big lead guard who can disrupt opponents with his
length and size. We hope he can be a building block for our future.”
An All-Metro League honoree all four years at O’Dea, Noah
Williams averaged 17.5 points, 8.4 rebounds and 4.7 assists as a senior and led
the Fighting Irish to a Washington 3A state championship. He was named the most
valuable player of a 70-39 title game rout of Mt. Spokane, scoring 19 points to
go with six rebounds and two assists.
Williams was a two-sport athlete at O’Dea, also starring for
the school’s powerhouse football program as a wide receiver. A two-time
All-Metro League player, he helped the Irish win the 3A football championship
in 2017 and led them to the title game in 2018.
Under former WSU coach Ernie Kent, the Cougars struggled to
bring in talent from the Metro League, only signing one player — Cleveland High
graduate CJ Elleby — in Kent’s five years. Williams’ addition signals Smith’s
commitment to scouring the Seattle area for prep players and it’s likely
assistant coach Jim Shaw, a longtime aide for former UW coach Lorenzo Romar,
was instrumental in recruiting the O’Dea product.
Williams becomes the second player to sign a letter of
intent with the Cougars, joining Colorado State graduate transfer forward Deion
James, who inked last week. Williams’ addition comes at a good time, with
Chance Moore leaving the basketball program Tuesday and Marvin Cannon placing
his name into the NCAA transfer portal the same day.
:::
From Moscow Pullman Daily News
Men basketball Cougs sign one, potentially lose two
May 8, 2019
PULLMAN — On the same day that O’Dea High of Seattle star
Noah Williams committed to the Washington State men’s basketball program,
standout Marvin Cannon and transfer Chance Moore entered their names into the
NCAA’s transfer portal.
The moves by Cannon and Moore were first reported by the
Spokesman-Review and CougCenter, respectively. The school announced Williams’
signing Tuesday afternoon.
Williams, the son of early-1980s Cougar standout Guy
Williams, was a four-time All-Metro League player who averaged 17.5 points, 8.4
rebounds and 4.7 assists per game and nabbed All-USA Washington Boys’
Basketball second-team honors as a senior.
The 6-foot-5, 190-pounder is eligible to play immediately.
He had an offer from Washington, and recently decommitted from Buffalo
“(Williams) has been a priority for us since we were hired,”
WSU coach Kyle Smith said, quoted in a news release. “Noah brings a winning
pedigree as he was a state champion this past season. ... He is a big lead
guard who can disrupt opponents with his length and size. We hope he can be a
building block for our future.”
Earlier Tuesday, CougCenter reported that Moore — a 6-7 wing
and Wichita State transfer — intends to leave the program without having ever
appeared in a game. Moore was a four-star recruit (ESPN) coming out of high
school.
Via the NCAA’s transfer rules, he would’ve had to wait until
midway through the 2019-20 season — after one semester in his sophomore year —
to play.
Not long after that, it was reported by the Spokesman-Review
that high-ceiling wing Marvin Cannon has also entered the transfer portal.
Cannon started in 21 games last year, averaging 7.9 points
per game. His most notable outing came when Wazzu played host to Washington —
he had a season-best 25 points, exhibiting scoring versatility and unmistakable
athleticism on both ends.
If Cannon does not return, the Cougs may lose five eligible
players from last year’s roster, with the other three being Carter Skaggs,
Isaiah Wade and Ahmed Ali, the latter two still being up in the air.
Cougars to take part in 2019 Cayman Islands Classic
GEORGE TOWN, Cayman Islands — Washington State men’s
basketball will compete in the 2019 Cayman Islands Classic next November, it
was announced Tuesday.
The tournament will run Nov. 25-27, 2019, at John Gray
Gymnasium at George Town, Grand Cayman. While brackets haven’t been released,
the Cougars will be joined by Colorado State, George Mason, Loyola Chicago,
Nebraska, New Mexico State, Old Dominion, and South Florida.
WSU played New Mexico State at last year’s Las Vegas Classic
and Loyola Chicago two years ago at the Paradise Jam. WSU’s first round
opponent will be announced at a later date.
“The nonconference tournaments are great opportunities for
teams to find out where they stand,” WSU head coach Kyle Smith said. “With this
field, we will be tested to say the least.
