2024–25 Washington State Cougars men's basketball team
American college basketball season
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The 2024–25 Washington State Cougars men's basketball team represented Washington State University during the 2024–25 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team, led by first-year head coach David Riley, played their home games at the Beasley Coliseum in Pullman, Washington as first-year associate members in the West Coast Conference.
ConferenceWest Coast Conference
Record19–15 (8–10 WCC)
Headcoach
- David Riley (1st season)
Assistant coaches
- Donald Brady
- Jerry Brown
- Blake Fernandez
- George Galanopoulos
| 2024–25 Washington State Cougars men's basketball | |
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College Basketball Crown, First Round | |
| Conference | West Coast Conference |
| Record | 19–15 (8–10 WCC) |
| Head coach |
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| Assistant coaches |
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| Home arena | Beasley Coliseum |
| Conf. | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | PCT | W | L | PCT | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 24 Saint Mary's | 17 | – | 1 | .944 | 29 | – | 6 | .829 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 23 Gonzaga † | 14 | – | 4 | .778 | 26 | – | 9 | .743 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| San Francisco | 13 | – | 5 | .722 | 25 | – | 10 | .714 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Santa Clara | 12 | – | 6 | .667 | 21 | – | 13 | .618 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Oregon State | 10 | – | 8 | .556 | 20 | – | 13 | .606 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Washington State | 8 | – | 10 | .444 | 19 | – | 15 | .559 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Loyola Marymount | 8 | – | 10 | .444 | 17 | – | 15 | .531 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Portland | 7 | – | 11 | .389 | 12 | – | 20 | .375 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pepperdine | 4 | – | 14 | .222 | 13 | – | 22 | .371 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pacific | 4 | – | 14 | .222 | 9 | – | 24 | .273 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| San Diego | 2 | – | 16 | .111 | 6 | – | 27 | .182 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| † 2025 WCC tournament winner Rankings from AP poll | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Previous season
The Cougars finished the 2023–24 season 25–10, 14–6 in Pac-12 play to finish in second place. They defeated Stanford in the quarterfinals of the Pac-12 tournament before losing to Colorado in the semifinals. They received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament as the No. 7 seed in the East region. There, they beat Drake in the first round before losing to Iowa State in the second round.
This was the final season of the Pac-12 conference, as it dissolved after the majority of Pac-12 schools left the conference to join other conferences. The Cougars would play in the West Coast Conference as an affiliate member for the next two years.
On February 19, 2024, the Cougars returned to the AP Poll for the first time since the 2007–08 season.[1]
Offseason
Departures
| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Reason for departure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jaylen Wells | 0 | F | 6'8" | 205 | Junior | Sacramento, CA | Declared for 2024 NBA draft; selected 39th overall by Memphis Grizzlies |
| Myles Rice | 2 | G | 6'3" | 180 |  Freshman | Columbia, SC | Transferred to Indiana |
| Jabe Mullins | 3 | G | 6'6" | 200 | Senior | Snoqualmie, WA | Transferred to Montana State |
| Shae Korpela | 4 | G | 6'7" | 195 | Freshman | Aspen, CO | Walk-on; not on team roster |
| Ben Olesen | 5 | G | 6'0" | 160 | Senior | Mill Creek, WA | Walk-on; graduated |
| Joseph Yesufu | 11 | G | 6'0" | 185 | Senior | Bolingbrook, IL | Transferred to West Virginia |
| Isaac Jones | 13 | C | 6'9" | 245 | Senior | Spanaway, WA | Graduated/undrafted in 2024 NBA draft; signed with the Sacramento Kings |
| Braden Korpela | 14 | G | 6'7" | 170 | Freshman | Aspen, CO | Walk-on; not on team roster |
| AJ Rohosy | 15 | F | 6'9" | 215 | Sophomore | San Anselmo, CA | Walk-on; transferred |
| Rueben Chinyelu | 20 | C | 6'11" | 245 | Freshman | Enugu Agidi, Nigeria | Transferred to Florida |
| Dylan Darling | 22 | G | 6'2" | 180 | Sophomore | Spokane, WA | Transferred to Idaho State |
| Andrej Jakimovski | 23 | F | 6'8" | 220 | Senior | Skopje, Macedonia | Transferred to Colorado |
| Kymany Houinsou | 31 | G | 6'6" | 205 | Sophomore | Mulhouse, France | Transferred to Loyola Chicago |
| AJ LaBeau | 34 | F | 6'10" | 230 | Freshman | Boise, ID | Walk-on; transferred to Cornell |
| Oscar Cluff | 45 | F | 6'11" | 255 | Junior | Sunshine Coast, Australia | Transferred to South Dakota State |
Incoming transfers
| Name | Num | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Previous school |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cedric Coward | 0 | F | 6'6" | 206 | Senior | Fresno, CA | Eastern Washington |
| Ethan Price | 3 | F | 6'10" | 230 | Senior | Bury St Edmunds, England | Eastern Washington |
| LeJuan Watts | 4 | F | 6'6" | 233 | Sophomore | Fresno, CA | Eastern Washington |
| Nate Calmese | 8 | G | 6'2" | 164 | Junior | Gilbert, AZ | Washington |
| Rihards Vavers | 15 | F | 6'7" | 195 | Sophomore | Ādaži, Latvia | Quinnipiac |
| ND Okafor | 22 | F | 6'9" | 235 | Junior | Dundalk, Ireland | California |
| Dane Erikstrup | 32 | F | 6'11" | 226 | Senior | Beaverton, OR | Eastern Washington |
2024 recruiting class
| Name | Hometown | School | Height | Weight | Commit date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marcus Wilson SG |
Scottsdale, AZ | Bella Vista Prep | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 170 lb (77 kg) | May 16, 2023 | |
Recruit ratings: 247Sports:  | ||||||
| Kase Wynott PG |
Lapwai, ID | Lapwai High School | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | Apr 1, 2024 | |
| Recruit ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: (0) | ||||||
| Tómas Þrastarson SG |
Iceland | N/A | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | N/A | May 21, 2024 | |
| Recruit ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: (0) | ||||||
| Dimitrije Vukicevic C |
Austria | N/A | 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) | N/A | Jul 1, 2024 | |
| Recruit ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: (0) | ||||||
| Overall recruit ranking: | ||||||
