Jamari Phillips
Wazzu keeps Jamari Phillips in one place: 3 stories so far. The section currently leads with “We Showed Up, They Showed Out: Cougs Top UW 84-80 in Exhibition”, “WSU dips back into Australia for a 6-7 wing named Stathis”, and “Another Duck lands in Pullman as Cougs snag Jamari Phillips”. Seven thousand and eleven people showed up to watch a basketball game that doesn't count, and it counted for everything. The Cougs are going back to the well Down Under. The unofficial read for people who left Pullman and stayed Cougs. The list below is every Jamari Phillips story on Wazzu, newest first.
We Showed Up, They Showed Out: Cougs Top UW 84-80 in Exhibition
Seven thousand and eleven people showed up to watch a basketball game that doesn't count, and it counted for everything. The Cougs beat UW 84-80 in an exhibition at Alaska Airlines Arena, and if you think that doesn't mean something, you weren't there. This is the first time since 1917 these two teams won't play in the regular season, but the Cougars got their shot anyway and took it. They trailed by ten in the first half. Then they trailed by seven in the second. Then Ronnie Harrison, a senior transfer from East Texas A&M, went back-to-back on a tip-in and a dunk, broke a tie with five minutes left, and finished the night with 23 points and 11 rebounds. He also blocked LeJuan Watts' game-tying three-pointer with six seconds left. That's the kind of ending you don't script. This is a brand-new roster. Transfers from Central Missouri, Oregon, Providence, Eastern Washington, guys who had to learn each other's names a few months ago. After a 28-point loss at New Mexico last week, this win says something about the kind of fight this team has. The Apple Cup rivalry isn't what it used to be, and our story on that, "Hoop dreams are fading, and the Huskies just lost the Apple Cup fight", digs into why that matters. But for one Sunday in Seattle, the Cougs showed up, and they showed out. 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.
Another Duck lands in Pullman as Cougs snag Jamari Phillips
Another Duck lands in Pullman. That's three now, if you're counting, and the Cougs just added Oregon transfer guard Jamari Phillips. He's a 6-foot-4, 190-pound guard who saw the floor in 40 games across two seasons with the Ducks. Last year he averaged 2.7 points in 11 minutes a night. His best night? A nine-point showing against UCLA in 31 minutes. Not eye-popping, but the kid was a four-star prospect out of high school. Kansas, Arizona, UCLA, Louisville all wanted him. WSU's former staff offered him too. Now he's a Coug. Phillips is the ninth addition this spring for David Riley's rebuild. The roster is essentially a new team. Eleven players are on board for 2026-27, including the Eastern Washington transfer Casey Jones who just got back from a church mission. That's the kind of detail you only get in Pullman. They needed bodies. Twelve players left, including ten to the portal. Ace Glass is at Vanderbilt. Eemeli Yalaho committed to NC State. ND Okafor to Ole Miss. That's a lot of production walking out the door. But Riley keeps saying the incoming talent is stronger than last year's. We wrote about that in "David Riley says next year's roster has more talent walking in than last year's." Worth a read if you want the full picture on how he's thinking about this. Phillips won't carry the offense by himself. But he's another Power 4 body with upside. And for a program that lost basically everyone, that's a start.