Washington State sophomore wing LeJuan Watts enters transfer portal

PULLMAN – For the second consecutive season, Washington State will likely have to replace its entire men’s basketball starting lineup.

Sophomore wing LeJuan Watts is entering the transfer portal, a source confirmed to The Spokesman-Review on Wednesday, joining three teammates in doing so. The Cougars are also set to lose graduating senior forwards Ethan Price and Dane Erikstrup.

The 6-foot-6 Watts averaged 13.7 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game this season, using his versatile game to help the Cougars go 19-15 on the season, reaching the West Coast Conference Tournament quarterfinals and the College Basketball Crown first round on Monday.

On3 Sports was the first to report the news of Watts, who also shot 55% from the field, including 42% from 3-point range on about two attempts per game.

A native of Fresno, California, Watts’ departure amounts to one of the costliest for the Cougars. In late January, Watts recorded the second triple-double in program history. He also posted nine double-doubles on the year. With guards Nate Calmese and Isaiah Watts also in the portal, Watts played point guard against Georgetown on Monday, finishing with 22 points, eight rebounds and five assists.

WSU freshman guard Marcus Wilson, who played only four games because of a shoulder injury, has also entered the portal. That makes four Cougs to do so .

Last spring, Watts followed coach David Riley from Eastern Washington to WSU, where the two enjoy a strong connection.

After the Cougars’ loss to San Francisco in the WCC Tournament last month, Watts was asked about his future, to which he replied, “I’m a Coug, for sure,” citing his relationship with Riley and his teammates.

If Watts does leave, WSU will be looking to replace some big numbers from its starters: 65.3 points, 22.9 rebounds and 14.7 assists per game.

The Cougs will also be replacing 230 of their 278 made 3-pointers, which are critical in Riley’s free-flowing offensive system.

Those numbers aren’t counting WSU wing Cedric Coward, who missed all but six games with a season-ending shoulder injury he sustained in November.

Coward is looking to turn pro this spring, telling The S-R in March that he doesn’t expect to return to Pullman, though he wouldn’t rule it out entirely.

WSU appears poised to return a few freshmen, including guards Tomas Thrastarson, Kase Wynott and Parker Gerrits, plus wing shooter Rihards Vavers and forward ND Okafor.

After the loss to USF last month, Vavers, Okafor and Thrastarson all told The S-R they plan to return to WSU.

But Watts said the same. A few weeks later, he’s in the portal, which has played a big role in forcing WSU to replace its entire starting lineup each of the past two seasons.