PULLMAN, Wash. – 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 isn’t just about matchups. ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ has that pretty much covered.
Kent says he wants the Cougars to compete.
“We need to bring a competitive nature to the game,†Kent said. “Teams like ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, they’re not gonna deviate from they are who they are. The good thing about the game is that it’s going to force you to grow up. I’m anxious to see how we respond and what competitive nature we bring to the game.â€
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.
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“When we put this group together, we needed to shoot the ball better,†Kent said. “I’ve got a good group that can shoot it. They’re just not as experienced. I expected to shoot the 3 well.â€
The Cougars also have to , having on Sunday.
Vegas Insider says  as a favorite has moved from 11 to 12.
While throughly , 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 , 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.
