PULLMAN – Robert Franks did more than spend a few extra hours in the weight room toning his upper body and improving his cardio this offseason. The Washington State junior morphed himself into a step-back shooting, rebound-grabbing, defensive hound who should make a big difference on both ends of the floor for the 2017-18 Cougars.
Rebounding and scoring are two voids the Cougars desperately need to fill in the post-Josh Hawkinson era, and Ernie Kent’s team didn’t have a shortage of either from Franks, who posted 32 points and hauled down 10 rebounds in a 75-64 Sunday exhibition win over Division II Saint Martin’s.