The Washington State Cougars, defending winners of the final college basketball game of the 2019-20 season and therefore defending champions, begin their not necessarily a title defense but not necessarily not a title defense on Wednesday night (8 pm PT, Pac-12 Network) when they host the Texas Southern Tigers. The Cougs will be without head coach Kyle Smith for the season opener, as he isolates and recovers from COVID-19.
Following one of the best recruiting classes in program history, WSU will certainly be featuring some new faces on the court, along with some key returnees. The readiness and development of those freshman will be key in determining just how well the Cougs do in Smith’s second year at the helm.