“In addition, I love to snorkel.”
::::::::::::::
WSU men’s hoops
Three-star forward Kuany Kuany committing to Washington
State, Cal or Nevada Thursday
Wed., May 8, 2019, 7:24 p.m.
By Theo Lawson of the S-R of Spokane/Inland Empire
PULLMAN – Kuany Kuany, a highly-coveted forward from
Melbourne, Australia, trimmed his list of finalists to three schools two weeks
ago and is announcing Thursday whether he’ll be playing his college basketball
at Washington State, California or Nevada.
Wednesday, the 6-foot-10 forward from Prolific Prep (Napa,
California) indicated on Twitter the Cougars, Golden Bears and Wolf Pack
wouldn’t have to wait much longer, posting an 18-second video of him wearing
jerseys of all three schools.
Kuany has taken an official visit to all three schools
already and it’s unknown if he’s leaning toward a single school at this point.
The Kenyan-born big man made his trip to the Palouse the weekend of April 12
and was the first known prospect to visit the WSU campus under new coach Kyle
Smith, according to Cougfan.com
Kuany had a number of suitors during the recruting process
and also lists offers from schools like Florida State, Kansas State, Georgia,
DePaul and South Florida.
According to PrepCircuit.com, the long, tall Kuany averaged
9.9 points per game, 5.2 rebounds per game and 1.2 blocks per game during his
senior season at Prolific Prep.
Kuany is capable of playing three positions on the floor –
both forward positions and center – and he has the athleticism to run the court
and handle the ball, even with his 6-10, 200-poound stature.
If WSU landed a commitment from the international big man,
it would cap an impressive recruiting stretch for Smith, who signed three-star
high school prospect Noah Williams on Tuesday and inked junior college transfer
Isaac Bonton on Wednesday. Smith’s first signee, Colorado State graduate
transfer Deion James, sent in his letter of intent to WSU last week.
Kuany’s commitment would also cement Smith’s goal to rebuild
WSU’s recruiting pipeline to Australia. The new Cougars coach already got a
pledge from Australian point guard Ryan Rapp, who’d previously been committed
to Smith at San Francisco.
::::::::::::::::
Grip on Sports: It’s been a busy stretch for Kyle Smith, WSU
basketball players
Wed., May 8, 2019, 8:33 a.m.
By Vince Grippi
Spokane S-R
A GRIP ON SPORTS • Isn’t May supposed to be a relatively
quiet month in college sports? Well, it is not anymore, even if it ever was.
• There was a time, oh about a decade or so ago, when May
was the month for leaving Pullman for a while. I’m speaking from experience
here. Sure, the NCAA releases the APR report sometime this month, but otherwise
it was a good time for the person covering Washington State athletics to get
out of town. The students had, including most of the athletes, so there was
little to nothing to write about.
That certainly has changed.
And we have the free-agent nature of college sports to
thank.
Let’s be clear. The freedom of movement afford college
athletes these days is a good thing, especially how it is manifesting itself in
situations like the one confronting WSU basketball.
There has been a coaching change. The players at Washington
State came to Pullman to play for Ernie Kent. He’s gone. They should have every
right to decide whether they want to stay and play for Kyle Smith or go
somewhere else.
They are doing just that. But it makes for busy days for
Theo Lawson, charged with keeping you abreast of what’s happening in the
Palouse.
Yesterday was atypical, sure, but it was also more of the
norm these days.
The main subject: comings and goings in the new coach’s
program.
The former was illustrated by a commitment from a legacy.
Noah Williams, son of former WSU player Guy Williams,
announced yesterday he signed a letter of intent with the Cougars. The O’Dea
guard will be a freshman in the fall.
He’ll be needed. Yesterday two other Cougar players either
left the program or made plans to leave.
Chance Moore, who redshirted last season after transferring
from Wichita State, is no longer part of Smith’s team. And Marvin Cannon, who
stood with Smith at his introductory press conference, has submitted his name
to the NCAA’s much-ballyhooed transfer portal. Other schools are now free to
talk with him about making a change.
Most fans immediately think, when transfer talk arises, the
player is unhappy and wants to leave. That is often times the case. But there
is always more to a transfer. Sometimes, after getting to know each other
better, a new coach and player will sit down, evaluate skills, fit and
personality and decide whether it would be better for the player and program if
a change was made.
