We’re all being very brave right now.
Whew, y’all. To say that it’s been a tumultuous week in Cougar Nation would still be putting things lightly.
It’s felt like each day has brought a new battle after our beloved Cougs made a second round exit from the NCAA Tournament after a hard-fought game last Saturday— I don’t know about you, but personally, many tears were shed that evening. Not as much due to the heartbreak of the loss, but because this magical dream of a season had officially come to an end. For many of us newer Cougs: Recent graduates, current students, and many of our families, this was a brand new experience that felt entirely surreal in so many ways.
There’s so much to treasure from the 2023 – 2024 season of Washington State men’s basketball. From the big moments, like watching our Wheatfield Underdogs upset huge opponents all season, to cheering alongside thousands of fellow Cougs in electric Beasley environments, to hearing our name on Selection Sunday and witnessing our first NCAA Tournament win since 2008, all the way down to the small moments— memes, the laughs, and the many new friends made along the way. Through it all, the steady, uplifting feeling of joy flowing through our Coug community was a beautiful thing to be a part of.
But truly, one of the most precious things for me this season that also makes it so difficult to say goodbye is this special group of guys, and how magical it’s been to watch them fight for one other this season. There’s something so moving about a “ragtag” group of players, each from immensely different backgrounds— each with their own story, their own adversities that they’ve conquered, each with a dream to play basketball and compete at the highest level. Somehow, all of their paths had led them to Pullman, where they’d unite to do the impossible up here in the wheatfields.
And damn, was it incredible. We had a winning recipe of players and coaches in the right place, at the right time. Lightning in a bottle.
Watching this team play, you could really tell that these guys loved going to battle together each time they hit the court. And I spent the rest of the evening in on and off tears for that reason— it simply breaks my heart to think about (and quite frankly, see) this team going in different directions. Despite our beloved head coach, Kyle Smith, moving on to the next chapter in his career, I would love nothing more than for the boys to stick together and give this thing one more shot next season. To stay united in their brotherhood and recognize that what they have is special enough to keep it pushing, if just for one more year.
But as the blows keep coming with losses of staff and players alike, the brutal reality of a complex rebuilding era is setting in. It’s difficult, as fans, to continue to keep our heads up while facing the looming uncertainty of Cougar men’s basketball, and our athletic department in general.
Even though I feel as if I’ve cycled through the stages of grief many times in the last five days, I’m determined to hold space in my heart for hope of what’s to come. In the words of one of our wise and grounding leaders, Jake Dickert (who I’m extremely grateful to have, especially during these troubling days as a fan), I want people who want to be here. I want coaches, staff and players who want to fight with our school’s leaders and community for WSU’s rightful spot in the changing world of college athletics. I want people are not afraid to be trailblazers in that new, unfamiliar landscape. And I am confident that we will find those people.
Friends, I am hurt, but I am hopeful. We don’t know what’s next, but let’s keep our chins up the best we can, lean on one another, and wholeheartedly support our beloved Cougs when they need it most. During the dark moments, let’s keep the remarkable moments close to our hearts, and remember we will get there again. The Coug spirit is unbreakable.
And no matter what, Go Cougs.