> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.emeraldcityspectrum.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Analysis: Breaking Down Washington State’s 2025-26 Men’s Basketball Roster - URL: https://www.emeraldcityspectrum.com/washington-state-2025-26-basketball-roster-rundown/ - Published: 2025-10-06T19:29:11.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-08T06:17:58.000Z - Author: Jacob Stevenson - Tags: News, David Riley, Adria Rodriguez, Jerone Morton, Emmanuel Ugbo, ND Okafor, Tomas Thrastarson, Rihards Vavers, Ace Glass, Eemeli Yalaho, Parker Gerrits, Kase Wynott, Cougars \[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="991"\] ![ ND Okafor will look to take on an increased role for Washington State in his second season on campus. Credit: ND Okafor/Instagram ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1d/f2/1df2f77b-83dd-4bc0-a6d2-6d1bb5df89a3/content/images/2026/10/477035478_18314709751200562_688626152406281840_n-format-original.jpg) ND Okafor will look to take on an increased role for Washington State in his second season on campus. Credit: ND Okafor/Instagram \[/caption\] With the Washington State Cougars basketball season starting in less than a month, Emerald City Spectrum is previewing the roster and diving into who fans should expect to see on the hardwood this winter in Pullman. **Projected Starters** Adria Rodriguez - Coming over from playing professionally in Spain’s second division with Lucentum Alicante, Rodriguez averaged 8.1 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.7 assists. Rodriguez comes to town with the versatility to play either guard spot, can knock down threes and use his size to excel on ball screens. With his skill set, you can expect Rodriguez to be a significant contributor for the Cougars and mainly be responsible for point guard duties. Jerone Morton - The Morehead State transfer joins the Cougars after averaging 10.4 points and over three assists and a steal per game for the Eagles. He can play on or off the ball and comes into Pullman as a solid defender who is expected to take on the best backcourt player from the opposition this season. Morton also does a solid job taking care of the ball and can knock down open shots. Tómas Thrastarson - A member of the All-WCC freshman team last year, Thrastarson is a versatile offensive player who should take a jump in year two playing college basketball. He showed the ability to be a solid defender along with getting to the rim as a driver and knocking down open shots while shooting 41.4 percent from three. Emmanuel Ugbo - A transfer from Boise State, Ugbo played important minutes for the Broncos and can contribute anywhere from the three to the five on offense while playing four positions on defense. As a quality defender, his versatility should be a lock for him to be the starting rotation. Ugbo needs to improve his offensive game, but his versatility and athleticism brings an interesting wrinkle to the Cougars roster. ND Okafor - In his first year in Pullman, Okafor made his mark due to his rim protection, averaging 3.6 blocks per game per 40 minutes and being able to finish around the rim. In year two, he needs to either expand his range or improve his foot speed in order to get consistent minutes. However, his strength and athleticism around the rim should help the Cougs and be beneficial in certain matchups. **Projected Bench** Rihards Vavers - A knockdown shooter, Vavers struggled with injuries last season. When healthy, he’s a knock down shooter that can not only make catch and shoot threes but can hit threes coming off screens. In order for him to consistently be in the rotation, his defense must improve. However, his 47.9 percent rate from three will get him in the lineup regardless. Ace Glass - A late commitment after decommitting from Texas A&M, the 6-3 Glass is expected to contribute right away. The combo guard has the ability to score in different ways and will provide an offensive spark. There may be some growing pains from the true freshman, but the highly guarded recruit should find minutes immediately. Eemeli Yalaho - A transfer from Texas Tech, Yalaho is a high IQ player that should be able to do a little bit of everything on offense for Wazzu. You can expect the Finish native to be a solid shooter from three and be a nice fit in David Riley’s offense. Simon Hildebrandt - A transfer from High Point, Hildebrandt should be able to come in and play the four or the five for the Cougs this season. Hildebrandt comes in with the reputation as a terrific shooter will come in and stretch the defense, but he needs to show that he can defend consistently to earn more minutes with his new team. Parker Gerrits - Another combo guard, Gettis is the only player remaining from the Kyle Smith era. He came to WSU as a walk on before being put on scholarship. Gerrits is looked to as a great leader and is a solid shooter who has the ability to crack the rotation. **Deep Bench/Redshirts** Kase Wynott - After a storied high school career, Wynott got limited minutes last year as a freshman. He showed the ability to process the game fast and to be able to do different things on offense. Wynott needs to show improved athleticism this season to see the court for extended minutes. Dominik Robinson - The true freshman big from Graham, Washington made stops at Rainier Beach High School in Seattle and Rosemary Anderson Prep in Portland. Robinson is an athletic big who has rapidly improved the last couple of years. You can expect Robinson to redshirt can continue his steady improvement before pitching in during the 2026-27 season. Brunel Madzou - Coming from Finland, Madzou projects as a guard with a lot of potential and enough athleticism to able to guard on the ball. With the transition from European basketball to the college game, you can expect Madzou to redshirt.