It was a record breaking Monday for these awards
For the first time in Pac-12 history, a school has now swept the Pac-12 Weekly Awards twice in one season. Washington State’s Isaac Jones was named Pac-12 Player of the Week for the second time while Myles Rice earned his 7th Freshman of the Week award and is now tied for most in a season with 7. Jones and Rice also swept the awards back in mid-January.
The Cougs notched their 6th and 7th consecutive victories last week. They kicked it off with a 84-65 victory over California on Thursday and then finished on Saturday with a 72-59 win over Stanford. The Cougs now sit at 20-6 on the season and became ranked (#21) in the AP Poll for the first time since 2008.
Jones put up 36 points, 8 defensive rebounds, 6 offensive rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, and 1 block in the two victories. He went 14 for 19 from the field and went 8 for 11 from the line. He notched his 1,000th career point over the weekend becoming the first Coug since CJ Elleby to do so.
Rice dropped 39 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists, and 4 steals over the weekend. He went 5 for 11 from deep and went a perfect 8 for 8 from the line. His 25 points against California led all players as the Cougs pulled away late in the first half and never looked back.
Jones, Rice, and the Cougs will look to continue their winning streak on Thursday when they head to Tuscon to take on #4 Arizona. A little over a month ago, the Cougs got the best of the Wildcats in a 73-70 victory in Pullman. Tip off is scheduled for Thursday at 7:00 pm on FS1. They will then complete their final road game of the regular season on Saturday against Arizona State. Tip off is scheduled for 5:00 pm and will be televised on ESPN2.
******
Basketball:
Pac-12 Men’s Basketball Performance Awards, presented by Nextiva – February 19, 2024
The Pac-12 announced its 15th weekly honors of the 2023-24 men’s basketball season as presented by Nextiva and voted on by media who cover the league.
Jones & Rice Earn Pac-12 Player, Freshman of Week in Cougar Sweep
For the second time this season and second time in program history, Washington State men’s basketball swept the weekly media awards with senior Isaac Jones and redshirt-freshman Myles Rice earning Pac-12 Player and Freshman of the Week, respectively, the Pac-12 Conference announced Monday afternoon.
WSU Cougars break into the AP Top 25 poll at No. 21
For the first time since 2008, the Washington State Cougars are nationally ranked entering the AP Top 25 poll at No. 21.
WSU men’s basketball team ranked in AP Top-25 poll for first time since 2008
The Cougars checked in at No. 21 in this week’s AP poll, released Monday, marking the first time they have made a cameo in the Top 25 since the final week of the 2008 season.
Conference:
Pac-12 appoints Teresa Gould as commissioner to lead future success of conference
The Pac-12 board of directors today announced that Teresa Gould has been appointed as the new commissioner of the Pac-12 Conference, succeeding Commissioner George Kliavkoff, effective March 1, 2024.
The Pac-12 completed its two-step leadership change Monday morning, promoting deputy Teresa Gould to the role of commissioner.