By Jamey Vinnick of Cougfan
(Photos from WSU Athletics)
PULLMAN -- Lisa Waite, who spent 22
years working in the NBA, talks about her role in Washington State athletics
with a passion reminiscent of one of her old colleagues, Gary Payton.
She’s not loud like the former
Seattle Sonics star, but the passion is readily apparent. Waite loves what she
does for a living.
And one highly visible result of it
is the newly redesigned -- and widely hailed -- basketball court at Washington
State’s Beasley Coliseum. Waite shepherded the makeover.
“The (redesign) process started
back in April when about 50 designs with color variations were explored,”
Waite, a 1993 WSU graduate, told Cougfan.com last month. If you haven't seen the court in person yet,
WSU hosts UC Riverside on Sunday at 1:30 p.m.
Waite worked with the Sonics, Storm
and Oklahoma City Thunder before returning to Pullman a little over a year ago
as associate AD for emerging media and creative services.
She said WSU athletic director Pat
Chun drove the review and approval process for the court, which was completed
in June. The actual painting of the hardwood took place in September.
“It took six days (and four people)
to paint and tint the floor,” says Erik Sigurdson, president of Camas-based
Courtsports Gym Floors, which turned the blueprints into enameled reality.
The cost of the painting and
sealing totaled $50,000. The project didn’t require a replacement of the maple
wood floor, just sanding the existing one.
“We created a mixture of paint,
floor stain, and clear sealer to create a translucent coating so you can still
see the grain of the wood,” Sigurdson tells Cougfan.com. “This was used for the
entire court and then again darker for the cityscape.”
Executing all the cut lines,
silhouettes, shades and tints is no simple task.
“We used a large riding drum sander
to remove all the old finish, paint, and sealers,” he said. “Then we used large
plotters to create the digital stencils which are made out of vinyl. The vinyl
is installed onto the floor and used as a stencil for the logos, lettering, and
state-scapes.
“After we paint or tint we then
pull up the stencils which creates a perfect computer-generated logo, lettering
style, or state-scape.”
THE SILHOUETTE THAT RUNS from
baseline to baseline symbolizes WSU’s unique connection across the state of
Washington. The court includes images of WSU’s four branch campuses plus the
Cascade Mountains; the Seattle skyline; the Cable Bridge in the Tri-Cities;
Spokane’s Riverfront Park Pavilion and Clock Tower; and the iconic Bryan Clock
Tower on the Pullman campus.
Waite said inspiration for the
landscape came in part from WSU assistant AD Catherine Walker, who suggested a
theme along the lines of a 2019 WSU calendar poster -- called Cougar Pride
Worldwide -- that had been produced by University Publications.
Cougar basketball coaches Kyle
Smith and Kamie Ethridge, Chun and WSU President Kirk Schulz all had input on
the design, Waite noted.
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Women Basketball Cougs wrap up 3-game homestand Sunday
vs. UC Irvine
Dec. 13, 2019 from WSU Sports Info
Washington State University women's
basketball team returns to action this Sunday after a seven-day break, when
they play host UC Irvine in the second game of a Cougar basketball doubleheader
at Beasley Coliseum. Tip-off against the Anteaters will follow the WSU men's
basketball and is tentatively set for 4:30 p.m. PT on the Pac-12 Network.
WASHINGTON STATE (5-4) vs UC Irvine
(3-6)
Sunday, Dec. 15 | 4:30 p.m. | Beasley Coliseum
Live Stats | WSUCougars.com
Watch | Pac-12 Network Washington
THE STARTING FIVE
-> Washington State looks to
continue its winning ways on Friel Court on Sunday, as the Cougars currently
stand at 4-1 in home games this season. Through five home contests, WSU has
averaged 72.2 points per game, while they've shot the ball with a 43.3% success
rate at home. WSU average margin of victory insdie Beasley this season is 23.3
points.
-> The Cougars will close out a
three-game homestand on Sunday. The game against UC Irvine will serve as the
rubber-match for the homestand, as WSU is currently 1-1 after a win over
Arkansas-Pine Bluff (85-56) and a loss to then-No. 17/18 Gonzaga (76-53).
-> Sunday's matchup will be the
first meeting between Washington State and UC Irvine. The Anteaters, who play
in the Big West Conference, are 3-6 on the year after collecting 20 wins a
season ago. All-time, the Cougars are just 13-17 against teams from the Big
West.
-> All four of Washington
State's losses this season have come to teams ranked inside the top-20 of both
the USA Today/WBCA Coaches Poll and the Associated Press Top-25. The intense
non-conference scheduling has helped the Cougars post an RPI of 85 entering
play this weekend.
-> Sunday's game will be the
final home contest of the non-conference season for the Cougars. Washington
State will close out the non-conference portion of its schedule at the Miami
Holiday Classic on Dec. 20 and 21 in Miami, Florida. WSU will open Pac-12 play
at home on Dec. 29 with a Boeing Apple Cup Series matchup against the Huskies.
