There will be many new kids coming to Pullman from a variance of places as Freil beats the bushes for talent.  He has especially went after some high-profile Juco kids trying to upgrade his talent base but he is still projecting to start two or three seniors this upcoming season.  Freil’s loyalty to his senior class stemmed from a modicum of success a few years back.  Friel is an old school coach and thought he could reignite the past glory but those days were long gone for those seniors.  But the fans do remember how a few years back the likes of Vince Hanson, Paul Lindemann, Gale Bishop and Ray Sundquist were Kings for a day in Pulllman.  A few of the upperclassmen will hold on to familiar roles this year as Friel tries to transition into the modern world of basketball.  Linderman is a 6’7 230 pound stud that eats up space down low.  He was the dominant force in the paint for the Cougs but has fallen back a bit due to his lack of height.  He should still start at the four but will get pushed hard for playing time by some other seniors and underclassmen.  Hanson has the size at 6’10 and is another stud but lost his starting role to even a bigger and far more skilled big man.  He will play but not as much as in the past.  Sundquist is the team captain and could start again at the point but will be challenged but he is the leader of this team.  This good-looking kid can flat get chicks as it is not uncommon for him to line up his buddies and or have two or three ladies waiting for him outside the locker room.  You can’t replace that.  Bishop is a solid wing but not athletic and his chances of keeping his starting role are slim but as of right now it is his  This 6’3 kid can score but his defense is nowhere near Pac-10 level. Another one of these seniors is big man Gene Conley who can defend and board down low.  He is a brute that does not mind mixing it up and getting a few fouls in the heat of battle.  Alas Conley is a better pitcher then hoopster and his heart lies on the diamond so he was gone to Florida early last spring to pitch for the Red Sox in Spring Training as they will not let him commute back and forth for games.  His dream is to make the team and then tryout for the Celtics as their enforcer and play both sports at once.  He is a starting pitcher after all and you do only have to pitch once every five games.  Yeah, like that will ever happen?  Still another senior big man, Jim McKean from Tacoma, will play some again this year.  He has some size at 6’9 but goes only 207 and though he has skills needs to develop a bit more of a chip on his shoulder. 

The two guys who had starting jobs who were not seniors when the season begins are juniors Don Collins and Steve Pudiokas.  These are two blue collar players who find a way to get the job done even if they are limited in talent.  Collins in a solid wing who can score from the perimeter and going to the hoop.  This kid is a terrific athlete who can flat throw it down and comes from the mean streets of Toledo Ohio and has a bit of a chip on his shoulder.  He may have the most talent on this team and plays hard every night both on and off the court.  He wants to get to the next level and he is one guy who will do whatever it takes to make it happen.  He definitely has the talent to get it done.  Puidokas is a big post player (6’11 265) who can score on the box and is a solid board guy.  He is slow as molasses but gets by with a great mind for the game and a sweet jumper for a big man.  These two guys are the only upperclassmen who are even close to Pac 10 talent on the roster but both work hard as well. And the Pullman fans know this and respect it.  They are their kind of players. 

Fellow junior James Donaldson is the ultimate ‘project’ player in waiting.  What he has is a huge body that takes up almost as much space as there is pasture land in Eastern Washington.  At seven two and about 275 pounds, Donaldson has the size to be a dominant player.  He does not have the demeanor but is getting there.  He can rebound and set some mighty screens but has been limited offensively.  But last year when given some minutes, Donaldson actually showed he is developing a little baby hook.  He is an intimidator on defense and can block shots which this team needs but he is still got a line of people in front of him for PT.  Donaldson has two more years to show he deserves a shot at the next level and not just because he is huge but because he can play. His sidekick in crime the last two years on the JV is another big dude.  Stuart House goes 6’11 230 from Detroit and has some talent.  He too is offensive averse but in the Palouse size it what seems to matter and they have accumulated more than their fair share of it. 

The one position that the Cougs have to upgrade their talent in is shooting guard.  Ironically, they actually have two pretty good wings at least on the offensive end. Collins or Bishop will begin the season here but neither can really guard the likes of a Goodrich or a Chenier. Senior Ron Bennink and Ed Gayda are also in the mix though neither one of them is an upgrade defensively.  Junior Dan Steward from Nampa Idaho showed he could indeed guard on the JV team last year but he does not score much.  Friel has recruited heavily here to try and upgrade the athleticism on the wings and it is needed.  Badly.  Point guard is also weak with sophomore Keith Morrison the heir apparent to Sundquist.  He can play some but this team needs more athleticism here as well.  But Morrison might just be the man here for a while at the point in the Palouse. 

The bench for the Cougars will get their chances.  Some showed well and others did not but at least Freil knows what he has for next year. Sophomore Brian Quinnett was huge on the JV and came on strong when called up late.  Quinnett has size for a wing (6’8 235) and can score but needs to get quicker.  He has a real shot of serious minutes next to Collins.  Senior Larry Beck is coming off from an injury on the wing but this 6’3 stud might be the best on the team at hitting long-range shots and will play.  The situation isn’t as dire as it is made out to be but this team needs more athletes here. 

The Washington State Cougars do not have a great basketball program.  They may not ever be able to compete in a moderate conference but have no chance against the Pac Ten.  The talent they get in the Palouse is nowhere as good as what the UCLA’s and Arizona’s are getting.  Still, they play hard and do occasionally win a big one.  This may never change but the fans of Pullman do not seem to mind.  They love the blue collar studs who run the court in their beloved Pullman.  And they will continue rooting for them no matter what the record is.  And every now and then they will get to have a week where the whole University gets to walk in the sun.  And in March in Pullman that is rare indeed.