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Posted: Tuesday November 05, 2002 6:00 PM Updated: Wednesday November 06, 2002 1:11 PM Washington State Cougars
The following preview is provided by Blue Ribbon. For the most thorough preview available of the upcoming season, order the 2002-03 Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook, on sale now at 1-800-775-2518. Team Preview | Blue Ribbon Analysis
A victory over Centenary in the season finale couldn't take the sting off a dreadful finish for Washington State last year. The Cougars began the season 4-2 but went 2-19 the rest of the way, losing 12 straight in the middle of the season. "That killed us," said fourth-year coach Paul Graham, whose team's schedule was ranked the ninth toughest in Division I by Basketball Times. Defensively, the Cougars allowed a league-high 80.4 points per game on 49.6 field goal shooting. Washington State averaged 10 points less per game than its opponents. "We've got to defend better this season," Graham said. "Because we couldn't score much, we put so much pressure on our defense. We lost 10 games that were very close, and the main reason we lost was because of fatigue." Strong backcourts are a tradition in the Pac-10, and Washington State can hold its own in this regard. Junior Marcus Moore (16.6 ppg) and senior Jerry McNair (11.6 ppg) are second in the conference among returning backcourts with a combined 28.2 points per game. "Marcus Moore is one of the best players in the conference and he is the best point guard that no one has ever heard about," Graham said. "He can really pass the ball, he's becoming a better shooter and he's really a good leader on and off the court."
Graham is also impressed by Moore's size. The Inglewood, Calif., native stands 6-feet-6. "That's pretty good size for a point guard, and he's a true point guard," Graham said. Moore also averaged 4.0 rebounds and a team-high 4.85 assists. McNair was the Cougars' top 3-point scoring threat, making 60-of-173 (.347) from beyond the arc. "Jerry McNair can shoot the ball," Graham said. "He's a senior and we're counting on big things from him this season." Moore, McNair and 6-5 sophomore swingman Thomas Kelati combined for 98 steals last season. Kelati also added 3.3 points and 2.2 rebounds while making 15 starts. Another interesting guard is 6-1 junior Nick Graham, the coach's son. He redshirted last season. "If Nick will stay healthy, he can really help us," Graham said. "He can spell Marcus at the point. He makes open shots and gets the ball down the floor. "He just hasn't been healthy since he's been here." Another returning starter is Shami Gill, a 6-7 sophomore forward who made 20 starts and averaged 17.2 points his freshman season. Gill will be expected to increase his averages of 3.7 points and 3.4 rebounds from the high post. The excitement around this team focuses on three tall transfers. "We signed them to strengthen us on the interior," Graham said. "Our guards and wing players are good enough to compete with anyone in the Pac-10, and on the inside is where we need to get better. "Last year we lost so many close games. We were in most games until three or four minutes left, and our coaching staff felt it was our lack of size on the interior that hurt us." The Cougars beat out Oregon, Saint Louis and Tulsa for Justin Bellegard, a 6-8, 230-pound power forward from Mendocino College in Ukiah, Calif. Bellegarde averaged 21.1 points and 11.3 rebounds while shooting 57 percent from the field to earn All-Bay Valley Conference honors. "Justin gives us what we are lacking and that is a big physical presence on the inside," Graham said. "His ability to score and defend at the power-forward position will complement our returning inside players." Bellegarde finished his sophomore season with 654 points and scored 1,020 in his two-year career, which is fourth all time at Mendocino. "The best part of Justin's game is he can really run," Mendocino coach Ed Boyle said. "He works very hard and gets better each day. He is aggressive and will be a real eye opener in the Pac-10." Another transfer is junior Ezenwa Ukeague -- "EZ" to his teammates. The 6-8, 255-pound forward/center averaged 13 points and 11 rebounds while shooting an outstanding 68 percent from the field for Palm Beach College in Lake Worth, Fla. "EZ is another person who will help fill our weakness on the interior," Graham said. "He gives us a physical presence on the inside to replace J Locklier." Ukeague spent his freshman year at Division I Binghamton, where he averaged 8.2 points and a team-high 6.9 rebounds. "Ezenwa has great hands and knows how to use his big body around the paint," Palm Beach coach Steve Bernath said. "Those skills will help him tremendously in the Pac-10." The third transfer is Justin Kordsmeier, a 6-11, 260-pound junior center who averaged 17 points and eight rebounds at North Arkansas Community Tech College. He is expected to replace Locklier in the starting lineup. "He has been well coached by Jerry Thomason, has great hands, a big body and is a very skilled player," Graham said. "I've compared him, and others around the country have, too, to [former Oklahoma State star] Bryant Reeves. "Justin can really score. If he turns out to be as good as we think he will, we'll really have something." Recruiting expert Jerry Mullen of Roundball Review believes Kordsmeier can become a "force" for the Cougars. "I know the WSU staff has compared him to Bryant Reeves, but I think he is more skilled than Reeves," Mullen said. "He has a soft shooting touch and is a great passer." A returning presence inside is 6-7, 214-pound senior forward Milton Riley, whose 57 career blocks are eighth all-time at Washington State. Riley averaged 5.2 points and 4.2 rebounds in 17.8 minutes per game. "Milton is a phenomenal athlete," Graham said. "If we can keep him out of foul trouble, we'll be fine. He probably averaged more fouls per minute than anyone. The game starts and he gets two fouls right away. We sit him, and he gets his third foul, then he gets his fourth foul with 16 minutes left in the game. "That has to stop." Senior forwards Cedrick Hughley (2.7 ppg, 2.3 rpg) and Pawel Stasiak (1.1 ppg, 1.2 rpg) also return. Stasiak is a 6-11, 215-pounder from Warsaw, Poland. Washington loses a pair of starters in Locklier (13.6 ppg, 6.5 rpg) and guard Mike Bush (10.9 ppg, 4.7 rpg). Locklier went out in style last season, scoring 40 points in a win over Centenary in his final collegiate game -- the fifth highest-scoring game in Cougars history. Bush closed his career with 149 steals to rank fourth all-time at Washington State. His 1,061 points rank eighth. There are no incoming freshmen on this year's team. redshirt sophomore forward Chris Schlatter (6-6, 209) and redshirt freshman guard Randy Green (6-4, 170) fill out the roster. The Cougars have loaded up on tall and talented transfers, but will it lead to quick riches or another long season? Only time will tell if the Cougars pass or fail their chemistry course this season. "The transfers give us lots of depth inside, and that's what we need," Graham said. "When the games slowed down last year, we lost. You'd better have block players in this league or you're in trouble." Washington State opens the season with six home games in its first eight contests. "It's always important to get off to a good start, but the key will be our conference play," Graham said. "We need a good win-loss record in the Pac-10." Whether the addition of Bellegarde, Kordsmeier and Ukeague translates into a better season ... stay tuned.
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