A Grip on Sports: For the second consecutive year, WSU defeats a highly ranked Arizona team, though this year seems different

A GRIP ON SPORTS • Sunday morning. A cup of coffee. A big old newspaper. The NFL on the TV. A blanket for the feet. Bacon on the griddle. But first, let’s scrape some ice off the windows – literally – and from our sports knowledge – figuratively.

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• Where to start? How about in Pullman, where the Cougars’ defense and Arizona’s ineptitude resulted in the eighth-ranked Wildcats’ freezing-cold shooting performance. OK, maybe not outside-temp cold, but how does 35% from the floor sound? Or 29% beyond the arc? OK, the topper. UA shot 62% from the free throw line.

So what if the Cougs didn’t shoot all that much better? That’s not how they win. They forced Arizona to play at their pace, their style and, ultimately, with their outcome.

We would say it was a signature win for Kyle Smith except his team did the same thing last season against the then-fifth-ranked Wildcats. The difference? There was no chance Washington State was headed anywhere last season than home for March’s madness. This year?

There’s a chance. Oh, sure, WSU played a soft nonconference schedule (hence the gaudy 12-5 overall mark). But Smith used those games to teach, to try out lineups and strategies. The nonconference slate got tougher, too, near the end, with the loss to Santa Clara looking better, as does the Spokane win over Boise State. Yes, the start of conference was tough – two losses in the mountains – but splitting against the Oregon schools is respectable considering the Ducks’ resurgence. And add on the win at USC and Saturday’s upset, all of a sudden Washington State is back to even in conference.

And, now, up to 51st in the NCAA’s NET rankings with two all-important Quad 1 victories.

Can you say hope? Have it, too? Sure. After all, what else do we have when the high temperature is hovering around zero?

• It was cold in Kansas City last night as well. Really cold for Mike McDaniel and the Dolphins, who looked frozen in place in their 26-7 loss to the Chiefs.

Let’s thaw our outlook about McDaniel a little bit. We sort of wondered how he ascended to his position. Not the nuts and bolts. That story has been told over and over. He’s an NFL lifer, paying his dues, working his way from nothing to something. The American Success Story writ large in America’s favorite sport. But now, thanks to this exceptional story from Ryan Hockensmith on the ESPN site, we know where it all started. Don’t miss it.

• Back to basketball and back to the Palouse.

There was a pair of Big Sky showdowns late yesterday afternoon at Idaho, though the Vandal faithful probably didn’t like either game much. Visiting Eastern Washington won both, rolling over UI 67-44. Then the Eagle men used a potent second half to surge past the Vandals 79-58.

It’s not as if either result was unexpected. Both Eastern teams are considered either the favorite – the women – or among the favorites – the men – in the conference. The Vandals? Not so much.

But such regional rivalry games are magnified by the hope of an upset. There was such entering the day. Late that night in The Corner Club? Maybe drowned sorrows but no longer hope.

• Finally, if you read this space yesterday – and for all of you who do such religiously, thank you – you probably realized how much fun we had exploring an alternate reality. The column was one of those Star Trek-like episodes – or films – in which Spock or Sisco or O’Brien find themselves out of their element. You know, almost every episode. Heck, that was whole premise of seven years of Voyager.

Anyhow, we had so much fun writing it. Then again, we had fun writing this today. It’s what keeps us going. Fun. Hopefully, you have fun reading it. Every day.

Why are we sharing these thoughts? Because we think an AI-bot scraped the column off the web and thought it was reality. It sure seems like it. How odd. Today’s reality is weirder than anything we could imagine.  

