It’s Bubly time!
Ummm, you guys. In case you haven’t heard, our very own Washington State Cougars are ranked No. 21 in the country after sweeping the Bay Area schools in front of a packed Beasley Coliseum last weekend, and we’re now only hours away from a Top 25 matchup against Arizona, vying for the top spot in the Pac-12. WSU has become the first school in history to sweep the weekly conference awards twice in one season, and Myles Rice is one “Freshman of the Week” title away from becoming the most decorated freshman in conference history. Like, are these real sentences? Washington State University, basketball school?! I could truly go on forever.
Given that my mind, clearly, has been consumed entirely by Cougar basketball lately, let’s take a walk down memory lane and revisit a few of my personal favorite WSU MBB wins of the Kyle Smith era, based on their vibes. Highlight videos included in case you really feel like walking down memory lane!
1. WSU at No. 5 Arizona, Jan. 7th 2023: 74 – 61
I vividly remember the final moments of this game when the clock hit 0:00, and my mom and I leapt up out of our chairs, grabbing each others’ hands in overjoyed high fives squealing “WE BEAT ARIZONA!!!” As one of the biggest wins to date for the program, this win felt so surreal. A hard fought game on the road that was capped with Mouhamed Gueye nailing a massive corner three to wrap it up for the Cougs— after which, yes, I totally lost my mind. I say we run it back in Tucson tonight and maybe this time, Isaac Jones will be our big man with the even bigger three pointer (we all saw that tweet of him putting up some shots at practice!)
2. WSU at Washington, Feb. 3rd 2024: 90 – 87
Part one of the 2024 Apple Cup series was absolutely a game that calls for a re-watch (or three, or five)— talk about an ultimate “vibes game”, as there’s nothing quite like an overtime thriller against the team we love to hate. By the second half, coming off of the hype of both an Andrej Jakimovski buzzer beater three and a quick halftime tequila shot, I couldn’t help but be on my feet as I watched Isaac Jones slam down a dunk to send the game into an extra 5 minutes. And finally, after a dagger three from Myles Rice to hand the Huskies a sweet crimson L in Seattle, the vibes were at an all time high for Cougs everywhere. Seriously, I need to find a rerun of this game ASAP, and then a brick wall to run through.
3. WSU vs. No. 8 Oregon, Jan. 2020: 72 – 61
Under first-year head coach Kyle Smith, this win was a massive one that came as a very pleasant surprise. Coug favorite CJ Elleby put up an impressive 25 points, and a hard-fought battle allowed the Cougs to snatch a W late in the game. Giving a glimpse of what was possible with Coach Smith, this resilient squad battled hard to shock a strong Oregon team, earning themselves their first win over a top-10 team in 13 years. And it was only up from there for our Modelo / Cherry Bubly drinking, Costco hot dog loving Coach Kyle Smith.
4. WSU vs. No. 8 Arizona, Jan. 13th 2024: 73 – 70
This January, WSU stamped this season as their second in a row beating a top-10 team, this time in Pullman. After a neck-in-neck game that demonstrated this WSU team’s grit, togetherness and drive to win, Cougs pulled away with a huge victory that set the tone for the future of this historic season— much needed coming off of a 1-3 start to Pac-12 play. This win was huge for the Cougs’ tournament resume, and, in case you forgot, they’re looking for a season sweep over the Wildcats tonight at McKale Center. GFC.
In case you feel like tuning in (you should), the game tips off at 8:00 pm Pacific Time on Fox Sports!