Rematch From the Tournament, Cougs Host the Buffs
WASHINGTON STATE (9-5, 2-5)
vs Colorado (11-4, 5-3) | Sat., Jan. 23 | 5 p.m.
Live Stats | SidearmStats
Watch | ESPN2 (Dave Pasch & Bill Walton)
Listen | WSU IMG Radio Network (Matt Chazanow & Craig Ehlo)
OPENING FIVE
> The Cougs and the Buffs play the first of two with Colorado coming to the Palouse before WSU heads to Boulder Wednesday for a make up of their December postponement. Last season the two teams played the final completed game of the 2019-20 season with WSU taking down the Buffs (82-68) in the first round of the Pac-12 Tournament.
> Both WSU and Colorado are coming off loses as the Cougs have dropped four-straight in conference play while the Buffs were upset at Washington Wednesday.
> Sophomore Noah Williams continues his transformation into one of the best two-way players in the Pac-12 as the defensive ace has scored in double-figures in 10 of 14 games including 17 against Utah. He has been nails from deep hitting 20-for-43 (46.5%) on the year.
> Freshmen have powered the Cougs as Efe Abogidi (14), Andrej Jakimovski (12), and Dishon Jackson (5) have moved into the starting lineup. Their combined 31 starts is the fourth most in Division I.
> Freshman Efe Abogidi continues his run in Pac-12 play having scored double-figures in four of the last six games including 12 against Utah. He also leads the conference in rebounding at 8.0 rpg.
GAME INFORMATION - VS COLORADO
The Cougs take on a slightly cooled but still hot Colorado team that sports both the Player and Freshman of the week after sweeping the Bay Area schools last week in Boulder. The Buffs had a hiccup in their play with a loss at Washington Wednesday but had won four straight prior.
Last season, the Buffs ran away from the Cougs at home in Colorado but WSU got its revenge at the Pac-12 Tournament, dominating the Buffs in what was the final completed game of the 2019-20 season before the Covid-19 Pandemic shut down sports. WSU has won the last three in Pullman against the Buffs. Colorado won the last matchup in Pullman, 87-67 back in 2019.
LAST TIME OUT - VS UTAH
UTAH 71 - WSU 56 | Jan. 21, 2021 | Pullman
The Cougs suffered their second-straight loss at home and fourth-straight overall as the Utes took their 13th-straight in the all-time series. Utah used a big first half to take a 17-point halftime lead that the Cougs could not comeback from despite a 17-point effort from Noah Williams.
NEARING FULL HEALTH
Yet to have played a minute this season with a full roster the Cougs are nearing full health with a roster of 14 (Jefferson Koulibaly has season-ending surgery before the year began).
Most recently the Cougs got back DJ Rodman against Utah after the sophomore had missed 8 games due to injury.
Ryan Rapp is the last Cougar out having missed the last 6 games.
Others who missed time due to injury: Carlos Rosario (8 games), Tony Miller (7 games), Dishon Jackson (2 games), Isaac Bonton (1 game), Myles Warren (1 game).
Last season the Cougs played five total minutes with a full roster due to injuries.
WILLIAMS LEADING THE WAY
Sophomore Noah Williams has been hampered by bumps and bruises that has slowed down his play in conference action including being undercut at Stanford on a breakaway layup.
Despite playing at less than 100%, Williams has scored in double-figures 10 games including his first 20+ point effort against Montana State. He has done his work from deep going 20-for-43 (46.5%) on the year. At the line, Williams has hit 9-straight (previously hit 14-straight) and is 31-of-41 from the charity stripe on the year.
He has drawn a team-best six charges, including a pair of charges in the final seconds (:16 sec vs TSU, :03 sec vs EWU) of both the first two games to seal comeback victories for the Cougs.
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