Apple Explores Deals With Pac-12, MGM To Feed Its TV
Service -- WSJ
By Tripp Mickle
Wall Street Journal
Apple Inc. has been exploring opportunities to strengthen
its upstart TV service, including deals for James Bond franchise-owner MGM
Holdings Inc. and college sports rights, according to people familiar with the
matter.
Executives at Apple met with representatives of MGM and
the Pac-12 Conference this year as the tech giant considers ways to broaden the
appeal of its Apple TV app and TV+, a $4.99 monthly service that launched last
month with nine original programs. The streaming service anchors an updated TV
app that offers subscriptions to Disney+ and HBO, with Apple getting a cut of
sales.
Though the conversations with MGM and the Pac-12 were
preliminary and have yet to reach an advanced stage, the talks show Apple's
openness to striking a multibillion-dollar content agreement in support of its
TV service -- even as it forges ahead with a preferred strategy of developing
its own shows, these people said. A deal with the Pac-12 would be Apple's first
foray into live sports.
Apple is playing catch-up in a TV arms race with
Amazon.com Inc. and others seeking to displace traditional cable operators as
the dominant media service in people's homes. Consumers have turned to services
such as Netflix Inc. as they sever ties with cable operators. Amazon and Apple
are looking to increase their revenue by selling subscriptions to their own
streaming-video services and rival offerings from competitors.
Amazon Prime Video service, launched in 2006, has become
a hub for an estimated $2.6 billion in subscription sales to channels such as
Showtime and Starz, according to BMO Capital Markets. The company has netted
those sales from customers drawn to an Amazon video service that offers
original shows, licensed movies and National Football League games.
Apple's updated TV app and TV+ programs mirror Amazon's
offering but provide a fraction of the shows. A deal for sports rights or a
film library could deepen the offering and pull in more users who might also
sign up for subscriptions to Disney+, HBO and more.
Apple, which has $206 billion in cash, has been reluctant
to cut big deals in the past. Its biggest deal -- the $3 billion acquisition of
Beats Electronics LLC in 2014 -- helped the company jump-start its
music-streaming business.
The Apple Music business became the catalyst for the
launch of subscription services for videogames, news and TV. Those and other
paid subscriptions have become a big contributor to a services business at
Apple that increased sales 17% to $46.29 billion in the fiscal year ended in
September.
Apple wants to surpass 500 million paid subscriptions in
this fiscal year. It currently has 450 million paid subscriptions, a 36%
increase from the 330 million it reported for fiscal 2018.
"There aren't a lot of potential acquisitions that
could meaningfully change that trajectory," said Matthew Ball, former head
of strategy at Amazon Studios. Still, he said a deal for MGM or a studio of
that size would expand Apple's content offering, improve new-show development
and accelerate growth.
The meetings with MGM included Apple's head of mergers
and acquisitions, Adrian Perica, said people familiar with the matter. The
discussion came as MGM sought a distribution partner in February for its Epix
cable channel. The company also had discussions with Amazon and others.
Though Apple wasn't interested in Epix, Eddy Cue, Apple's
head of services, has continued to discuss the possibility of a deal for MGM
with Apple advisers, according to some of these people.
MGM could fetch as much as $10 billion, some of these people
said. The company is owned by several private-equity firms, including Anchorage
Capital.
A deal for MGM would give Apple rights to a film library
that includes James Bond and "Silence of the Lambs," as well as TV
shows such as "Fargo" and "The Addams Family." Apple could
offer the shows and films on demand or create new versions of them without
having to pay licensing fees.
More recently, Mr. Cue met with Pac-12 Conference
Commissioner Larry Scott about the conference's effort to sell an equity stake in
its media rights package, valued at up to $5 billion, that includes the Pac-12
Networks and all marquee football, basketball and live sports programming that
is fully available in 2024, according to people familiar with the discussions.
The conference includes the University of Southern California, the University
of Oregon and Stanford University.
Mr. Cue has questioned the value of a deal with the
Pac-12 because it would only give Apple rights to some games, people familiar
with his thinking said. He also recognized that if Apple ever secured rights to
all of the conference's best programming, it would need to show some of those
games on traditional broadcast TV to satisfy fans.
The conference continues to search for strategic partners
for its media rights and has recently had talks with Apple and Amazon, among
others, people familiar with the matter said.
