Washington State coach Kyle Smith had simply completed watching his group nearly solely shut down Stanford final weekend, and win for the tenth time in its final 11 video games, when he made a uncommon admission for faculty basketball coaches.
“Right now,” Smith stated, (*16*)
The No. 21 Cougars can underscore simply how good they’re Thursday night time, after they carry their first AP Top 25 rating for the reason that 2007-08 season right into a Pac-12 showdown with fourth-ranked Arizona. Washington State sprung an upset in Tucson final 12 months, when the Wildcats additionally have been within the high 5, and beat the perennial heavyweight in January in Pullman, Washington.
“We’ve done it before, but it’s the hardest place to play in the country,” stated Smith, who took the Cougars to back-to-back NITs however has his sights set firmly on their first NCAA Tournament bid since that 2008 group misplaced to North Carolina within the Sweet 16.
“It’s going to be loud and crazy, and that’s probably the No. 1 challenge: Can we handle that?” Smith stated. “They’re good at home, and they’re fast and they’re athletic. And they’re big. Did I mention that? We’ll give it a good go, see what happens.”
Only good issues have been occurring currently for long-suffering Washington State (20-6, 11-3), which sits a half-game again of the Wildcats (20-5, 11-3) because the Pac-12 schedule hits the homestretch. The Cougars’ solely loss for the reason that first week of January got here in time beyond regulation at California, they usually avenged that loss in a rout final week.
The final time they’d a 10-1 stretch in convention play was in the course of the 1940-41 season, after they had a 13-1 streak within the previous Pacific Coast Conference. That group misplaced to Wisconsin 39-34 within the nationwide championship sport.
“We appreciate it,” Cougars ahead Andrej Jakimovski stated, “but I think we’re just taking it day by day and game by game.
“Obviously we have a lot of compliments,” Jakimovski added, “and there are people asking, like, ‘What’s the difference from this team and last year’s, or the year before?’ And I’m always saying: ‘We have such a good group of guys. We love each other, on and off the court.’ You can see the connection we have, and that’s the beauty of this team.”
The distinction is bearing out in win-loss column. The Cougars want two wins to match the group two years in the past that gained 22 however wanted a run to the NIT semifinals to get there, and three would give them their most wins since going 26-9 in 2008.
(*21*)So whereas many coaches would possibly demure when they’re requested to check groups, Smith hardly appeared to have an issue calling this 12 months’s bunch “the best team we’ve had in five years.” Because the reality is, there actually isn’t any comparability.
(*4*)
Iowa State moved as much as No. 6 within the AP Top 25 on Monday, the very best rating for the Cyclones since Dec. 14, 2015, and simply in time to face second-ranked Houston in one more large showdown within the brutal Big 12.
The Cyclones at the very least get a reprieve — if there may be such a factor — after they play last-place West Virginia this weekend. Houston follows with a visit to No. 11 Baylor for the one scheduled assembly between these colleges this season.
Speaking of the Bears, they’ve to go to No. 25 BYU on Tuesday night time.
(*25*)The Big 12 is beginning to really feel some strain from the Southeastern Conference on the subject of convention superiority. The soccer heavyweight has six groups within the AP Top 25 after Florida entered the ballot at No. 24 this week, matching the Big 12 for essentially the most of any league.
The Gators will take their rating on the highway Wednesday after they play No. 13 Alabama, which started the week with one-game lead over Tennessee within the SEC race. Florida has gained three straight whereas the Crimson Tide have gained six of their final seven.
Alabama’s powerful week continues on Saturday, when it performs No. 17 Kentucky at Rupp Arena.
UConn was voted the unanimous No. 1 within the AP Top 25 on Monday, thanks partly to its nation-leading 14-game profitable streak. The Huskies will attempt to preserve it alive by a visit to No. 15 Creighton on Tuesday night time and a go to from Villanova on Saturday.
No. 18 Saint Mary’s has a troublesome week forward because it tries to increase a 13-game profitable streak. The Gales play San Francisco, which is 20-6 and two video games again of them within the West Coast standings, on Tuesday earlier than taking part in San Diego on Saturday.
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(This story has not been edited by News18 employees and is revealed from a syndicated information company feed – Associated Press)