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WSU football - All-Decommit Team: 10 notable Washington
State pledges who flipped on the Cougars before Signing Day
UPDATED: Sat., Dec. 14, 2019
By Theo Lawson spokesman.com
CHEEZ-IT BOWL
At Chase Field, Phoenix
➤Friday, Dec. 27: Air Force Falcons vs. Washington State
Cougars, 7:15 p.m. PDT TV: ESPN
PULLMAN – The uncertainty of
recruiting is part of what makes it so intriguing to college football fans this
time of year and, likewise, so unnerving for coaching staffs who work around
the clock and travel through the country to nail down their signing class
before Dec. 18.
When this week began, Alaka’i
Gilman, a three-star prospect from the Hawaiian island of Oahu, was firmly
committed to Washington State. Tuesday afternoon, the Punahou High standout
reneged on a pledge he made to the Cougars six months ago. Friday evening,
Gilman officially swapped shades of red, trading crimson for cardinal when he
committed to David Shaw and Stanford.
Gilman is certainly not the first
player to change allegiances after committing to the Cougars, nor is he the
first in this class, joining Louisville-bound wide receiver Christian
Fitzpatrick, who pledged to WSU in late July before flipping to the Cardinals
in October.
Fans and coaches in Pullman are
accustomed to the peaks and valleys of recruiting. The Cougars could fill an
entire depth chart with recruits who were headed to the Palouse before calling
an audible. With the NCAA’s early signing period approaching, we trimmed the
depth chart down to 10 standout players who were committed to WSU before
switching, and graded the impact of their loss on a 1-5 scale.
==1. Isaiah Hodgins, WR, Oregon State
Committed: May 5, 2016
Decommitted: Aug. 15, 2016
WSU’s pursuit of the All-Pac-12
receiver was revisited before the Beavers came to Martin Stadium for the
second-to-last game of the regular season – a thrilling 54-53 win on Senior
Day. Hodgins was firm with the Cougars for 3 1/2 months and ex-WSU receiver
Gabe Marks wore the player’s high school number to practice when Hodgins paid a
visit during fall camp. Hodgins was statistically one of the best receivers in
the Pac-12 this season, catching 86 passes for 1,171 yards and 13 touchdowns
before declaring early for the NFL draft.
Impact: 2. The Cougars signed Easop
Winston, Tay Martin, Travell Harris and Jamire Calvin in the class and had
arguably the deepest WR group in the country this season.
2. Joe Tryon, DL, Washington
Committed: Aug. 15, 2016
Decommitted: Jan. 13, 2017
Tryon stuck a knife into the
Cougars when he reopened his recruitment right before his senior season at
Hazen High in Renton, then twisted it when he chose WSU’s bitter in-state
rival. It’s not a stretch to think one of the Cougars’ last two Apple Cup
losses could have gone differently had Tryon been wearing crimson instead of
purple. The Huskies’ edge rusher had three tackles, two tackles for loss and
one sack in UW’s 13-point win last year. He had one of his top games as a
redshirt sophomore in the most recent rivalry meeting, sacking Anthony Gordon
twice in the Huskies’ 31-13 rout.
Impact: 5. A player of Tryon’s
caliber could have helped WSU reverse a four-point loss to UCLA, a three-point
loss to Arizona State or a two-point loss to Oregon.
==3. Ian Book, QB, Notre Dame
Committed: April 11, 2015
Decommitted: Aug. 4, 2015
Would Mike Leach have traded Brian
Kelly’s second-year starter for either of the Cougars’ last three quarterbacks?
It’s hard to imagine. But at the time of Book’s decommitment, Gardner Minshew
was a complete unknown, and few could have guessed a junior college transfer
like Anthony Gordon would develop into the Pac-12’s first 5,000-yard passer.
Notre Dame fans are still waiting on Book to make the jump from “very good” to
“elite,” but it’s also hard to argue with someone who carried his team to the
College Football Playoff.
Impact: 2. The Cougars may soon
have a third straight QB taken in the NFL draft, but it’s still interesting to
wonder what the Air Raid may have looked like with Book’s mobility.
==4. Montrel Meander, LB, Texas/Grambling State
Committed: Jan. 20, 2013
Decommitted: Feb. 4, 2013
Not long after Leach arrived in
Pullman, the Cougars started scouting a three-star safety/wide receiver out of
Palo Duro High School in Amarillo, Texas. Meander was committed to WSU for just
over a month, but Texas rolled out the burnt orange carpet on his official
visit, inviting Earl Campbell and Vince Young back to Austin to help sway the
high school player. Meander didn’t finish his career in the Big 12, eventually transferring
to FCS Grambling State, but he’s bounced around the NFL and is on the Cleveland
Browns’ practice squad.
Impact: 2. Leach’s early teams in
Pullman would have taken all the help they could get on defense, but Meander
may not have been a sure-fire starter for the Cougars, and Texas dismissed him
after a sexual assault charge.