Mr. Cue's interest in the Pac-12 shows Apple's approach
to sports could eventually go beyond the notifications of coming games and
real-time scores it currently offers in its TV app.
The sports industry has largely depended on traditional
media companies for more than $20 billion in annual rights, putting it in a
precarious position in a changing media landscape. The NFL, college sports'
Southeastern Conference and others are due to negotiate new media deals in the
coming years.
Showing Pac-12 games would help Apple prove it is a
viable home for sports should it pursue the rights to another league.
Mr. Cue is a big fan of Duke University basketball -- his
alma mater -- and the National Basketball Association's Golden State Warriors.
His boss, Chief Executive Tim Cook, is a big fan of his alma mater's football
team -- Auburn University, which plays in the SEC.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
WSU Women's
Basketball: Cougs Collect their Seventh Win of the Season with a 69-54 Victory
over Southern
From WSU Sports Info Fri, Dec 20, 2019
at 3:34 PM
MIAMI -- The
Washington State University women's basketball team exploded for a 23-point
performance in the fourth quarter to help the Cougars collect a 69-54 victory
over Southern University (of Baton Rouge, Louisiana) in the first game of the 2019 Miami Holiday
Classic on Friday afternoon.
WSU entered the
fourth quarter with a one-point lead over the Jaguars at 46-45, and began to
get into a groove on both sides of the floor in the final frame. The Cougs
opened fourth with a 10-1 run to build a 56-46 advantage with 5:46 to play and
never looked back. Washington State's defense turned up the pressure in the
fourth, as they did not allow a Southern field goal over the first seven
minutes of the stanza, and only gave up nine points in the final quarter.
The win
improves WSU to 7-4 on the year and guarantees the Cougs a winning record in
the non-conference portion of their season.
Senior
Borislava Hristova paced a trio of double-digit scorers for Washington State
with a game-high 21 points. The Bulgarian native became just the second player
in program history to collect over 1,900 points in their career, and she is now
just 55 points away from breaking Jeanne Eggart's (1977-82) all-time scoring
record of 1,967 points.
Fellow senior
Chanelle Molina followed up Hristova's performance with a 15-point effort,
while handing out eight assists for the second-straight contest. Junior Jovana
Subasic also extended her double-digit scoring streak to four games with 10
points off the bench.
The Cougars
battled all afternoon against a scrappy Southern University squad before
pulling away in the fourth. Washington State doubled up the Jaguars at 18-9
after 10 minutes of play, but Southern was able to close the gap to one at the
end of both the second and third quarters.
WSU concludes
both the 2019 Miami Holiday Classic, and non-conference play, tomorrow morning
– Dec. 21 – against the host Hurricanes. Tip-off against the University of
Miami is set for 8 a.m. PT and will be streamed live on ACC Network Extra. Fans
can also listen to Steve Grubbs call on the action locally on KQQQ 1150 AM.
COUG QUOTES
Head Coach
Kamie Ethridge on the Win: "I thought we were lifeless in the first two
quarters and we just didn't play to the (scouting report). There was no emotion
or passion, so the challenge was to come back out in the second half and
dedicate (which team) was going to control tempo. I'm really happy with how our
team responded, and we clearly got a grip on what we should be doing in the
fourth and pulled away at that point."
COUG NOTES
- Redshirt
Borislava Hristova extended her double-digit scoring streak to five-straight
games with a 21-point effort. Today's performance marks her 42nd career game
with 20-or-more points.
- Today's
victory gives head coach Kamie Ethridge her 99th career win as a head coach,
just one win shy of the century mark.
- Washington
State shot 52.8% as a team from the floor against Southern, marking the
second-straight contests the Cougars have shot over 52% from the field.
- Sophomore Ula
Motuga tied her career high in rebounds with eight against the Jaguars. It
marks the second time over last four games that the forward has pulled down
eight caroms.
- Sophomore
Shir Levy scored a season-high eight points in today's victory.
- Freshman Emma
Nankervis returned to action this afternoon after a three-game absence.
::::
WSU men basketball search for fifth-straight
win Saturday
From WSU Sports Info
WASHINGTON
STATE (7-4) vs Incarnate Word (3-8) | Sat., Dec. 21 | 4 p.m.
Live Stats | Statbroadcast.com
Watch | Pac-12 Network (Jim Watson & Dan
Dickau)
Listen | WSU IMG Radio Network (Matt Chazanow
& Craig Ehlo)
OPENING FIVE
> The Cougs
have won four-straight for the first time since the start of the 2017-18 season
when they won six-straight. WSU is now 5-1 in home games.
