transfer
Wazzu keeps transfer in one place: 3 stories so far. The section currently leads with “Year two under Riley starts the same way as year one: a loss”, “Max Dean's migraines make Cougs' punting a game-time call”, and “Another Duck lands in Pullman as Cougs snag Jamari Phillips”. Another season, another opener where the Cougs leave you wondering what you just watched. Max Dean's migraines are making Saturday a game-time call, and for a Coug punter averaging 45 yards a boot, 18th in the country, that's a problem Washington State doesn't need. The unofficial read for people who left Pullman and stayed Cougs. The list below is every transfer story on Wazzu, newest first.
Year two under Riley starts the same way as year one: a loss
Another season, another opener where the Cougs leave you wondering what you just watched. Year two under Riley started with a home loss to Idaho. Year three? Davidson. Final score 76-61, and it felt every bit that lopsided. The box score is ugly. Wazzu shot 35% from the floor. From three-point range, they hit 5 of 24. Davidson, meanwhile, shot 52% from deep. That's not a game; that's a math problem. Riley talked about his team freezing up after that first action on offense, and it's hard to argue. They got good looks. They just couldn't finish them. Missing Ronnie Harrison hurt. The East Texas A&M transfer put up 23 and 11 in that exhibition win over Washington, and without him, the Cougs looked disjointed. Riley isn't sure if he'll have him for Saturday's trip to High Point. That's a problem, because High Point won 31 games last year and made the second round of the tournament. Jaylen Harrell said the effort wasn't there. Riley said the players are thinking too much. Both are probably right. The Cougs have 14 newcomers, and it showed. They've got time to fix this, but a second straight opening loss in Pullman is a lousy way to start selling a new season. For a brighter note from this weekend, check out the women's team's opener against Cal. That one didn't go great either. Go Cougs.
Max Dean's migraines make Cougs' punting a game-time call
Max Dean's migraines are making Saturday a game-time call, and for a Coug punter averaging 45 yards a boot, 18th in the country, that's a problem Washington State doesn't need. Dean emerged from the locker room around 3:15 p.m. for warmups, which is a good sign, but if he can't go, kicker Jack Stevens takes over punting duties. Stevens has never punted in college. Not once. High school was the last time. He's also 1-for-5 on field goals this season, including a missed extra point. So, yeah, that's not ideal. Dean has been a bright spot in a season that already saw the Cougs let a 14-point lead dissolve against Arizona, a game we covered in "Cougs jump Arizona early, then watch a 14-point lead dissolve." His 14 punts for 627 yards, five inside the 20, and a long of 52 are the kind of quiet consistency that wins close games. Coach Kirby Moore said it best: Dean's work in the punt game is getting overshadowed. He's right. If Dean can't go, the Cougs lose more than a leg. He also holds kicks, and that job is suddenly up for grabs too. Against a Wildcats team that just flipped the script on them, special teams can't be a question mark. 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.