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Washington State, in win at Arizona, continues to write an incredible story

By Max Rego | Last updated 2/23/24

The last time Washington State won the Pac-12 regular season title, the United States had not yet officially entered World War II. But with four games remaining before the conference tournament, the Cougars are in position to accomplish a feat over 80 years in the making.

After Thursday night, that's the reality. No. 21 Washington State marched into the McKale Center, absorbed every blow from the fourth-ranked Wildcats and ended the contest on a 6-0 run to seal arguably the biggest win in program history since Tony Bennett left town in 2009.

The key shot happened to come from the game's MVP, as Cougars guard Jaylen Wells hit a corner three to tie things up at 74 with under 25 seconds remaining. Oh, and he was fouled by Arizona forward Keshad Johnson, with the ensuing free throw giving the visitors a lead they would never relinquish.

The 77-74 win puts Washington State (21-6, 12-4 in the Pac-12) alone atop the conference, a half-game ahead of the Wildcats (20-6, 11-4).
How’s that for a statement win?

Jaylen Wells! He buries the triple with the whistle to tie the game! Andrej scrapped for that offensive board and Wells delivered.#GoCougs // #CVE // @FS1 pic.twitter.com/rDgJgKGp8q
— Washington State Men's Basketball (@WSUCougarsMBB) February 23, 2024

"We just got a way about us, and it's just kinda 'hang in there, and keep chipping away,'" head coach Kyle Smith told reporters after the victory.

That mindset was on display on Thursday, but it's been on display throughout Pac-12 play for this group. Washington State went 9-2 against a non-conference slate ranked 99th nationally in strength of schedule, per TeamRankings.

Given a chance to prove themselves against the likes of Arizona, Oregon, UCLA and Colorado, the Cougars have checked all the boxes. They now boast two wins over the Wildcats — the first coming at home on Jan. 13 — and a victory apiece against the third-place Ducks and fourth-place Bruins.

Now, with just over two weeks left in the regular season, Washington State is penciled in as a No. 7 seed in the NCAA Tournament, according to the latest projections from ESPN's Joe Lunardi. The program is barreling full steam ahead towards its first appearance in the dance since Bennett took it to the Sweet 16 in his second (and penultimate) season in 2007-08.

Credit for this run must go to Smith, in his fifth season at the helm. The 54-year-old led the Cougars to the NIT the last two years and deserves National Coach of the Year recognition if his team keeps this up.

But let's give some love to the guys making the shots and the stops as well. Wells, a transfer from Division II Sonoma State, is averaging 11.8 points and 4.5 rebounds in his first season at the Division I level.

Isaac Jones, a versatile, bruising forward whose role as the Cougars' offensive fulcrum mirrors the way the Miami Heat utilize Bam Adebayo, puts up nearly 16 points and eight rebounds a night while blocking a shot along the way.

Then, there is Myles Rice, a former three-star recruit whose only high-major offer came from Washington State. In his first season in 2021-22, the South Carolinian appeared in only one game. Then, in September of 2022, he was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma. After undergoing chemotherapy from October of 2022 until March of 2023, he was declared to be in remission in June of last year.

Now, he is the Cougars' second-leading scorer (behind Jones), averaging 15.5 points per game to go along with 3.6 assists, three rebounds and 1.7 steals per contest.

This is a team, then, filled with grinders and overachievers, and one that deserves your admiration. After Thursday, they deserve your attention.

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