> WSU is set
to close out non-conference play as well as the calendar year at home with two
more games with Incarnate Word Saturday before finishing with Arkansas
Pine-Bluff Dec. 29 after the holidays.
> CJ Elleby,
named to the Julius Erving and Wooden Award watch lists ranks 3rd in the Pac-12
in scoring at 20.5 ppg and has scored in double-figures in all 11 games on the
year.
> Jeff
Pollard is in the midst of a career year scoring 10.0 ppg. He has gone for
double-figures in six games including two-straight.
> Noah
Williams has emerged as the Cougs' x-factor off the bench as the freshman is
+46 during WSU's four-game win streak.
GAME
INFORMATION - VS INCARNATE WORD
The Cougs are
set to close out the month and non-conference play with two more at home with
beginning Incarnate Word Saturday. After a short break for the holidays, WSU
hosts Arkansas Pine-Bluff Dec. 29 in a double-header with the women who begin
conference play. Saturday's opponent, Incarnate Word, is 3-8 on the year having
lost four of their last five with their lone win a 101-65 win over Division III
Trinity University. Incarnate Word ranks #348 in KenPom's rankings (14 points
lower than Florida A&M). The Cardinal have one player scoring in
double-figures in Keaston Willis (12.2ppg). He is hitting nearly 40% from
behind the arc (27-68, 39.7%)
LAST TIME OUT
Washington
State 87 - Florida A&M 73 | Dec. 19, 2019 | Pullman, WA
Washington
State jumped out to a 25-5 lead early in the first period and never looked
backed against an over-matched Florida A&M team on Thursday night. CJ
Elleby scored 25 points and had 11 rebounds for his first double-double of the
season to lead Washington State to a 87-73 victory. Elleby also had three
assists and shot 6 of 7 in the second half and 10 of 15 for the game to lead
the Cougars to their fourth straight win.
WILLIAMS THE
X-FACTOR
Coming off the
bench in his first season, freshman Noah Williams has proven an x-factor for
the Cougars with his defensive play and rebounding prowess. The lanky guard has
proven to be one of the most effective players for the Cougs in their recent
winning streak as the first-year Coug is +46, second only to CJ Elleby's +84.
On the year the
freshman is +47 overall having played limited minutes early in the year. With
his minutes picking up so to has his success on the court and the Cougs success
in the win column.
More
traditionally, WIlliams is averaging 3.6 ppg, 3.4 rpg and 1.3 apg in 14.9 mpg.
:::::
WSU Soccer
coaches ‘Staff of the Year’
From WSU Sports Info
Making a splash
on the national stage Washington State's soccer coaching staff was named the
2019 NCAA Division 1 Women's National Staff of the Year by the United Soccer
Coaches Friday morning. The Cougars' coaching staff of head coach Todd
Shulenberger, assistant coach and recruiting coordinator Jon Harvey, and
assistant coach Greg Sheen led the team to new heights in 2019 earning them top
recognition by their fellow coaches in the national organization.
In a season for
the record books, the Cougars won a program record 16 games on their way to the
first College Cup in WSU history. No team prior had made it further than the
third round of the NCAA Tournament, a feat Shulenberger and Harvey accomplished
two years prior in 2017. With Sheen added to the mix, the Cougars ran through
the postseason defeating No. 14 Memphis (1-0), No. 3 Virginia (3-2), West
Virginia (3-0), and No. 5 South Carolina (1-0, OT) before falling to No. 2
North Carolina (2-1) in the national semifinals. The combined record of WSU's opponents
in the postseason, who had a combined nine all-americans on their rosters, was
an impressive 89-17-10 with four of those losses coming to the Cougs in
tournament play. In all, the Cougars defeated both the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds on
the road in their bracket before facing off a second No. 1 seed in North
Carolina at the College Cup.
In addition to
the teams historic postseason run the Cougars put together one of the best
statistical performances in program history in 2019. Offensively, the Cougars
finished the year scoring 45 goals with 46 assists for 136 total points. The 45
goals and 136 points both rank as the third most in program history and the
most for a Cougar team in 28 years. The 46 assists finished second all-time in
WSU history, one shy of the all-time record of 47 set in 2002. Even more
impressively, the Cougars put together a stellar defensive campaign while
breaking in a young and inexperienced back four. Overall, WSU would finish with
10 shutouts, including three in the postseason, a mark which ranks tied for
fourth most all-time in program history.
