David Riley
12 stories filed under David Riley on Wazzu. The newest of them: “Self-published book, NFL gig: Noah Riley's unusual route from Whitworth”, “Cougs add Providence guard Harrell, book nonconference date with High Point”, and “David Riley says next year's roster has more talent walking in than last year's”. Noah Riley almost fell out of his car during a Zoom call. Jaylen Harrell is coming to Pullman, and the Cougs just booked a November trip to High Point. The unofficial read for people who left Pullman and stayed Cougs. The list below is every David Riley story on Wazzu, newest first.
Self-published book, NFL gig: Noah Riley's unusual route from Whitworth
Noah Riley almost fell out of his car during a Zoom call. That was the moment John Harbaugh popped up on screen and offered him a job with the Ravens. It's the kind of story that sounds made up, but it's real, and it's how a Whitworth QB who self-published a book about the 2018 Oklahoma offense ended up in the NFL. Riley sent his resume and a digital copy of that book to every team. Only Baltimore and Seattle wrote back. He spent four seasons with the Ravens, working his way from coaching research intern to football analyst, then followed Harbaugh to the Giants as a quality control coach. That's a fast climb, even in the post-COVID world where everything moves quicker. The guy's path reads like a road trip: Spokane to Portland to San Mateo to Baltimore to New York. And he's got the coaching gene deep in his blood, brother David runs the WSU hoops program, uncle Mike Riley coached at Oregon State and Nebraska. Their family reunions are basically games. What sticks is how Riley got the job. Not through a fancy connection. He figured out the email format for every NFL staff and sent his work. That's pure Pullman resourcefulness, even if his degree came from Lewis and Clark. For more on how the Riley family keeps showing out, check our story on the first 2027 Coug commit. Go Cougs.
Cougs add Providence guard Harrell, book nonconference date with High Point
Jaylen Harrell is coming to Pullman, and the Cougs just booked a November trip to High Point. That's two things worth knowing. Harrell is a Providence transfer, a 6-foot-5 guard who only played six games last year before a season-ending injury. Small sample. But before that, he was the top-ranked recruit in Massachusetts, a four-star kid with offers from Alabama, Washington, and a half-dozen other Power 4 schools. He was Gatorade Player of the Year in 2024 and 2025. The talent is real. David Riley is betting on the tape from high school more than the Providence box score, and that feels right. Harrell is the sixth offseason addition, and all of them can score. That's the pattern. Riley is rebuilding the roster from scratch after losing 12 players, including Ace Glass to Vanderbilt and ND Okafor to Ole Miss. Okafor was a starter, an All-WCC honorable mention, and probably the most improved player on last year's team. Losing him hurts. But the new group, including Harrell, Sebastian Akins, RJ Jones, and a bunch of others, tilts toward offense. That's Riley's style. The High Point game is Nov. 7, on the road. That Panthers team just made the NCAA Tournament as a 12-seed and knocked off Wisconsin. Not a gimme. For more on how this roster is coming together, check our story on WSU hoops landing a big body from Northwestern. The Cougs are still building, but the shape is getting clearer. Go Cougs.
David Riley says next year's roster has more talent walking in than last year's
David Riley isn't sugarcoating last season. 12-20 stinks. He knows it. We know it. But he's got a new roster, and he's not shy about the upgrade. "We have a lot more talent walking in the door than we did last year," Riley said Friday. That's not coachspeak. That's a guy who watched his entire starting five walk out for a combined $10 million in NIL deals elsewhere. Ace Glass to Vanderbilt. ND Okafor to Mississippi State. All of them. Riley's take? He 10x'd their value. Good for them. But now he's got to win with the next wave. And the next wave is eleven newcomers. Nine from the portal, one freshman, one prep alum. Plus two returners. That's almost a full teardown and rebuild in one spring. Riley says the timing helped this time, players bailed early, so the staff had more runway to find replacements. Last year's chaos didn't repeat. The names are interesting. Sebastian Akins from Wake Forest is a physical guard who can score at all three levels. Lazerek Houston is a DII MVP with pro potential. Ladji Dembele brings a 7-2 wingspan from Iowa and UNLV. Riley thinks this group has higher confidence and higher talent than last year's haul. We'll see. But it's worth noting the Cougs also just scheduled Duke in Palm Springs for November. That's a measuring stick. And the Battle of the Palouse is back for two years, which means more games that actually mean something to people who live here.
Cougs just landed TCU guard RJ Jones. Welcome back to the Big 12
RJ Jones is a Coug. The TCU guard committed to Washington State after an official visit last weekend, giving David Riley another piece for a roster that needed about a dozen of them. Jones is a 6-foot-2 guard who started at Kansas State, spent two seasons at TCU, and has a four-star pedigree. He also has a 14-point night against Florida A&M on his résumé, which is more than most of us have. The highlight of his TCU career came last November. That matters because last season, he barely played, nine games total, averaging 2.6 points. He redshirted this past year. So Riley is betting on the talent that once drew offers from USC, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, and Notre Dame. That is a bet worth making when you have lost 12 players, including 10 to the portal and your best freshman to the SEC. Jones joins Central Missouri transfer Lazerek Houston and Manhattan transfer Fraser Roxburgh as Riley's third addition. The Cougars are essentially building a new team from scratch. Only two players return from last season: Dominik Robinson, who redshirted, and walk-on Dio Blakely. Jones is a scorer who needs a stage. Pullman is a good place to find one. Welcome back to the Big 12, kid. For more on how Riley is stacking the roster, check out our story on the 6-8 forward who likes to score. Go Cougs.