In other words, it’s not always the player’s decision. And
we rarely know the ins-and-outs of that process.
We don’t in these cases. All the decisions made at WSU may
have been made by the players. Or they may have been encouraged by the coaches.
Or they may have been a result of a combination of both.
All we know for sure is there is a lot of movement going on.
And May, that quiet, peaceful month, is busy as it’s ever been.
::::::
WSU football posts fourth-straight year of 960 or better in
APR
From COUGFAN.com
NCAA ACADEMIC PROGRESS RATE DATA for 2017-18 was released
Wednesday, with the Washington State football team recording a four-year
average score of 960. It is the
fourth-straight year WSU has posted a four-year score of 960 or better.
However, WSU football’s 2017-18 single-year APR score was
939 – well down from its best one-year score ever of 978 last May. The single-year 939 score was also the lowest
in Mike Leach’s tenure at Washington State.
(CF.C readers may recall during the next-to-last Midnight Maneuvers
session a large amount of players were suddenly wearing pink shirts. A source
told CF.C the increase was because of substandard performance in the classroom
-- something Leach, who has long pointed to his teams' academics as a source of
pride, didn't take kindly to. Related: Pink shirts tossed out like candy).
The APR is the NCAA's annual assessment of each team's
academic and retention history. The overall APR score is based on the most
recent four years of data (2014-15, 2015-16, 2016-17, 2017-18). The NCAA's
standard is set at 930 for the four-year score: teams falling below that mark
can face penalties or sanctions, though there can be exceptions.
WSU football’s four-year score of 960 was down from 969 last
May and ranked 10th in the Pac-12, ahead of Arizona (952) and UCLA (948). See below for the complete Pac-12 football
four-year and single-year scores.
:::
NFL: WSU's Gardner Minshew already has 2 stout Jacksonville
believers
By Barry Bolton May 7, 12:59 PM Cougfan.com
WASHINGTON STATE’s Gardner Minshew won’t throw his first
pass in a Jacksonville Jaguars practice jersey until Friday, when the team’s
three-day rookie camp opens, but the Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year
already has two big believers in Jags Nation.
Senior writer John Oesher of Jaguars.com states in his
analysis of Jacksonville’s crowded quarterback room that Minshew is “a player
of superior football intelligence and mental makeup who the Jaguars believe
could give them quality depth.” So …
“don’t be surprised if it’s” Minshew who is the backup to high-priced offseason
acquisition and former Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles.”
And Jaguars.com senior correspondent Sexton writes: “Count
me in for Minshew as the backup quarterback. We know what Kessler and Lee bring
to the table; neither seems to have the same combination of skills, knowledge
and bravado that Minshew owns. He won 11 games in his first and only season at
Washington State and he only had six months to learn the Air Raid offense after
transferring to WSU.
“If he can do that and can truly go from the classroom to
the practice field with very little drop off, he’s the best backup quarterback
option currently on the roster.”
In addition to Minshew, the contenders to be Foles’
understudy are:
Cody Kessler (USC), who enters his fourth NFL season and
second with the Jagsl he threw 85 passes for the Jags last season
Tanner Lee (Nebraska), who was drafted by the Jags in the
sixth round a year ago and spent 2018 on their practice squad.
Alex McGough (Florida International), who was drafted a year
ago by the Seahawks in the seventh round and spent the season on their practice
squad.
THE JAGS’ EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT of football operations,
Tom Coughlin, told reporters following the draft that the team’s interview with
Minshew at the NFL Combine was straight forward.
The Mississippi Mustache “came in and said, ‘Yeah, I know.
I’m too short, I’m too slow and my arm is not good enough. But I just went to
Washington State and won 11 games.’ Not bad,” Coughlin said.
“He is a really interesting kid … The real thing about this
guy is the competitiveness. He’s very smart, he’s very sharp. He loves the
game, he loves the study part of the game. He’ll be a great guy in the
classroom with the coaches. He will suck up all that information up and then
based on what we have seen he will go onto the practice field and carry it with
him. Some guys can’t do that, or don’t do it as fast. They don’t process.
They’re not as quick. I think this guy will be quick.”
Minshew was drafted by the Jags in the sixth round at No.
178 overall.
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