Under the guide
of WSU's coaches, senior Morgan Weaver would be named a United Soccer Coaches
Third Team All-American becoming just the second Cougar all-time to earn
national recognition.
The Cougars
return eight of their 11 starters in 2019 including all-region honoree Brianna
Alger and USWNT camp invitee Makamae Gomera-Stevens. The Cougs also welcome in
a stellar recruiting class to bolster their ranks for another run at the
College Cup.
::::
About WSU SAAC/Student-Athlete
Advisory Committee that organizes and runs an annual holiday event.
A big
opportunity to serve the community
From WSU News on Dec 20, 2019
Radd Thomas, a pitcher for the Washington
State baseball team, makes balloon animals for children at the annual Butch's
Bash.
By Jason Krump, Cougar Athletic Fund
Radd Thomas, a
pitcher for the Washington State baseball team, is thrown a curveball.
“A unicorn?”
When Thomas
woke up that morning, making balloon animals was a skill unfamiliar to him.
But, thanks to instruction videos on YouTube, Thomas is becoming adept at the
discipline.
“I didn’t
really know how to do it,” he said, while he begins work on the unicorn inside
Hollingbery Fieldhouse. “I learned how to make a dog and a cat.”
And now?
“I am making
unicorns.”
At the other
end of the Fieldhouse are tables filled with gingerbread houses, and countless
more in bins that are at the ready to replace the ones that are decorated.
“Hundreds and
hundreds,” rowing student-athlete Renee Kemp said with a laugh of how many she
and her fellow student-athletes made in preparation for the Butch’s Bash
Holiday Carnival.
Kemp is the
President of SAAC (Student-Athlete Advisory Committee), the committee that
organizes and runs the annual holiday event.
It is an event
that requires hours of preparation as Kemp and her fellow student-athletes were
at the Fieldhouse at 1 p.m. to set up for the evening festivities and that
doesn’t take into account the work done in the weeks leading up to it,
including constructing the gingerbread houses.
WSU student
athletes helped children make gingerbread houses at the annual Butch’s Bash.
“It’s a big
event,” Kemp said, “but also a big opportunity.”
That
opportunity, she said, is to “interact with the community.”
“We want to be
involved and be personable with the community,” said Kemp. “These little kids
are going to grow up and want to come to our events and meet us in person.
“It’s so much
fun,” said Kemp, who added that all sports not in competition, such as soccer
and volleyball, which were at NCAA competitions, participated. “It’s something
we look forward to doing.”
Coming Back
Home
Butch’s Bash
has created so many great memories that former football student-athlete
Jeremiah Allison returned to Pullman, specifically for the event.
Former football
student-athlete Jeremiah Allison returned to Pullman to help out with the
annual Butch’s Bash.
“I always took
pride coming to Butch’s Bash,” said Allison, who played linebacker for the
Cougars from 2012 to 2015. “I would lift in the morning and come work Butch’s
Bash the rest of the day.”
“How could you
not come back?”
Four years
removed from his days as a WSU student-athlete, Allison, who is currently a
student at Mitchell Hamline School of Law in St. Paul, Minn., returned to
Pullman to not only rekindle memories of his experiences at Butch’s Bash, but
to create new memories by conducting the first toy drive for his foundation,
the Allison H.O.P.E. Foundation.
“I wanted to
come back here and have this be my first memory of my foundation’s toy drive,”
Allison said. “There is no town like Pullman. This is a special place and
people remember everything you do for a long time.”
Serving the
Pullman Community and Beyond
The community
service initiatives by SAAC are not limited to Butch’s Bash and not limited to
benefiting the Pullman community.
Track and field
student-athlete Charisma Taylor assists at one of the over two dozen stations
featuring carnival games at Butch’s Bash.
Track and field
student-athlete Charisma Taylor is assisting at one of the over two dozen
stations featuring carnival games.
“It’s great to
see the children having fun and see them smile,” she said.
Taylor, a
sophomore from Nassau, Bahamas, joined SAAC in the fall and just a few weeks
into fall semester Hurricane Dorian made landfall as the strongest hurricane on
record to hit the Bahamas in September.
“I made the
decision if I can’t be at home I have to do what I can from here,” Taylor said.
