Washington State, in win at Arizona, continues to write an incredible story

“We simply obtained a method about us, and it is simply kinda ‘hold in there, and preserve chipping away,'” head coach Kyle Smith instructed reporters after the victory.

That mindset was on show on Thursday, but it surely’s been on show all through Pac-12 play for this group. Washington State went 9-2 in opposition to a non-conference slate ranked 99th nationally in power of schedule, per TeamRankings.

Given an opportunity to show themselves in opposition to the likes of Arizona, Oregon, UCLA and Colorado, the Cougars have checked all of the bins. They now boast two wins over the Wildcats — the primary coming at dwelling on Jan. 13 — and a victory apiece in opposition to the third-place Geese and fourth-place Bruins.

Now, with simply over two weeks left within the common season, Washington State is penciled in as a No. 7 seed within the NCAA Match, based on the most recent projections from ESPN’s Joe Lunardi. This system is barreling full steam forward in direction of its first look within the dance since Bennett took it to the Candy 16 in his second (and penultimate) season in 2007-08.

Credit score for this run should go to Smith, in his fifth season on the helm. The 54-year-old led the Cougars to the NIT the final two years and deserves Nationwide Coach of the Yr recognition if his staff retains this up.

However let’s give some like to the fellows making the photographs and the stops as nicely. Wells, a switch from Division II Sonoma State, is averaging 11.8 factors and 4.5 rebounds in his first season on the Division I degree.

Isaac Jones, a flexible, bruising ahead whose position because the Cougars’ offensive fulcrum mirrors the best way the Miami Warmth make the most of Bam Adebayo, places up almost 16 factors and eight rebounds an evening whereas blocking a shot alongside the best way.

Then, there may be Myles Rice, a former three-star recruit whose solely high-major supply got here from Washington State. In his first season in 2021-22, the South Carolinian appeared in just one sport. Then, in September of 2022, he was recognized with Hodgkin’s lymphoma. After present process chemotherapy from October of 2022 till March of 2023, he was declared to be in remission in June of final yr.

Now, he’s the Cougars’ second-leading scorer (behind Jones), averaging 15.5 factors per sport to go together with 3.6 assists, three rebounds and 1.7 steals per contest.

It is a staff, then, stuffed with grinders and overachievers, and one which deserves your admiration. After Thursday, they deserve your consideration.