Washington State 2010 Preview & Predictions

Washington State Cougars Basketball 2010-2011 Preview, Predictions, Picks & Odds

With the College Basketball 2010-2011 Season just around the corner, we are providing season previews & predictions for all NCAA basketball teams to give you the betting edge this year. Follow the best College Basketball Handicappers as they analyze their teams in this 2010-2011 basketball season preview. Be sure to bookmark SportsbookBuzz.com your source for Sportsbook Reviews. Use our comprehensive and insider info to bet successfully on the College Basketball in our recommend online sportsbooks.View the rest of our 2010-2011 NCAA Basketball Season Previews here.

Washington State Preview Picks, & Odds.

Washington State 2009-2010 Record: 16-15 overall; 6-12 Pac-10 (10th)

Washington State Coach: Ken Bone – At Washington State: 16-15. 1 year; overall: 93-64, 5 years

Washington State Players to Watch: Kia, Thompson played like a Pac-10 Player of the Year candidate for the first two months of last season before defenses began focusing on him even more and he hit ahorrendous shooting slump. Ayear wiser and more comfortable with his role, Thompson is better prepared to avoid the valleys.

Washington State Key Losses: Nikola Koprivica, G, 6-6, 216 (8.9 ppg, 5.1 rpg); Xavier Thames, G, 6-3, 180 (4.6 ppg, 1.5 rpg); James Watson, F, 6-7, 210 (1.8 ppg, 1.8 rpg)

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2010-2011 Washington State Season Preview

For a while, the transition from Tony Bennett to Ken Bone seemed pretty seamless. The Cougars almost pulled off a rare W at Gonzaga, emerged victorious at Arizona, and, after winning at USC in midJanuary, stood 14-5 overall, 4-3 in Pac-10 play. Then it all fell apart. Opponents began to figure out they could score at will on the Bennett-less Cougars, while sophomore star Klay Thompson wilted under additional attention – missing 24 consecutive shots in one three-game stretch. The season ended in misery – two straight losses to an Oregon team that had already fired coach Ernie Kent, the latter in the Pac-l0 Tournament. That left WSU 16-15 overall, 6-12 and last in the conference. It also left Bone . declining the chance to play in any postseason tournaments. WSU then lost three players to transfer, including promising guard Xavier Thames, while forward James Watson turned up ineligible. But Bone feels the attrition was a natural part of a new program taking hold and that the Cougars are now more together going forward. They are also simply a year older – all five regular starters return – which should help the Cougars smooth out the rough patches.

Washington State Backcourt

WSU could have one of the best backcourts in the conference. Sharp-shooting Thompson put up 43 on San Diego in one blistering performance; point guard Reggie Moore was one of the surprises of the conference, morphing from little-known late-signee to one of the better emerging players at his position. They’ll be joined by athletic junior Marcus Capers, a defensive stalwart. Thompson and Moore each faded a bit down the stretch as opponents keyed on them, and the Cougars desperately need someone else to add offense and deflect the attention. One candidate is JC transfer Faisal Aden, who averaged almost 23 a game last season. Another is sophomore forward Brock Motum, a potentially dangerous outside shooter. Also in the mix is junior swingman Abe Lodwick, billed as a shooter out of high school, who could still fulfill that potential.

Washington State Frontcourt

Here’s where WSU has problems. The only proven commodity is junior DeAngelo’Casto. He’s an improving scorer and, at times, is one of the better defensive players in the conference he led the PaC-I0 in blocks at two a game. But at 6-8, he also finds himself a little undersized. WSU is hoping for some mammoth improvement from a pair of 6-10 projects junior Charlie Enquist, a former walk-on, and sophomore Steven Bjornstad. Motum also can match up in the frontcourt, though he’s not really a traditional big player. WSU took a hit in this area when Watson, who came on late in the season, was declared ineligible. Bone said after the season he often felt like his team was physically overmatched, something that seemed most apparent up front, and he instituted a heavy offseason conditioning program.

2010-2011 Washington State Predictions

The late-season slump caused observers to wonder if the team had the pieces to play Bone’s up-tempo style – or whether it was an inevitable stumble by a young team that had just one senior. Youth won’t be as much of an excuse this year as WSU returns its top three scorers and six of its top eight, all sophomores and juniors. If Thompson and Moore get a little more help – and WSU gets even just passable play inside – the Cougars loom as a dangerous team.

Washington State Finish in the PAC-10: 6th

Washington State Betting Odds

Washington State Odds to Win 2010-2011 Mens NCAA Basketball Tournament: +20000
Washington State Odds to Win the PAC-10: +800

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Washington State Basketball Handicapping Picks

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