Thrilling senior day starts and ends with a bang for Washington State

PULLMAN – Washington State’s Senior Day featured a thrilling start and a dramatic finish.

Before the Cougars tipped off against Oregon on Sunday afternoon at Beasley Coliseum, senior WSU forward DJ Rodman gave an emotional speech at midcourt and made a surprise announcement, revealing that he has elected to return to the school for a fifth season.

The 4,467 in attendance roared in approval. Coach Kyle Smith, who had been previously unaware of the decision, raised his hands high and jumped into Rodman’s arms.

“I just wanted to keep everyone on their toes,” Rodman said after the game. “I’m happy here, so why not come back?”

Rodman kicked things off on a high note, and the Cougars closed the day with a bang.

WSU outlasted the Ducks in an entertaining Pac-12 matchup, holding on for a 68-65 victory.

The Cougars (13-15, 8-9 Pac-12) made a defensive stop in the final seconds, preventing Oregon from getting a clean look on a game-tying 3-point attempt.

“They tried to come down and take a shot, but our defense was tough,” Smith said .

The game included 13 lead changes and five ties. The teams traded baskets during a seesaw second half that had plenty of momentum swings.

“Just a really fun college basketball game,” Smith said. “It was competitive. We had to play really well to beat them.

“We persevered and were tough enough to make some plays. That’s a good sign of growth for this team.”

WSU took a 10-point lead with 9:27 remaining on forward Andrej Jakimovski’s 3-pointer, but Oregon went on a 7-0 run over the next minute and neither team could gain separation the rest of the way.

The Ducks (15-13, 9-8) inched in front by a point with 4:16 left, but the Cougars didn’t trail again after WSU guard Justin Powell answered with a quick 3. Powell knocked down a difficult layup through traffic with 23 seconds remaining, and the Cougars used a couple of fouls to drain the clock before Oregon’s 3-point miss at the buzzer.

“We defended pretty well, and we defended hard when we needed to,” Rodman said. “That was the key.”

The Cougars’ offense smoothed out in the second half after shooting 29.4% from the field in the first. WSU went 17 of 29 (58.6%) from the floor and 7 of 12 from 3-point range in the last 20 minutes. The Cougars matched a season low with six turnovers committed.

WSU center Mouhamed Gueye led all players with 18 points (8 of 15) and added 12 rebounds for his 12th double-double of the season.

“The way he’s been able to ascend has been awesome,” Smith said.

Powell and guard TJ Bamba contributed 11 points apiece and Jakimovski had 10.

Rodman shot 3 of 5 from 3-point range, finishing with nine points and three rebounds. He pulled down an offensive board that led to Powell’s clutch layup.

Guard Keeshawn Barthelemy totaled 17 points and shot 7 of 10 from the field to lead the Ducks.

WSU, riding a three-game winning streak, hits the road for the last three games of its season. The Cougars meet Stanford at 8 p.m. Thursday.

Backup center Jack Wilson, who spent the past two years as a reserve offensive lineman for WSU’s football team, was also honored during senior day celebrations. Wilson is averaging 2.1 minutes across 17 appearances.

Rodman’s return

Rodman told The Spokesman-Review recently that he was unsure whether he would return to WSU next season or pursue a professional career. He said he landed on a decision Saturday night. Rodman informed family members and gave a few teammates a hint, but mostly kept the news under wraps.

“Upon DJ’s announcement, I got really emotional,” Smith said. “The guy’s got a big heart. I think that’s why everyone around here loves him so much.”

Rodman has appeared in 105 career games with 36 starts – 24 this season.

The Newport Beach, California, product made a name for himself early on as a glue player who took pride in the “dirty work” – rebounds, steals, fighting for loose balls – but he has developed as a scorer and is in the midst of his best collegiate season. Rodman is averaging career highs in points (9.3), rebounds (5.5) and minutes (30.9) while shooting 41.4% from the floor.

“He’s just a really humble guy who jibes with what we want to do,” Smith said. “He’s been able to take on any role, whether it’s starting or coming off the bench. … He’s the kind of person you want to have in your program. It’s a neat story.

“I wasn’t sure (if he’d return). We’d talked about it,” Smith added. “I told him, ‘You don’t owe us anything. You’ve given us four great years … but if you want to come back, we’d love to have you.’ ”

Trinity Rodman, a world-class soccer forward who briefly attended WSU in 2020, made an appearance on WSU’s videoboard before senior day celebrations to congratulate her older brother on his success.

DJ Rodman couldn’t hold back the tears as he made his way onto the court, joined by mother Michelle and older sister Teyana.

“The last four years just rushed through my head,” he said. “I’m just so thankful that I’m here and still playing and making it happen.”