Dominik Robinson
3 stories filed under Dominik Robinson on Wazzu. The newest of them: “WSU hoops coach Riley breaks down the Davidson game and two key Coug players”, “David Riley finally lets Cougs hit each other in practice”, and “Riley's mystery big man is 6-10 and French, welcome Mohamed Sankhe”. Head coach Kamila Riley sat down after the Davidson game and got specific about two Cougs who stood out. David Riley finally let his Cougs hit each other. The unofficial read for people who left Pullman and stayed Cougs. The list below is every Dominik Robinson story on Wazzu, newest first.
WSU hoops coach Riley breaks down the Davidson game and two key Coug players
Head coach Kamila Riley sat down after the Davidson game and got specific about two Cougs who stood out. She didn't just talk about the box score. She talked about who showed up when the game got tight. That's the kind of breakdown you want after a loss like the one in Berkeley. We covered that night in "Ethridge on the California win: what stood out after the final buzzer," and it pairs well with this one. Two different games. Two different kinds of lessons. Riley pointed to players who are building something, even if the scoreboard doesn't always show it yet. Year two started the same way year one did, with a loss. That stings. But the way Riley talks about her players, you get the sense she sees more than the record. She sees the work. The two players she highlighted aren't names you'll hear on every national broadcast. That's fine. They're Cougs. They're the ones grinding in practices that don't make highlights. Riley's comments give you a reason to watch the next game closer. It's early. The season is cold and the results so far are cold too. But the coach is talking about individuals, not excuses. That's worth a read. Go Cougs.
David Riley finally lets Cougs hit each other in practice
David Riley finally let his Cougs hit each other. Two years into his tenure at Washington State, the head coach realized he'd been keeping his guys in drills and concepts without letting them scrimmage live. That changes now. With 14 newcomers and nine transfers on the roster, Riley wants to see what makes this group tick before the real pressure hits. He's worried about what happens if the first adversity comes on Nov. 2 against Davidson. Fair point. This team is almost entirely rebuilt. Only two returners are back. The key pieces are transfers: Ronnie Harrison from East Texas A&M, Jamari Phillips from Oregon, Lazerek Houston from Central Missouri. They all scored in double figures in the win over Washington. That's a good sign. But the schedule is brutal. Four nonconference home games, the fewest since the '70s. Road trips to High Point, Duquesne, Murray State, Weber State, LSU. Then a reimagined Pac-12 with Gonzaga and San Diego State waiting. Last year's team turned it over on 18% of possessions and ranked near the bottom nationally in defensive efficiency. Riley knows the fix: selfless players who buy into the team style. He thinks he found them. We'll see. For more on how Riley keeps rebuilding from scratch, read "David Riley's roster vanished again. He rebuilt anyway. That's Pullman." 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.