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WSU: Yesterday’s 73-70 win for the Cougars included some clutch plays, as is always the case in any upset. Greg Woods has the details in this story. And we can pass along Geoff Crimmins’ photo gallery. … We can also pass along stories from Tucson on the UA loss. … Not too long ago it looked as if Cam Ward was headed to the NFL draft. Today we know he will spend the 2024 football season in South Florida. The former Cougar quarterback has committed to Miami. Greg has that story as well. … Elsewhere in the Pac-12 and the nation, well, there is always this piece of news Husky fans. Kalen DeBoer would not have left for anywhere other than Alabama. Sure. That probably doesn’t help much, mainly because it probably isn’t true, is it? Now Ryan Grubb, passed over as DeBoer’s replacement, is leaving too. Headed to Alabama? We’ll see. All we know is it is being reported the Huskies will name a new coach in the next 48 hours. … The roster attrition for Washington is deep. … Jon Wilner addresses UW’s changeover and a lot more in this Mercury News mailbag. … Too bad Jonathan Smith did not wait a bit. He may already be Washington’s coach. … For Colorado to be successful, Deion Sanders will have to recruit even better. … How will UCLA and USC stack up at linebacker next season? … Jedd Fisch is a hot commodity. … In basketball news, Washington has a great chance for a rare win at UCLA. … Oregon stayed hot, overcoming an 18-point deficit to top visiting California. … USC lost again, this time in Bronny James’ first start. Colorado rolled in Boulder. Meanwhile, coach Tad Boyle criticized the NCAA’s new recruiting calendar. … When Arizona State plays at Oregon State in today’s women’s game, there won’t be any fans in the stands. The weather is too bad. … Just how did Tara VanDerveer change college basketball? The Stanford coach and her eighth-ranked Stanford team will face No. 5 Colorado in Boulder today. … The other top game is in L.A., with USC hosting UCLA. … Arizona may not be as good as its been but the Wildcats keep fighting. They face Oregon on the road today.

Gonzaga: There is one sure-to-be-ranked basketball team playing in the Kennel currently. That would be the women, who battled through San Diego’s tough defensive effort Saturday for an 85-67 victory. The 16th-ranked Zags are 16-2. Greg Lee was in McCarthey and has this game story. Tyler Tjomsland came in from the cold too and put together this photo gallery. … There is a lot to unpack with the men, including the past, present and future. Jim Meehan and Theo Lawson attempt to do just that this morning. … Elsewhere in the WCC, Saint Mary’s showed yesterday the conference predictions may just be correct, as the Gaels went to Santa Clara and routed the Broncos 73-49. … San Francisco walloped Portland at home, Pepperdine went to San Diego and won and Loyola Marymount topped visiting Pacific.

EWU and Idaho: We delved into Saturday’s games in Moscow above. Peter Harriman attended them and has coverage of both the men and the women. … Elsewhere in the Big Sky, Montana’s men returned to their winning ways by topping Northern Arizona. … Montana State also won, topping visiting Northern Colorado. … On the women’s side, Montana is streaking, defeating host Northern Arizona on Saturday. … Northern Colorado handled Montana State. … Idaho State has righted the ship, topping Sacramento State at home. The men lost a close one on the road again. … In football news, UC Davis has added to its staff. But everyone in the FCS is looking up to South Dakota State.

Whitworth: The Pirate men remain on top the Northwest Conference standings after surviving a scare Saturday night. Winless-in-conference Linfield stayed in the contest until the end, with Whitworth finally prevailing 66-62.

Preps: Dave Nichols has this summary of all-state football players from the area.

Chiefs: Dave also has a feature on Spokane’s Saige Weinstein, the defenseman who earned an NHL entry-level contract with Colorado last fall.

Seahawks: Pete Carroll seems pretty sure if “football people” had made the decision, he would still be the Hawks’ coach. … Speaking of Carroll, he does have a Hall of Fame resume as well as some of the best seasons ever in Seahawk history.

Kraken: Nine consecutive wins. That’s what Seattle accomplished with its 7-4 decision last night in Columbus. It’s a franchise record winning streak. … The game with Pittsburgh on Monday has a new game time. It was moved earlier to accommodate the Steelers playing on Monday due to the bad weather in Buffalo.

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• The heater is running. The refrigerator in the garage isn’t. The extreme cold is the reason for both. The former is costing us money. The latter? Well, the frozen stuff is on the back deck and the cold stuff is still in the garage, in a box just close enough to the house not to freeze. We feel so, well, outdoorsy. Or primitive. Not sure which. Until later …