Sources:
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Roster
| 2024–25 Washington State Cougars men's basketball team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Schedule and results
| Date time, TV |
Rank# | Opponent# | Result | Record | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Site (attendance) city, state | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Non-conference regular season | |||||||||||
| November 4, 2024* 8:00 p.m., ESPN+ |
Portland State | W 100–92 | 1–0 |
23 – Coward | 12 – Coward | 5 – Calmese | Beasley Coliseum (3,120) Pullman, WA | ||||
| November 8, 2024* 8:00 p.m., ESPN+ |
Bradley | W 91–74 | 2–0 |
18 – Coward | 11 – L. Watts | 6 – Calmese | Beasley Coliseum (3,982) Pullman, WA | ||||
| November 11, 2024* 6:30 p.m., ESPN+ |
Idaho Battle of the Palouse |
W 90–67 | 3–0 |
18 – Calmese | 14 – L. Watts | 3 – Calmese | Beasley Coliseum (3,838) Pullman, WA | ||||
| November 15, 2024* 5:30 p.m., BTN |
vs. Iowa Quad Cities Hoops Showdown |
L 66–76 | 3–1 |
27 – Calmese | 10 – L. Watts | 4 – L. Watts | Vibrant Arena at The MARK (8,488) Moline, IL | ||||
| November 18, 2024* 6:30 p.m., ESPN+ |
Northern Colorado Acrisure Holiday Invitational campus game |
W 83–69 | 4–1 |
30 – Coward | 8 – L. Watts | 5 – L. Watts | Beasley Coliseum (3,066) Pullman, WA | ||||
| November 21, 2024* 6:30 p.m., SWX |
vs. Eastern Washington | W 96–81 | 5–1 |
24 – Erikstrup | 9 – Coward | 7 – Coward | Spokane Arena (3,854) Spokane, WA | ||||
| November 26, 2024* 6:00 p.m., TruTV |
vs. Fresno State Acrisure Holiday Invitational semifinal |
W 84–73 | 6–1 |
22 – Calmese | 9 – L. Watts | 6 – Tied | Acrisure Arena (550) Thousand Palms, CA | ||||
| November 27, 2024* 6:30 p.m., TruTV |
vs. SMU Acrisure Holiday Invitational final |
L 60–77 | 6–2 |
15 – Calmese | 5 – I. Watts | 6 – Calmese | Acrisure Arena Thousand Palms, CA | ||||
| December 2, 2024* 7:00 p.m., MW Network |
at Nevada | W 68–57 | 7–2 |
17 – I. Watts | 9 – L. Watts | 7 – Calmese | Lawlor Events Center (7,748) Reno, NV | ||||
| December 7, 2024* 1:00 p.m., CBS |
vs. Boise State | W 74–69 | 8–2 |
20 – L. Watts | 11 – L. Watts | 6 – L. Watts | Idaho Central Arena (4,570) Boise, ID | ||||
| December 14, 2024* 2:00 p.m., ESPN+ |
Missouri State | W 91–78 | 9–2 |
20 – Tied | 7 – Tied | 7 – Calmese | Beasley Coliseum (3,304) Pullman, WA | ||||
| December 18, 2024* 8:00 p.m., FS1 |
at Washington Rivalry |
L 73–89 | 9–3 |
21 – Calmese | 8 – L. Watts | 4 – Price | Alaska Airlines Arena (7,880) Seattle, WA | ||||
| December 21, 2024* 1:00 p.m., ESPN+ |
vs. Northern Iowa Holiday Hoops Classic |
W 76–68 | 10–3 |
16 – Calmese | 12 – L. Watts | 6 – Calmese | Orleans Arena Paradise, NV | ||||
| WCC regular season | |||||||||||
| December 28, 2024 5:00 p.m., ESPN+ |
at Portland | W 89–73 | 11–3 (1–0) |
22 – Price | 8 – L. Watts | 5 – Tied | Chiles Center (2,228) Portland, OR | ||||
| December 30, 2024 6:30 p.m., ESPN+ |
Loyola Marymount | W 73–59 | 12–3 (2–0) |
20 – Calmese | 11 – L. Watts | 8 – L. Watts | Spokane Arena (3,449) Spokane, WA | ||||
| January 4, 2025 4:00 p.m., ESPN+ |
San Francisco | W 91–82 | 13–3 (3–0) |
24 – L. Watts | 12 – L. Watts | 5 – L. Watts | Beasley Coliseum (3,823) Pullman, WA | ||||
| January 9, 2025 6:30 p.m., ESPN+ |
Pacific | L 94–95 OT | 13–4 (3–1) |
