WSU  Cougars

Coming up: Sunday vs. UW, 5:30 p.m. (ESPNU)

Outlook: Washington State will attempt to sweep its instate rival for the first time since the 2010-11 season. The Cougars have already taken care of the Huskies, 80-77, in Seattle, but that was a very different UW team. After the loss UW fell to 11-4 and was no longer a ranked team, but still a formidable one. But the dismissal of shot blocker, Robert Upshaw, and injury to starting forward Jernard Jarreau took the teeth out of the Huskies, who have lost their last seven games.

Kent on Tark: College basketball lost one of its great personalities when Jerry Tarkanian passed away a week ago, as well as one of its most successful, if at times controversial, coaches. Tarkanian led the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels to four Final Fours and a national championship in 1990. His team’s frenetic playing styles influenced WSU coach Ernie Kent, who played against Tarkanian’s teams as a player at Oregon and coached against Tark the Shark while at Saint Mary’s. “I think there are just a few coaches throughout college basketball who, because of their uniqueness in the way they recruited, the way they played, the way they carried themselves (put their stamp on the game) and he is one of those guys,” Kent said. “John Thompson has the towel on his shoulder, Jerry Tarkanian had the towel in the mouth.”

Leaders

Scoring: DaVonte Lacy, 17.0

Rebounding: Josh Hawkinson, 10.5

Assists: Ny Redding, 3.7

@JacobThorpeSR