“I came up with a clothing drive. I brought up the idea to SAAC and everyone
was on board.”
“People wanted
to help her and help her country,” said Kemp when she and SAAC learned of
Taylor’s idea. “It was cool we could be a part of that.”
The SAAC team
representatives sent the word out and the result was over a dozen boxes that
were shipped to the Bahamas, boxes so big that Taylor said it took two people
to lift them.
“It was
overwhelming to see how people cared,” Taylor said. “I thought I would get some
clothes but I didn’t think it would be that much.”
Butch’s Bash
and the Bahamas clothing drive are just two of the many examples of the
community service initiatives by SAAC. For instance, student-athletes engage
with Pullman High School students to educate them on mental health through the
Behind Happy Faces initiative, and each February, student-athletes volunteer at
the Special Olympics Basketball Tournament, held at the Bohler Athletic
Complex.
Furthermore,
student-athletes participate in Reading Buddies—a program for students to visit
local elementary schools to read books to children—and Coug Pals—a program that
features a student-athlete paired with a student from a local elementary school
to be pen pals with the chance to meet at Butch’s Bash.
“A lot of us
participate in Coug Pals and Reading Buddies, so getting the chance to see the
kids is really cool,” said Kemp.
“My reading
buddy, I first met him at Butch’s Bash,” said Allison. “He’s now 12–13 years
old and he ran around here as a little kid. It’s fun to see the kids grow up.
“Athletics are
put on a pedestal,” Allison added. “If you recognize that at a young age and
able to use that sense of popularity you can change a kid’s life. We get a
chance to see a smile of the kid’s faces. They will remember it forever.”
Back to the
Unicorn
Radd Thomas
finishes making a balloon animal for kids at Butch’s Bash.
As Thomas
continues to work on the unicorn he talks about his experience at Butch’s Bash.
“It’s been
fun,” he said. “A whole bunch of people coming out to support the Cougs. You
can’t ask for more than that…”
He stops mid‑sentence
as he has completed his project.
“Okay, here is
your unicorn,” he says as he gives his work to the little girl.
And then Thomas
turns his attention on to his next customer.
“What can I
make for you? A flower? What kind of flower would you like? A pink flowe
:::::::::::::::::::::
FOOTBALL = Washington
State vs. Air Force: what to know
From Lewiston Trib
Washington
State will play Air Force in the Cheez-It Bowl at 7:15 p.m. Dec. 27 at Chase
Field in Phoenix.
The Cougars
fell to 6-6 overall and 3-6 in the Pac-12 with a 31-13 loss Nov. 29 at
Washington in the regular-season finale. Anthony Gordon was 48-of-62 passing
for 308 yards with two interceptions. He also was sacked five times. Max Borghi
had 108 all-purpose yards and a rushing touchdown. Renard Bell had nine catches
for 87 yards. Skyler Thomas and Jahad Woods each had 10 tackles.
The Falcons
improved to 10-2 overall and 7-1 in the Mountain West Conference by virtue of a
20-6 win Nov. 30 at home against Wyoming. D.J. Hammond was 5-of-6 passing for
121 yards and a touchdown, a 75-yarder to Ben Waters. Waters caught three passes
for 100 yards. Kadim Remsberg had 14 carries for 63 yards. Jere Fejedelem had
10 tackles and picked off two passes as Air Force held the Cowboys to 225 yards
of offense.
If you are not
planning on going to the game, here’s how you can find it:
TV: The game
will be televised on ESPN. It is on channel 133 or 1133 on CableOne/Sparklight,
channel 206 on DirecTV and on channel 140 on Dish Network. You also can stream
the game by downloading the Fox Sports Go app in your smartphone’s app store or
watch on your desktop by clicking this link.
Radio: IMG
again is broadcasting the Cougars. Here in Lewiston, the game will be broadcast
on KTHR-FM (104.3 and 103.9). Matt Chazanow is the play-by-play announcer, and
Jessamyn McIntyre the sideline reporter. Alex Brink, who also was a three-time
All-Pac 10 quarterback from 2004-07, is the analyst.
Odds: Air Force
opened as a 2 1/2-point favorite. It’s now up to 3. The over/under is 68.
Fun facts: This
will be the first time the teams will meet. ... Should be an interesting
matchup of offenses, pitting WSU coach Mike Leach's Air Raid against Air Force
coach Troy Calhoun's triple option/flexbone offense. The Falcons are No. 3 in
the nation in rushing offense (292.5 yards per game) while the Cougars are No.
