PULLMAN, Wash. β At his pregame news conference Tuesday, WSU coach Ernie Kent faced several questions about how the Cougars might try to match up against Deandre Ayton and the rest of the Wildcats.
He made one thing clear: It isnβt just about matchups. Arizona has that pretty much covered.
Kent says he wants the Cougars to compete.
βWe need to bring a competitive nature to the game,β Kent said. βTeams like Arizona, theyβre not gonna deviate from they are who they are. The good thing about the game is that itβs going to force you to grow up. Iβm anxious to see how we respond and what competitive nature we bring to the game.β
The Cougs make a conference-leading 11.1 3-pointers a game in Pac-12 play, with all starters except Drick Bernstine a threat from long range. Especially stretch-four Robert Franks, who shot just 31.1 percent from 3 last season before dropping from 264 to 226 pounds in the offseason.
βWhen we put this group together, we needed to shoot the ball better,β Kent said. βIβve got a good group that can shoot it. Theyβre just not as experienced. I expected to shoot the 3 well.β
The Cougars also have to deal with a short turnaround, having lost at Washington on Sunday.
Vegas Insider says the line on UAΒ as a favorite has moved from 11 to 12.
While throughly exploring Deandre Ayton's complicated story, Bleacher Report quotes him saying that he knows he's the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft and that he looks at signing a "max contract" as a sign he's made it.
In his mid-Pac-12 awards, Doug Haller calls Ayton the Pac-12's top player and says Sean Miller is right behind Mike Hopkins at the league's top coach so far.