WSU dips back into Australia for a 6-7 wing named Stathis
The Cougs are going back to the well Down Under. Washington State signed Roman Stathis, a 6-7 wing from Sydney, Australia, making him the tenth addition to a roster that barely resembles last year's team. Stathis spent last season at Golden State Prep in Napa, and the scouting report is pretty straightforward: he can knock down catch-and-shoot threes and attack closeouts. That's about all we know, which is fine. Sometimes you trust the tape and the pipeline. David Riley has been clear that this roster has more talent walking in than walking out, and if you've been paying attention, that's a bet worth taking. Stathis might redshirt his first season, given the depth Riley has stacked up. The Cougs now have 12 players locked in, with one more expected next week. That's a lot of new faces, but it beats the alternative of watching half the roster hit the portal every spring. For a deeper look at how Riley is shaping this squad, check out our story on what he said about next year's talent level. It fits right alongside the news that the Cougs will also face Duke in Palm Springs this November. That's a November to circle. For now, we've got an Australian who can shoot, a coach who can recruit, and a roster that might actually surprise some people. Go Cougs.
Riley's mystery big man is 6-10 and French, welcome Mohamed Sankhe
David Riley has been hinting at a mystery big man for months. Turns out he's 6-foot-10, French, and his name is Mohamed Sankhe. Welcome to Pullman. Sankhe announced his signing Thursday, and he's the final piece of Riley's 2026-27 roster. Born in Senegal, he most recently played in France's Pro B league, where he put up 5.3 points and 5.5 boards in 18 minutes a game. That 54% shooting from the field? Efficient. This summer at the U20 Euro Championships, he bumped those numbers to 10 points and 6.8 rebounds, shooting 56% and leading France to the semifinals. He dropped a double-double on Croatia: 18 and 11. He went for 11 and nine against Germany. Now, the question. Can he protect the rim? Last season he averaged 0.4 blocks per game. That's guard territory for a guy his size. He did have three games with two blocks, and he was only playing 18 minutes, so maybe there's more there. What he does bring is size the Cougs desperately needed last year. They got bullied by big post players. Sankhe collected four double-digit rebound games last season, including a 13-board night. He's a true post player too, didn't attempt a single three in 41 games. That's a departure from Riley's typical stretch big, but Ladji Dembele can handle that role. Sankhe is the 13th newcomer on this roster. If you want the full nonconference schedule, check out our story on the Cougs and Redhawks at Climate Pledge. Go Cougs.
Cougs and Redhawks to clash at Climate Pledge in December doubleheader
David Riley is doing something smart: getting the Cougs back in front of the Seattle crowd. On Dec. 19, Wazzu meets Seattle U at Climate Pledge Arena as part of a doubleheader that also features UW and Baylor. That's a good night of hoops in a building that deserves it. This is the third meeting in two seasons between the Cougs and Redhawks. They split last year, Seattle U won 69-55 at home, WSU answered 70-58 in Pullman. Those games had some juice. Riley and Seattle U coach Chris Victor worked together at Eastern Washington, and last season they even ran the same first play. Riley called it funny. He's right. That kind of history makes a mid-December game feel like more than a tune-up. Riley's roster is almost entirely new, 13 newcomers, including transfers from TCU, Wake Forest, UNLV, and Oregon. That's a lot of new faces to gel before conference play. A game like this, in front of Coug fans west of the mountains, is a chance to build something. For more on the schedule and what's ahead, check out our coverage of WSU and Gonzaga closing league play. That one's a Wednesday night showdown worth circling. Go Cougs.
Cougs get Duke in Palm Springs for a November showdown
Washington State basketball is going to get a crack at Duke in Palm Springs this November, and that is not a sentence Coug fans get to read every year. In fact, it's the first time the program has ever scheduled the Blue Devils. David Riley's squad will tip off against Jon Scheyer's loaded roster on Nov. 21 at Acrisure Arena, and the Cougars will be the clear underdog. That's fine. That's when this program has always been most dangerous. Riley is basically building a new team again, 12 newcomers on the roster, and Duke is Duke. They lost Cameron Boozer to the NBA draft, but they return Cayden Boozer and Cameron Foster and added John Blackwell from Wisconsin and Drew Scharnowski from Belmont. They're a national title favorite. The Cougars are still figuring out who they are. This is the kind of game that gets your attention in November. Win or lose, it's a measuring stick. And if you want to remember what it felt like when the Cougs finally broke through after decades of waiting, go read our piece on Jim Walden, who died at 88. He brought the program to its first bowl in 50 years. That same stubborn, underdog pride is what Riley is banking on in Palm Springs. Go Cougs.