1 in passing offense (444.3). Air Force ranks No. 16 in total defense (315.8).
:::::::::::::::::::::;
Washington
State’s Mike Leach responds to Donald Trump impeachment: ‘I’m yet to hear what
he did wrong’
WSU head coach
Mike Leach speaks in support of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump
during a rally in Spokane Convention Center, Saturday, May 7, 2016. (Colin
Mulvany / The Spokesman-Review)
By Theo Lawson Spokane Spokesman-Review
sports reporter 12/19/2019
PULLMAN – Mike
Leach took an interest in Donald Trump more than 15 years ago when he read the
now-U.S. president’s literary work while flying from Lubbock, Texas, to New
York City with his family.
Leach made it
through Trump’s book, “How to Get Rich,” and put in a call to Trump
Enterprises, hoping to arrange a meeting with the business mogul and popular
television personality.
The two
eventually connected, building a relationship around Leach’s interest in
politics and business, and Trump’s passion for football. Washington State’s
eighth-year coach still keeps a framed photo of Trump in his Pullman office,
signed by the president: “To Mike, keep up the good work.”
Leach then
spoke extensively about his friendship with Trump at a 2016 rally held at the
Spokane Convention Center, giving the Republican presidential candidate a
ringing endorsement.
Three years
later, just down the road from that same convention center, Spokane residents
gathered Tuesday for a different type of rally, in support of Trump’s
impeachment, which came less than 24 hours later after a near party-line vote
from the U.S. House of Representatives. Trump, who’s been accused in two
articles of impeachment – abuse of power and obstruction of Congress – wouldn’t
be removed from office unless the Senate decides to vote him out early next
year.
Leach, who’s
been busy with recruiting obligations, the early signing period and preparation
for the Cheez-It Bowl, said he hasn’t done much research or spent lots of time
reading about Trump’s impeachment, but the coach backed his old friend on
Thursday after WSU’s early afternoon practice in Pullman.
“I haven’t
followed it too closely, but it’s clearly political,” Leach said. “That doesn’t
take a rocket scientist to figure that out.
“And I’m yet to
hear what he did wrong. So, you’ve got to have a crime, I would think.”
Trump has been
accused of trying to convince Ukraine to investigate supposed wrongdoings by
former Vice President Joe Biden, who projects to be a strong opponent for Trump
in the 2020 presidential election. Trump’s late-July phone conversation with
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is what triggered the series of events
leading to Trump’s impeachment.
Leach, asked if
he thinks Trump will be removed from office, said, “That’s a foregone
conclusion he won’t be.”
It’s unclear to
what extent Leach and Trump communicate these days given their respective
schedules, but in July at Pac-12 Media Day, Cougars offensive lineman Liam Ryan
shared a humorous story about a phone call between the two.
“He comes out
an hour late to practice and we’re like, ‘Where the heck is Leach?’ ” Ryan
said. “He comes out and we’re all dogging him, ‘Coach, where have you been?
Where have you been?’ And he’s all like, ‘I was upstairs watching you from the
window.’ We’re like, ‘Why were you watching us?’ He’s like, ‘I was talking to
Donald Trump.’ … I’m like, ‘What? You’re late to practice for talking to Donald
Trump?’ He’s like, ‘Yeah, that’s one of my good friends.’ Then he goes on to
tell the whole story.”
Leach’s
political beliefs and willingness to voice them as a public figure who’s also
led one of the most impressive runs in WSU football history, have helped make
him one of the more polarizing characters in college athletics.
The coach set
off a social media storm in June 2018 when he shared, and later removed, a
doctored video of a Barack Obama speech from his personal Twitter account.
Leach posted a complete transcript of the speech, saying, “I agree that the
video was incomplete. However, I believe discussion on how much or how little
power our Gov should have is important.”
Leach has also
formed a close friendship and traveled with former Washington state Sen.
Michael Baumgartner, a Republican. The two taught a popular not-for-credit
class at WSU last spring, titled “Insurgent Warfare & Football Strategy.”
WSU has
supported its coach’s freedom of speech and encouraged Leach to share his views
in a personal capacity.
In 2016, after
Leach appeared in Spokane for Trump’s rally, the university released a
statement regarding employees who express personal views.
