Pac-12 Basketball: Strengths and weaknesses of each team for 2020-21 season

12. Washington State Cougars

Projected Starters:

PG : Isaac Bonton, 6’3 Sr. (15.3 ppg, 4.0 ap)

SG: Noah Williams, 6’5 So. (6.2 ppg, 3.5 rpg)

SF: Andrej Jakimovski, 6’7 Fr.

PF: Tony Miller, 6’6 Sr. (7.7 ppg, 3.3 rpg)

C: Volodymyr Markovetskyy, 7’1 So. (2.1 ppg, 2.4 rpg)

Kyle Smith had Washington State playing its best basketball of the year down the stretch. Their fourteen-point bludgeon of Colorado in the Pac-12 tournament was actually the last completed basketball game of the year.

However, that was with the likes of CJ Elleby and company. Elleby leaving prior to his junior year is one that will sting for quite a while in this 2020 campaign. He averaged close to 20 points per game and right around eight rebounds as well. Although the Cougars have the pieces to replace him, it may take a while to find that rhythm. What helps fill that void is getting up a top-35 recruiting class (247 sports).

Strengths: Washington State picked up a few high profile recruits that will make an impact right away. Andrej Jakimovski, of Macedonia, shows a lot of polish and is the third-highest rated recruit in school history. Another big signing for Kyle Smith was the Veritas Prep product, Carlos Rosario.

Last season, they shot the worst percentage from the field (.397) of any team in the conference, Rosario and Jakimovski should help to boost that number. The backcourt returns Isaac Bonton and Noah Williams.

The tandem will be one of the more fun guard combo’s to watch in the conference. Bonton possesses explosiveness that is quite rare and can put up 30+ on any given night. Fan-favorite Noah Williams will provide a heart and soul for this team as they work to build the culture for years to come.

Building around Jakimovski, the Cougars will ask Tony Miller to step into a starting role aside Volodymyr Markovetskyy. Miller is an undersized post who makes up for it with gritty play. He is the type of player that does the dirty work; setting screens, hustling after loose balls, and playing tough post defense. Markovetskyy, on the other hand, has more than enough size at 7’1.

Weaknesses: Replacing Elleby and Jeff Pollard is no small task. Although Markovetskyy has some raw ability, he hasn’t quite adjusted to the speed of Pac-12 play which limits his ability to influence games offensively.

Backcourt depth is something to also keep an eye on; TJ Bamba and Jefferson Koulibaly are two freshmen that will have to provide quality minutes. Last season this team shot worst in the conference from three-point land as well as overall. Losing two of the primary producers won’t help those numbers increase.

The Call: Kyle Smith has things trending in the right direction, but they are a year or two outside of real progress. Don’t be surprised if they win a couple of games they aren’t supposed to, but to get outside of the bottom three, quite a few things need to go right.