28 – Price | 8 – Tied | 5 – Calmese | Beasley Coliseum (3,715) Pullman, WA | ||||
| January 11, 2025 6:00 p.m., ESPN+ |
at No. 18 Gonzaga Rivalry |
L 75–88 | 13–5 (3–2) |
20 – Calmese | 7 – Erikstrup | 8 – Calmese | McCarthey Athletic Center (6,000) Spokane, WA | ||||
| January 16, 2025 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ |
at San Diego | W 65–61 | 14–5 (4–2) |
27 – Calmese | 10 – Erikstrup | 5 – L. Watts | Jenny Craig Pavilion (1,337) San Diego, CA | ||||
| January 18, 2025 3:00 p.m., ESPN+ |
Portland | W 92–70 | 15–5 (5–2) |
23 – Calmese | 7 – Tied | 8 – Calmese | Beasley Coliseum (3,594) Pullman, WA | ||||
| January 23, 2025 8:00 p.m., CBSSN |
at Santa Clara | L 65–93 | 15–6 (5–3) |
20 – L. Watts | 11 – L. Watts | 10 – L. Watts | Leavey Center (1,875) Santa Clara, CA | ||||
| January 25, 2025 5:00 p.m., CBSSN |
Saint Mary's | L 75–80 | 15–7 (5–4) |
20 – Price | 4 – Thrastarson | 6 – L. Watts | Beasley Coliseum (4,240) Pullman, WA | ||||
| January 30, 2025 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ |
at Pacific | L 68–70 | 15–8 (5–5) |
17 – Erikstrup | 8 – Price | 5 – Price | Alex G. Spanos Center (1,437) Stockton, CA | ||||
| February 1, 2025 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ |
at San Francisco | L 51–75 | 15–9 (5–6) |
12 – Tied | 6 – L. Watts | 4 – I. Watts | Sobrato Center (3,200) San Francisco, CA | ||||
| February 6, 2025 8:00 p.m., ESPN2 |
at Oregon State | L 72–84 | 15–10 (5–7) |
25 – Calmese | 4 – Price | 4 – L. Watts | Gill Coliseum (4,909) Corvallis, OR | ||||
| February 8, 2025 3:00 p.m., ESPN+ |
Pepperdine | W 87–86 | 16–10 (6–7) |
16 – Calmese | 8 – Erikstrup | 6 – L. Watts | Beasley Coliseum (3,957) Pullman, WA | ||||
| February 15, 2025 7:00 p.m., ESPN2 |
at Saint Mary's | L 56–77 | 16–11 (6–8) |
17 – L. Watts | 6 – I. Watts | 4 – Tied | University Credit Union Pavilion (3,500) Moraga, CA | ||||
| February 19, 2025 6:00 p.m., ESPN2 |
Gonzaga Rivalry |
L 63–84 | 16–12 (6–9) |
19 – L. Watts | 4 – Price | 5 – L. Watts | Beasley Coliseum (10,219) Pullman, WA | ||||
| February 22, 2025 3:00 p.m., CBSSN |
Santa Clara | L 79–109 | 16–13 (6–10) |
20 – Calmese | 4 – Erikstrup | 4 – Calmese | Beasley Coliseum (4,380) Pullman, WA | ||||
| February 27, 2025 6:30 p.m., ESPN+ |
San Diego | W 93–86 | 17–13 (7–10) |
23 – Erikstrup | 10 – L. Watts | 5 – L. Watts | Beasley Coliseum (3,233) Pullman, WA | ||||
| March 1, 2025 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ |
at Pepperdine | W 90–81 | 18–13 (8–10) |
15 – Tied | 12 – Erikstrup | 9 – L. Watts | Firestone Fieldhouse (808) Malibu, CA | ||||
| WCC Tournament | |||||||||||
| March 8, 2025 8:30 PM, ESPN+ |
(6) | vs. (7) Loyola Marymount Third round |
W 94–77 | 19–13 |
22 – Tied | 13 – L. Watts | 7 – Calmese | Orleans Arena (3,048) Paradise, NV | |||
| March 9, 2025 8:00 PM, ESPN2 |
(6) | vs. (3) San Francisco Quarterfinal |
L 75–86 | 19–14 |
26 – Price | 6 – Price | 11 – Calmese | Orleans Arena (2,523) Paradise, NV | |||
| College Basketball Crown | |||||||||||
| March 31, 2025* 8:10 p.m., FS1 |
vs. Georgetown First round |
L 82–85 | 19–15 |
22 – Watts | 8 – Watts | 5 – Watts | MGM Grand Garden Arena (2,947) Paradise, NV | ||||
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. All times are in Pacific Time. | |||||||||||
Source:[2]