“Free speech is
a form of diversity – diversity of opinion – and diversity is a core value of
WSU,” the statement read. “As a public institution, we serve as a platform for
the expression of a wide diversity of views and opinions and value the
opportunity to do so. The opinions of any one employee, however, do not in any
way speak for the institution.”
::::::::::::::::::::::::::
WSU men basketball wins fourth
straight, Elleby soars but Kyle Smith displeased
By Jamey Vinnick Cougfan.com
WASHINGTON
STATE GOT its fourth-straight win Thursday night against Florida A&M and
C..J Elleby filled up the hoop yet again - but head man Kyle Smith on the
postgame radio show was not pleased with the Cougs’ 87-73 victory over the
Rattlers. WSU under Smith puts a high emphasis on taking care of the rock and
Smith didn’t care for the Cougars’ overall play -- especially from his guards.
Five WSU guards
-- Isaac Bonton, Jervae Robinson, Jaylen Shead, Ryan Rapp and Noah Williams --
combined for 18 turnovers, something Smith called “not acceptable.”
Florida A&M
(0-9) spent much of the game in a full court press, and WSU (7-4) struggled to
consistently break it.
Bonton in
particular struggled on Thursday, shooting just 1-of-10 from the field and
turning it over four times, playing just 19 minutes before fouling out.
Bonton’s shooting percentage this season has now dropped below 30 percent from
both the field and 3-point range.
Bonton defends
very well and he’s also shown to be a high-caliber playmaker at times, but at
some point Smith may have to look at another option at the starting two guard
if Bonton’s extended shooting slump continues. His shooting woes have been a
surprise: last year at Casper College, Bonton averaged a team-best 21.4 points
per game on 43.6 percent shooting.
There were also
some definite bright spots for WSU in the win: the Cougs chalked up their
fourth-straight W, and shot 52 percent. Elleby continued his scoring charge in
the non-conference slate, going for 25 points on 10-of-15 shooting, 17 of which
came in the second half. He also pulled down 11 rebounds for the double-double.
He was dominant at times.
Aljaz Kunc
continued his solid play with eight points on 4-of-6 shooting, while Jeff
Pollard started 1-of-4 but made his final five shots to finish with 12. And
both Marvin Cannon and Williams were in double digits with 11 and 10 points,
respectively.
But Smith also
mentioned postgame how he didn’t love the Cougs’ second half defense: FAM
outscored WSU in the second half 49-46, with Smith noting the high amount of
fast breaks Florida A&M ran off WSU turnovers.
WSU has been
terrific at protecting the ball this year, but tonight certainly was a
different story in terms of ball security. Wazzu committed 20 turnovers to
FAM’s 14, and the Rattlers had 10 steals to the Cougs’ four.
With the game
not exactly a nailbiter (WSU never trailed) but still tighter than expected,
the Cougars didn’t get quite as much playing time for guys like Ryan Rapp or
Volodymyr Markovetskyy as Smith would have liked, but Rapp did score five
points in seven minutes.
Markovetskyy
likely didn’t get as much time due to Florida A&M going small for most of
the game. Both Markovetskyy and Rapp figure to get more minutes in Saturday’s
tilt against Incarnate Word (3-8) if the script goes more according to plan
that the win over FAM did. WSU and IWU tip off at 4 pm (TV: Pac-12 Network).
THREE
TAKEAWAYS:
Bonton’s shots
just aren’t falling, and he took the second most shots (10) trying to shoot his
way out of the slump besides Elleby (15).
It surely
wasn’t top competition, but Elleby made several impressive plays. He was
unstoppable at times.
Kunc continued
to play well but for whatever reason, he only played four minutes in the second
half which has become a bit of a recurring theme with him. Smith may just be
resting him now and counting on him being fresher later in the season.
REVEALIND STATS
Elleby’s season
average climbed to 20.5 points per game, placing him third in the conference in
scoring. He’s been in double figures every game this season, and above 20
points in seven of the 11.
The 20
turnovers were by far a season high for the Cougars in that department. There’s
a good chance that the team will be working on breaking the press this week in
practice, because that gave them serious trouble and threw everything off.
Pollard
finished out very strong and finished 6-of-9 from the floor.
For the second
straight game, WSU led for the entire way. Indeed, the last time WSU trailed
was with 8:51 to go in the first half of the New Mexico State game – an
impressive 108:50 of game time.
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