Washington State Aims to Right Ship vs. Upstart Pacific Squad
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California Golden Bears forward Lee Dort (34) blocks the shot of Pacific Tigers guard Jaden Clayton (6) during the second half at Haas Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Neville E. Guard-Imagn Images [/caption]
The Washington State Cougars return home this week looking to bounce back in a big way as they prepare to face one of the biggest surprises in the WCC in the Pacific Tigers. Pacific currently sits alone in fourth place in the conference standings, a position few would have predicted before the season began.
At 17–11 overall, the Tigers have already secured their highest win total since the 2019–2020 season. Even more impressively, their eight wins in WCC play mark their best conference performance since the 2019-2020 season as well. After finishing near the bottom of the league in recent seasons, Pacific has made a dramatic leap forward and has become one of the most improved teams in the conference.
According to KenPom, Pacific ranks No. 104 in the country — its highest rating since 2010. To fully understand how significant that jump is, consider where the Tigers have been recently: they ranked 358th nationally just two seasons ago and 284th last year. That type of improvement in such a short span speaks to how good of a job coach Dave Smart has done.
One of the defining traits of this Pacific roster is its international presence. Six of the eight players in the Tigers’ regular rotation come from outside the United States.
Leading the charge is forward Elias Ralph, who has put together an outstanding season. Ralph ranks fourth in the WCC in scoring and fifth in rebounding, showcasing his ability to impact the game in multiple ways. He’s shooting an efficient 47.6% from the field, 40.7% from three-point range, and an impressive 88.1% from the free-throw line. His ability to stretch the floor while also rebounding at a high level makes him quality player. Limiting his production or at least making him work for his points will be a major key for Washington State.
The Cougars enter this matchup looking to respond after a difficult outing against the Gonzaga where they were defeated 83–53 in one of their worst performances of the season. Washington State struggled on both ends of the floor, and the loss highlighted an issue that has followed the team throughout the year: inconsistency.
At times, the Cougars have shown they can defend at a high level and make offense difficult. However, in those same games, their own offensive production has stalled. In other contests, the offense has found rhythm, but defensive lapses have cost them. Finding balance has been the ongoing challenge.
With Pacific playing its best basketball in years and another tough matchup looming against Saint Mary's, Washington State cannot afford another inconsistent performance. If the Cougars want to move their way up the standings heading into the final stretch of conference play, they must put together a complete game defending well while executing efficiently on offense.
This matchup presents both a challenge and an opportunity. Pacific has proven it is no longer a bottom-tier WCC team, and Washington State will need to match its and execution. For the Cougars, consistency on both ends of the floor will ultimately determine whether they return to win column and if they can build momentum with a rematch against Saint Mary’s up next.