Wazzu's newest Coug comes from D-II, and he can fill it up
Pullman just watched its backcourt get a whole lot more interesting. Washington State landed Central Missouri transfer Lazerek Houston on Tuesday, and if you haven't seen the numbers yet, strap in. The 6-foot, 155-pound guard averaged 20.8 points, 4 rebounds, and 5 assists as a true freshman, shooting 46.2% from the floor and 37% from deep. That's not just filling it up; that's a full-blown breakout. Houston's debut was a 35-point eruption against Colorado School of Mines, and he added 11 assists and 4 steals for good measure. He cleared 30 points six more times, including a 34-point night against Northwest Missouri State. He's also a willing passer, dishing 12 dimes against Emporia State and 10 against Drury. The MIAA Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year honors are nice, but the fact that DraftExpress's D2 model ranked him as the top Division II player in the portal? That's the kind of résumé that travels. Can he make the leap? Wazzu has seen this movie before. Jaylen Wells came from Division II and turned into the No. 39 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. Houston doesn't need to be that, but if he's half as productive, Riley's got something. He's the second addition of the offseason, joining Manhattan transfer Fraser Roxburgh, and with 12 players gone from last year's roster, the Cougars need every bucket they can get.
Cougs add a 6-8 forward who likes to score
The Cougs just added a 6-8 forward who likes to score, and that's a good thing for a roster that lost 12 players. Ronnie Harrison, out of East Texas A&M, put up 14.7 points and 6.1 boards last season, shooting 53% inside the arc. He's not a three-point gunner, 30% from deep, but he gets buckets from everywhere else. He also blocks shots and picks pockets, so the two-way stuff is there. Harrison is the fourth addition this spring for David Riley and his staff. He joins Manhattan's Fraser Roxburgh, TCU's RJ Jones, and Central Missouri's Lazerek Houston, who averaged over 20 points as a true freshman. That's some serious scoring depth. Harrison mostly played power forward and center for the Lions, so he gives Riley flexibility up front. The Cougs are essentially rebuilding. Of last season's team, only Dominik Robinson and walk-on Dio Blakely return. Ace Glass is gone to the SEC, and we wrote about that in "Ace Glass trades Crimson for Gold as fourth Coug exits Pullman." That one stung, but Harrison is the kind of get that helps you move on. He's a Dallas kid who started at Tarleton State before finding his groove at East Texas A&M. He became their top scorer in a hurry. Now he's a Coug. For a team that needed bodies and buckets, this is a solid pickup. Go Cougs.
Another big body joins the Cougs as Ladji Dembele signs on
Ladji Dembele is a 6-foot-8, 255-pound forward who played five games for UNLV last year because of an injury. He's now a Coug. That makes eight offseason commitments for David Riley, and this one looks like the first true big man in the group. Dembele spent two years at Iowa before that, starting 21 games his second season, and he played for Mali's U-19 team at the 2021 World Cup. He's from Newark, originally, by way of Mali and Spain. The guy has been around. What matters here is what Riley is building. The Cougs lost 12 players, including 10 to the transfer portal. Ace Glass is at Vanderbilt. Eemeli Yalaho is headed to NC State. ND Okafor to Ole Miss. That's a lot of turnover. But Riley keeps signing bodies. Tyler Kropp is listed at 6-9 but has a thinner frame, so Dembele gives them the center they needed. That matters when you're starting almost from scratch. We wrote the other day about Jamari Phillips coming in from Oregon, and about Riley saying this roster has more talent walking in than last year's. That quote ages well with each signing. Dembele isn't a star on paper, 5.2 points at UNLV, 4.5 at Iowa, but he's a veteran who has played Power 4 minutes and knows what a real frontcourt looks like. For a team that returns two players, that kind of experience is worth more than the stat line. Go Cougs.
Riley's Third Year Brings 11 Road Games and a Jan. 3 Tip in Fresno
David Riley's third season is here, and the schedule is a doozy. Eleven nonconference games away from Pullman. That's the most since 1973-74, and it tells you exactly what athletic directors and coaches are dealing with in this new Pac-12. Money matters. You don't stack that many road games unless you have to. The conference slate starts Jan. 3 in Fresno. That feels weird, but it's real. And for the first time since 1917, there is no regular-season game against Washington. None. They'll play an exhibition in Seattle on Oct. 25, which is better than nothing, but it's not the same. There are bright spots. Gonzaga comes to Beasley on Jan. 6, a Wednesday during winter break. That's a weird time for a game, but it's still Gonzaga in Pullman. And the Cougs host Kirkland on Nov. 14, their first non-D-I opponent at home since 2015. That's a rarity worth noting. The middle of the schedule is a grind. Three of four on the road, including trips to Boise State, Colorado State, and Utah State. Then a brutal February stretch with Gonzaga and San Diego State on the road in the same week. That's a gut check. If you want a different kind of Cougar story, check out "For the Leaupepetele brothers, Sunday dinner looks a lot different now." It's a good reminder that the people around this program are as interesting as the scores. Go Cougs.