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# Inside The Numbers: Why Cougars Faltered to Disappointing 12-20 Season
- URL: https://www.emeraldcityspectrum.com/inside-the-numbers-washington-state-cougars-faltered-disappointing-season/
- Published: 2026-03-09T04:36:39.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-08T05:53:33.000Z
- Author: Jacob Stevenson
- Tags: Analysis, Cougars Men's Basketball, Adria Rodriguez, Ace Glass

The Washington State Cougars’ 2025-26 season came to an ugly end Friday night with a 74-68 loss to the Portland Pilots in Las Vegas, finishing the year at 12–20 overall and going one-and-done in the WCC Tournament.

The Cougars had won the first two matchups against the Pilots earlier in the year, but were unable to complete the season sweep when it mattered most. The loss capped off what was ultimately a disappointing campaign for Washington State, which followed a familiar pattern from the previous season: a promising start that slowly unraveled during the second half of the year.

Down the stretch, the Cougars struggled mightily. They finished just 4–11 in their final 15 games and went only 1–8 in there last nine in WCC play. It was the program’s first sub-.500 finish since the final season under former head coach Ernie Kent, when Washington State went 11–21 overall in 2018-19.

Washington State ended conference play 7–11 in the West Coast Conference, coming up well short of the .500 mark in its final season before going to the rebuilt Pac-12\. While that record alone was disappointing, the advanced metrics painted an even bleaker picture. The Cougars finished the season ranked 137th in KenPom, the program’s lowest rating since finishing 207th in 2019.

One of the biggest problems was the Cougars’ inability to beat quality opponents. They finished just 2–13 against teams ranked in the top 150 of KenPom at the time of those games. Their only victories in that category came against St. Thomas in November and Pacific in February. In both games, Washington State relied heavily on hot three-point shooting, combining to go 24–54 from beyond the arc (44.4%). When those shots fell, the Cougars could compete with almost anyone. But when they didn’t, the offense often stalled.

The old saying “you live by the three or die by the three” perfectly described Washington State’s season. In the Cougars’ 11 best games from three-point range, they went 5-6\. On the flip side, they went 0–11 in their worst 11 three-point shooting games, highlighting just how dependent the offense was on hitting perimeter shots. Without consistent inside scoring or offensive variety, the Cougars often struggled to generate points when their outside shots weren’t falling.

Another major issue throughout the season was performance away from home. Washington State managed just one win against a Division I opponent outside the state of Washington all season. According to Haslametrics, the Cougars ranked 345th nationally in consistency and 334th in away-from-home performance. Those numbers reflected what Cougar fans saw all year: a team that looked far more comfortable playing in Pullman than it did on the road.

Looking ahead, the offseason brings a great deal of uncertainty. With the transfer portal era, it’s impossible to know exactly what next season’s roster will look like. Nearly the entire roster technically has the option to return, with the exceptions of Simon Hildebrandt and Adria Rodriguez, but player movement across college basketball makes continuity far from guaranteed.

In particular, keeping standout freshman Ace Glass, who lead the team averaging 16.4 points per game, from hitting the transfer portal may be easier said than done. Other programs will have great interest in bringing him on board with more NIL money to throw his way than Washington State likely can offer. It’s possible several other players could test the portal as well.

Regardless of who returns, Washington State will need to make improvements on both ends of the floor to be more competitive in what should be better competition in the Pac-12\. Defensively, the Cougars have to improve. Offensively, they need greater versatility and more players capable of creating scoring opportunities in different ways rather than relying so heavily on three-point shooting.