Rebuilt Washington State opens against Davidson basketball: watch the game stream and find the time
A new group takes shape
Washington State enters the season with an almost entirely new roster, raising questions about where the Cougars may stand in the newly formed Pac-12. Third-year coach David Riley said the preseason was busy as players worked through the team’s concepts.
Forward Ronnie Harrison, a 6-foot-8 transfer from East Texas A&M, and point guard Lazerek Houston, who transferred from NCAA Division II Central Missouri, are expected to lead a new starting lineup in 2026-27. The projected top eight players in the rotation are all newcomers.
Riley said coaches simplified parts of the system to help the group play together and compete hard. He wants the team to play fast and physically, particularly with an undersized group at center.
Exhibitions show two sides
Washington State’s first exhibition, at New Mexico on Oct. 18, ended in a 92-64 defeat. The Cougars committed 17 turnovers, while New Mexico made 57.9 percent of its shots from the floor.
Riley said players responded to adversity as individuals rather than as a team. He said that exposed a gap between some players’ confidence in themselves and their trust in the team’s structure.
A week later, Washington State beat Washington 84-80 at Hec Edmundson Pavilion in Seattle. The Cougars still had 19 turnovers, but recorded eight steals and five blocked shots, and outrebounded Washington 40-32.
Building trust under pressure
Riley said the exhibitions were meant to show whether the team was improving. He said Washington State played tougher and more cohesively against Washington than it had against New Mexico.
The coaching staff also used live scrimmaging to help players understand one another. Riley said the team needed to experience pressure before its first game, rather than encounter adversity for the first time once the season began.
Harrison, expected to be a main scoring option, has shown a willingness to share the ball. How well the newcomers develop as a group remains a key question.
Key points
- Washington State faces Davidson with an almost entirely new roster.
- Ronnie Harrison and Lazerek Houston are expected to lead the new starting five.
- The Cougars lost to New Mexico 92-64, then beat Washington 84-80 in exhibitions.
- Radio coverage is listed on stations in Pullman and Seattle, and the Cougar Sports Network.