==5. Kyahva Tezino, LB, San Diego State
Committed: Dec. 16, 2014
Decommitted: Feb. 2, 2015
It isn’t often a WSU commit flips
to a Mountain West program. The opposite has happened twice this year, with
Jackson Lataimua, a former Nevada pledge, and Julian Ripley, a former San Diego
State commit. But four years ago, the Aztecs managed to change Tezino’s mind
and the linebacker has gone on to a brilliant career at the midmajor level. The
two-time All-Mountain West first-team performer is a projected NFL draft pick
and will leave SDSU with 287 total tackles.
Impact: 5. Using the same logic we
used with Tryon earlier, it’s safe to assume a future pro could have helped the
worst defense in the Pac-12.
==6. Deontay Burnett, WR, USC
Committed: July 14, 2014
Decommitted: Feb. 4, 2015
The Cougars had the speedy receiver
in their plans for six months before USC arrived late to flip Burnett on
signing day. The 6-foot, 186-pound slot receiver became a reliable target at
USC, though Burnett, Sam Darnold and the fifth-ranked Trojans came up short in
Pullman two years ago, losing 30-27. USC bounced back to make the Rose Bowl and
Burnett was named the MVP of “The Grandaddy of Them All,” catching 13 passes
for 164 yards and three touchdowns.
Impact: 3. Burnett and River
Cracraft would have been lethal in the slot together. While the USC star
would’ve helped out, wide receiver production wasn’t an issue for the Cougars
from 2015-17.
==7. Cyrus Habibi-Likio, RB, Oregon
Committed: May 3, 2016
Decommitted: Sept. 18, 2016
A three-star prospect, Habibi-Liko
decommitted from Jim Mastro and wound up playing for the longtime running backs
coach anyway. Oregon’s redshirt sophomore trucked into the end zone seven times
last year – 11th most among FBS freshmen – and was a sure thing on
short-yardage situations for the Pac-12 champion Ducks this year, rushing for
337 yards and 10 touchdowns. Similar to Burnett, Habibi-Likio’s decison to
decommit from WSU allowed him to play in the Rose Bowl, and maybe he’ll appear
in a couple with two more years of eligibility remaining.
Impact: 3. It’s unlikely
Habibi-Likio would have taken carries away from James Williams or Max Borghi
last year. Because the Ducks don’t throw to their running backs too much, it’s
unclear how he would have fared in an offense that would want him to catch the
ball and make plays after the catch.
==8. DeMarcus Ayers, WR, Houston
Committed: June 14, 2012
Decommitted: Dec. 13, 2012
When inside receivers coach Eric
Morris left the Cougars for Texas Tech, Ayers also ditched WSU for a school in
the Longhorn State. The small but athletic receiver had a stellar career at
Houston, finishing his senior season with All-American Athletic Conference
first-team honors as a wide receiver and return specialist. Ayers led the AAC
and ranked sixth nationally with 98 receptions, also ranking 18th nationally
with 1,222 yards. He was selected in the seventh round of the 2016 NFL Draft by
the Pittsburgh Steelers and spent time with two other NFL teams.
Impact: 4. WSU’s depth at receiver
from 2013-15 wasn’t as strong as it is now. Ayers’ skills as a returner would
have been a nice addition, especially considering how the Cougars struggled on
special teams early on in Leach’s tenure.
==9. Dillon Faamatau, DT, Oklahoma
Committed: Dec. 15, 2014
Decommitted: Jan. 26, 2015
The Cougars have struggled traditionally
to recruit big, quick nose tackles, and they nearly had one signed in 2015
until Faamatau made a last-minute switch to Arizona State. The Norwalk,
California, native signed with the Sun Devils and played in Tempe for one year
before transferring to Cerritos College. Faamatau committed to USC in April
2017, but he also flipped on the Trojans, switching to Oklahoma. He’s since
stayed put in Norman and was listed as one of two backup noseguards for Alex
Grinch and the Sooners before the Big 12 championship game. He enters the
College Football Playoff with OU.
Impact: 3. Even if the Cougars did
wind up with Faamatau’s services, there’s a chance someone who’s played at
three schools and committed to five wouldn’t have stuck in Pullman. Granted, if
he did, Faamatau surely would have carved out a role.
==10. Tyree Wilson, DE, Texas A&M
Committed: March 28, 2017
Decommitted: June 2, 2017
A 6-foot-6, 260-pound defensive
end, Wilson decommitted from the Cougars, citing the need to “enjoy the
recruiting process and pick a school that best fits me.” With offers from Texas
A&M, Tennessee, Arkansas, Baylor, Florida, Nebraska, Oklahoma State, Texas,
Ole Miss and others, Wilson wasn’t lacking options. He signed with the Aggies
and made an impact this fall as a redshirt freshman, appearing in 11 games as a
backup and totaling 12 tackles with three tackles for loss and 1 1/2 sacks.
Impact: 3. WSU graduated its
starting defensive end last season (Logan Tago) and Nnamdi Oguayo is set to
play his last college game in the Cheez-It Bowl. Even if Wilson wouldn’t have
started in Pullman, having him on the depth chart would have been a plus.
Honorable mentions: Austin Joyner
(DB, Washington); BJ Thompson (DL, Baylor/Stephen F. Austin); Alec Anderson
(OL, UCLA); Dahu Green (WR, Oklahoma/Arkansas State).
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