PULLMAN – NCAA Division I men’s basketball teams begin official practices today, and the Washington State Cougars will be missing two would-be seniors.
Pacific-10 Conference scoring champion Klay Thompson and two-time WSU rebounding leader DeAngelo Casto passed up their final seasons to turn pro.
National magazines predict the Cougars will finish near the bottom of the new Pac-12. Senior forward Abe Lodwick begs to differ.
“People think because Klay and DeAngelo left that we forgot how to play basketball, and that really bothers me,” Lodwick said.
“Having been here as long as I have with the guys that are on the team, we’ve got a pretty good chemistry going. It’s the best it’s been since (third-year coach) Ken Bone has been here.”
Lodwick and guards Reggie Moore and Marcus Capers are two-year starters. Last season, the Cougars finished 22-13 (9-9 Pac-10) and advanced to the NIT semifinals.
The Cougars play a home exhibition game against Lewis-Clark State on Nov. 5, then open the season at Gonzaga on Nov. 14.
Howie Stalwick, contributing writer
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