Cougars lose role players
PULLMAN – Two players on the Washington State basketball team, seeing little playing time for themselves in the future, have asked to be released from their scholarships.
Sophomore guards Mac Hopson and Chris Matthews will both transfer from WSU after the end of the spring semester.
“It’s on good terms, and we’re obviously trying to help them,” head coach Tony Bennett said. “They have to do what they feel is best in terms of opportunities. Each circumstance is different with each guy. We had our player meetings and talked to them. Mac and Chris felt it was best to look elsewhere for opportunities.”
Both players agreed that they left the program without any pressure from the school, but they had differing reasons for transferring.
Hopson, who came to WSU from North Idaho College before last season, said his lack of playing time down the stretch – he averaged 16 minutes a game after serving as a starter in November – was a primary factor.
“I didn’t feel like I could get into a rhythm or do anything in that time,” said Hopson, who said he will try to stay close to the West Coast. “If I wasn’t playing minutes, I can’t do that. I need more than that, you know? I think I’m good for about 30 minutes a game.
“It is tough to walk away from because I love winning and I don’t like losing. But I want to play. I don’t mind cheering my teammates on, but I just want to feel like I’m a part of it and contribute, get in the game.”
Matthews, also a role player in the backcourt, said he was happy at WSU but pressure from his family, among other factors, seems to have influenced his decision to leave the Cougars. The Washington, D.C., native said he’ll be looking for a school closer to the East Coast.
“My dad, and I’ve got to respect what he says. So I’m going back home,” Matthews said. “To turn a program around and then leave, I mean, it’s life, though, so I’ll do what I have to do.”
The departure of Matthews and Hopson solves a potential problem that had arisen for the Cougars, since they previously had 14 scholarships allotted for next season, one more than the NCAA limit.
Fabian Boeke of Germany is expected to sign his letter of intent this month when the spring signing period begins. The Cougars are also set to receive a visit from guard Ty Abbott next week. Should Abbott commit to WSU – and it appears that the Arizona native may end up choosing between WSU and Washington – then he would fill the team’s last scholarship slot for next season, barring an unexpected departure from another current player.
Leaving on a jet plane
Bennett said he’s hoping to take the team on a trip to Australia with a possible stop in New Zealand in June. Division I schools are allowed to bring returning players on an international trip once every four years, and taking the Cougars to Oceania would give center Aron Baynes and guard Thomas Abercrombie a chance to play close to home.
“This would be a good year because a majority of our team is coming back,” Bennett said. “You can’t take any incoming freshmen.”
Also, the Cougars would get 10 additional practices before the trip, a bonus that most other teams would not get. Last season, Oregon traveled to the Bahamas before the season and head coach Ernie Kent credited it as an aid in bringing the Ducks together before they won a Pac-10 tournament title and three games in the NCAA tournament.