The Cougars keep adding to their roster with another notable addition

After a couple of notable subtractions this offseason, Kyle Smith and Washington State basketball has done an admirable job trying to fill the various gaps in WSU’s roster. The latest addition to that locker room was announced earlier this week with the signing of a forward out of WSU’s red-hot pipeline in New York.

One Tuesday, Smith and Washington State basketball announced that forward Spencer Mahoney has signed his letter of intent to play for the Cougs this season. The incoming freshman had previously announced his commitment on Twitter.

Mahoney is ranked as a four-star recruit by ESPN, while 247 Sports places the freshman as a top-50 power forward in the 2023 class. He picked the Cougs over offers from other programs including Texas A&M and Syracuse.

Mahoney, a Brooklyn native, has had a long and winding road on his way to the college game. He started his career playing for Iona Prep in New Rochelle, New York before transferring to Xaverian High School in Brooklyn for his junior season. He followed that up by playing a senior campaign with St. Benedict’s Prep in Newark, New Jersey. To cap it all off, Mahoney added a post-graduate year at Red Rock Academy in Las Vegas.

”Spencer is a great kid, coming through our New York to Pullman pipeline,” Smith said in the team’s release. “Spencer is a frontcourt driller. He can space the floor to knock down shots and has size. His dad is a Columbia graduate, so we have some connection there.”

Mahoney really made a name for himself with the prolific Red Rock Academy. During his season at the program in Vegas, the 6-foot-9, 230-pound forward averaged 18 points and added six rebounds per game. For a big man, Mahoney has the skills to shoot from anywhere on the floor. As it turns out, WSU’s association with another player that has a similar skillset helped the Smith sell Mahoney on his future in the crimson and gray.

“Part of the reason he’s coming here is Klay Thompson,” Smith added, “Klay is one of his favorite players. We are looking forward to getting Spencer on campus and in a Cougar uniform”

Mahoney becomes the third high-school recruit to sign with WSU this season and, including transfers, becomes the seventh newcomer to sign on the dotted line. After the loss of six players to the transfer portal and two more to the NBA draft, the additions are a welcome sight for Coug fans worried about the program’s future. Now we’ll just have to wait and see how all of the piece fit together as the season draws closer.

Links

Mahoney Signs with Men’s Basketball – Washington State University Athletics
Incoming freshman Spencer Mahoney signed a National Letter of Intent to play basketball at Washington State next season.

Washington State secures commitment from 6-9 forward Spencer Mahoney, a class of 2023 prep recruit | The Spokesman-Review
PULLMAN – Washington State’s basketball program gained a commitment Sunday from coveted prep recruit Spencer Mahoney, a 6-foot-9 forward from New York.