Freshman a key as Cougs come to Key
The sample size of the Washington State Cougars’ season – nine games – is modest. But it’s enough to detect a glaring deficiency.
The Cougars struggle to generate consistent offense.
The past two seasons, that responsibility fell to guards Derrick Low and Kyle Weaver, who are gone after leading WSU to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament last March as seniors. Weaver is now with the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA, and Low is playing professionally in Australia.
Now, as WSU continues the most difficult stretch of its nonconference schedule with tonight’s Cougar Hardwood Classic game in Seattle against Montana State at KeyArena, the biggest question remains: who has emerged as the team’s go-to playmaker?
It appears to be true freshman Klay Thompson.
Thompson, a 6-foot-6 guard and son of former NBA player Mychal Thompson, leads WSU in field-goal attempts (91) and 3-point attempts (42). He had been the team’s leading scorer all season, until Wednesday’s 74-52 loss to Gonzaga.
Now, Thompson’s 10.8 points per game average trails center Aron Baynes’ 11.2. He is also second in minutes played (29.0) and rebounds (5.2 rpg).
The numbers don’t immediately scream superstar-in-the-making, but it’s evident that the Cougars don’t have another player with his ability to attack a defender.
“He’s a scorer,” said Jerry DeBusk, his former coach at Santa Margarita Catholic in California. “He has a pure shot. He’s fluid. He’s long in his body, so he can do things like elevating and getting over people.”
Tony Bennett is hesitant to appoint his newcomer as the team’s premier scoring threat. In fact, he said the Cougars don’t have a player as reliable as Low and Weaver were.
But, the Cougars’ third-year coach concedes the responsibility that Thompson carries on the floor is “a lot to ask for a freshman.”
“He was one of the very promising players, and certainly will have his up-and-downs,” Bennett said. “But he’s a complete player, and an important part.”
This has occurred thanks to a number of developments.
• Initially, it was thought that Rochestie would best fill the void left by Weaver and Low. But after scoring averaging 10.4 points per game and shooting 46.5 percent from the floor last season – and after having what many considered the team’s second-best season behind Weaver – he’s fallen off this year.
Rochestie’s scoring is only slightly down (9.6 ppg), but he’s shooting 32.6 percent on field goals and his turnover totals have increased.
“With Derrick and Kyle last year ... you were essentially playing our offense with three point guards, which takes a lot of pressure off someone being the main ball-handler,” said one former NCAA assistant close to the program. “Their team dynamic has changed ... because Klay is a true wing and Nikola (Koprivica) is a small forward, so the burden of ball-handling has fallen on (Rochestie). They’re easier to defend.”
• Redshirt freshman Abe Lodwick, a 6-foot-7 off-guard from Bend, Ore., figured to be a contributor on offense, providing instant scoring. But he’s also struggled with his shooting and has fallen out of Bennett’s rotation because of his porous defense.
Other true freshman guards Marcus Capers, Mike Harthun and Nick Witherill weren’t expected to make an immediate impact.
• Thompson is already being mentioned in a group of elite newcomers to college basketball, and he should be a factor this season in the Pacific-10 Conference freshman of the year race along with UCLA’s Jrue Holiday, USC’s DeMar DeRozan and Washington’s Isaiah Thomas.
Mychal Thompson, now a radio commentator for the Los Angeles Lakers and sports-radio personality in Southern California, said Klay has been around high-level basketball his entire life with the Lakers and Portland Trail Blazers, two teams the elder Thompson played for (Portland made him the No. 1 overall draft pick in 1978).
“(Playing at WSU) should not be that big an adjustment,” Mychal Thompson said. “Sure, the caliber is better at the collegiate level, but this is what he’s used to doing since he was a junior in high school.
“Because of his talents and ability to create shots, and take the last shots, I told him ... to get ready for that (go-to) role.”
Klay Thompson has had subpar outings against Pittsburgh (seven points, 3-of-12 shooting), Baylor (five points, 2-of-5 shooting) and Gonzaga (four points, 2-of-9 shooting).
“I hold myself accountable for playing at a high level. Getting to play this much as a freshman is rare, especially at a high level, so I couldn’t be in a better situation,” Thompson said. “I think I can bounce back. I have to keep my confidence up and let the game come to me.”
Todd Milles: 253-597-8442
Guard issues
The Washington State guards are always going to have an important role for coach Tony Bennett, but with former stars Derrick Low and Kyle Weaver graduated, the Cougars are struggling to make plays:
GuardShootingPercent
Seasonpointspercentage WSU total
2006-0736.3 ppg45.154.3
2007-0840.2 ppg44.260.5
2008-0930.6 ppg36.050.1
Todd Milles, The News Tribune WSU MEN’S GAMEDAY
MONTANA STATE (4-3) VS. WASHINGTON STATE (6-3)
The Cougar Hardwood Classic, seattle
Tipoff: 7:05 p.m., KeyArena.
TV: FSN.
Radio: 850-AM.
Series: WSU leads, 21-7, and has won the past seven matchups. The last meeting was a 59-42 home win in 2004. The Bobcats’ last win was 61-56 in 1972.
Statistical leaders: For MSU – F Bobby Howard (14.0 ppg), C Divaldo Mbunga (6.7 rpg) and G Marquis Navarre (3.0 apg). For WSU – C Aron Baynes (11.1 ppg and 5.8 rpg) and G Taylor Rochestie (4.9 apg).
Scouting report: Fight the urge to yawn, because the Bobcats should pose a little better challenge than last year’s Hardwood Classic opponent, The Citadel (67-45 WSU win). They already have road wins against major-conference foes Colorado (85-82 in OT) and Oregon State (82-79 in OT), and a respectable defeat at 2008 NCAA tournament participant Boise State (71-64). Howard is a big man who can slash, Mbunga gives the Bobcats a true inside presence, and if the Cougars relax, guard Danny Piepoli is a 41-percent 3-point shooter (18-of-44) and can do damage from the outside. WSU has dropped three of its past four games – to nationally ranked Pittsburgh, Baylor and Gonzaga – but is 3-0 in Hardwood Classic games against Utah, San Diego State and The Citadel, by an average winning margin of 19.7 points per game.
Next: Dec. 21 at Idaho, 7 p.m.
Todd Milles, The News Tribune
