WSU returns to spring practice
COUGARS • UPDATED: 10:50 A.M.
Let's see, what were we doing? Oh ya, spring football. Washington State gets back to the practice field today, for one of two workouts this week – the Cougars will also practice on Thursday. We gave some thoughts about the last couple weeks and a couple of real interesting Pac-10 stories on the link, so read on.
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• Though spring results are hard to quantify – and we've gone over the reasons many times before – it's obvious there are some improvements being made, most notably up front on both sides of the ball. But there are still some areas that need work (OK, every area needs work, but some that need more than others), one of which – receiving – we touched on after Saturday's scrimmage (here's more from freelancer Howie Stalwick in the News Tribune). A couple of those spots are linebacker and tight end, two areas we're going to examine this week. That, my friends, is what we call a tease. ... One thing I forgot to pass on Saturday concerns a couple of incoming freshmen who signed letters of intent in February. Running back Devontae Butler-Booker won't qualify in time for the upcoming season, though coach Paul Wulff hopes the 5-foot-11, 180-pounder from Grant High in Sacramento will be able to enroll for the spring next year. Butler-Booker was a late pickup partially because it was obvious he was a risk to qualify. UPDATE: Pittsburg High's Robert Jiles, a 6-foot, 185-pound receiver, will not make it into school and will attend a junior college, with the idea of coming to WSU in two years. All the other recruits, including four-star linebacker C.J. Mizell, are on track to enter school, with Mizell expected to be on campus for summer sessions. ... One other thing. On Saturday we talked about Nico Grasu's misses and mentioned the two freshmen kickers coming in this fall, originally saying they had signed LOIs, something I fixed. I want to clarify that neither Andrew Furney or Jacob Miller are coming in on scholarship. Both are recruited walk-ons who have been accepted at WSU and have fulfilled the steps the NCAA demands to be announced by the school. My bad. ... OK, on to the links. ... We've covered Bill Moos' thoughts about facilities pretty in-depth the past few weeks, with the incoming athletic director saying such items as locker rooms, workout facilities – by the way, WSU is closing in on its fund-raising goal for weight-room renovations – and the like are crucial for keeping up with the Jones of college athletics. We came across a story this morning that covers that same ground. ... Oregon, out looking for an athletic director, is still without a basketball coach. The Register-Guard's Bob Clark explains why that may be the case.
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• That's it for this morning. We will be back after practice this afternoon. Until then ...
