Sports under control: There is a changing of the guard (and other places) for the GU women and the WCC as a whole in basketball

Sport under control • This morning there is a cup of coffee next to our keyboard. Actually every morning. But today it’s different. It’s about half full. Or empty. Yes, we call today’s column a perspective retrospective.

•••••••

• But only because we liked the sound of it. You might see it as our feeble attempt to put a positive spin on all the crap that’s happened in college athletics over the last few years. After all, who wants to spend the day constantly mumbling, stumbling, and complaining? Outside of politicians, of course.

We’re not trying to get elected. We try to look at the positive side of, for example, Washington State and Oregon State, which are in the West Coast Conference this season.

Why use that as an example? Like climbing a mountain because it’s there. Or more specifically in Las Vegas. The women’s basketball programs gathered in Sin City on Wednesday for their day in the sun. Acquisition of Resorts World, a sports-loving company in Nevada’s largest metropolis, for WCC Media Day.

And how does that make us see our cup as half full? Simply. The conference’s basketball ensemble is better this season. The women’s lineup shows it. And when the men take the stage today, they will also be in the spotlight. But the latter is for later. Today we focus on women.

And I wonder if the WCC coaches have pre-printed ballots ready for their “who will win the title” vote. You know, Gonzaga is at the top of their list and every other team has plenty of lines to write. That’s the only way we can explain why they chose Lisa Fortier’s Zags as the preseason favorite.

Oh sure, Yvonne Ejim is back. The best player in the conference last season, the best before this season, her fifth in a Bulldog jersey. Her presence in the low post, on the wings and on the boards is enough to ensure Gonzaga finishes high. But the top line?

Aside from returning WCC Sixth Woman of the Year Maud Huijbens and defensive specialist Esther Little, the Zags’ eight-man rotation is in rebuilding mode. Those who died include the sister guards who had more collegiate victories than any other pair of sisters we can remember: Kayleigh and Kaylynne Truong. Striker Eliza Hollingsworth. Three-point specialist Brynna Maxwell. All starters. All veterans of all conferences. Everything gone. Others too.

But we are here today to highlight the positive. Despite an offseason filled with cancer treatments and an Olympic trip, Fortier and her staff were able to recruit well, attracting players from around the world – and the world of college basketball. The question is whether they can be put together to form a successful group.

On the other hand, no one in the WCC made it through the offseason unscathed. Portland, which once again captured the tournament title, has Liberty High’s Maisie Burnham back and some questions. Santa Clara first lost its best player, Tess Heal, to Stanford and then its longtime coach Bill Carr, who unexpectedly resigned this week.

That brings us to the two newcomers, including the school that we think should have been at the top of the ballot: Washington State.

Yes, the Cougars lost one of their best players ever, guard Charlisse Leger-Walker, now at UCLA. And lost graduate Bella Murekatete, who became a star after being under-recruited from Genesis Prep in North Idaho.

But Kamie Ethridge returns a slew of players from a battle-tested program — the Pac-12 was the best conference in the country last year — and is used to winning. The Cougars also handed Gonzaga one of their four losses, winning 77-72 in overtime in Pullman.

The addition of Oregon State adds even more competition to the WCC as the Beavers stick with coach Scott Rueck despite losing much of their roster to the transfer portal. If Fortier has been Northwestern’s winningest women’s coach over the past decade, Rueck can claim that title over the past three years. In his 14 years at Newberg, Oregon’s George Fox, Rueck won 288 games and a Division III title. In the 14 years he was in Corvallis, he racked up another 297 wins and reached a Final Four and two more Elite Eights, including last season.

The WCC is in a better position with the two Pac-12 schools involved. Better depth. Burgeoning rivalries. Tougher competition. It’s a fact. Don’t turn.

•••

WSU: Theo Lawson is in Las Vegas and spent some time yesterday talking with Ethridge and the Cougar representatives, including junior guard Astera Tuhina and senior forward Tara Wallack. And then write this story. … Of course we have Greg Woods football stories to pass on. He has one that’s about the future, as Washington State added Louisiana Tech to its 2025 schedule, the Cougs’ eighth game. … He also has one from the present, a look at the team’s improved rushing attack while wondering why it isn’t being used more. … Hawaii will come to Pullman without one of its best defensive players. …Back to basketball for a second. Former Coug star Aron Baynes, who developed into a dominant interior defender in Pullman and a 3-point shooter as a pro, announced his retirement yesterday. Of all the players Tony Bennett coached at Wazzu, Baynes’ professional career was the most unexpected, largely because of its length and the heights he reached. …Elsewhere in the Pac-12 (new and old), the Mountain West and across the country, it’s another week of college football with a top-five showdown. There will be playoff second legs. With a high number of television viewers. … Could the ratings increase with a super league? … Jon Wilner covered the latter in the Mercury News, highlighting the changing fortunes of BYU and Utah. … No one has started more games in an Oregon State football jersey than Joshua Gray. He will set a record when the Beavers face UNLV on Saturday in rainy Corvallis. …Oregon’s 12th-man strategy will no longer be duplicated. … The Ducks are looking to improve their offense in the red zone this week. … Washington is entering a phase in which opponents have strong passing attacks. … USC, working to rebuild its defense, travels this week to face a Maryland team that is also struggling. … Speaking of problems, Arizona State will field its backup quarterback against Cincinnati. … Despite the loss to Kansas State, Colorado has players doing what they’re supposed to do. … Utah needs to rally around its freshman quarterback. He is now the starter. … A UCLA player says he didn’t want to be bought. … Arizona reached halftime. … In the Mountain West, Colorado State coach Jay Norvell is fed up with injuries. … Yes, there is still a place for a full-back. At least in the Air Force. … A second all-time bowl bid is within reach for UNLV. Maybe more. … Boise State has reached many bowls. However, it would be a first for the head coach. … Everyone knew this was coming. San Jose State volleyball’s gender brouhaha has seeped into presidential politics. With the typical factual misrepresentation. The Spartans’ next game is in New Mexico. … In basketball news, Washington’s men have some questions to answer. … Oregon’s men have fewer than usual. … The OSU women have made a personnel change… Future Pac-12 member San Diego State isn’t expected to be that good this season.

Gonzaga: Yes, there is a story from Theo about Gonzaga’s Ejim, one of the best returners on the West Coast. And possibly the nation’s least recognized star. However, Ejim has something that many others don’t. Memories of taking part in the Paris Olympics. … There’s also one from Greg Lee in the WCC preseason poll. We linked the latter story above and repeat it here. … We can also share this Associated Press story about Fortier’s cancer and how she dealt with it.

EMU: Running the ball seems to be the story of the day, although we didn’t get the memo. Dan Thompson has done it, as he has this piece across Eastern’s five-deep running back room, which is part of one of the Big Sky’s best rushing attacks. …Elsewhere in the Big Sky, the Eagles have prevailed over the years against two Sacramento-area schools, Sacramento State, and this week’s opponent, UC Davis. … Portland State hosts Montana State on Saturday.

Idaho: Alyssa Peters, the Vandals’ conference assist record in football, heads the latest SR local briefing column.

Preparations: The football weekend will be pretty big, with a showdown in the 4A/3A ranks and a big 2A battle. If you want to know more, read Dave Nichols’ preview. … Dave also has a rundown of Wednesday’s action, including the slowpitch districts that took place despite the rain.

Bosses: Either we misunderstood yesterday’s recap of the Chiefs game or there is an error. In any case, Spokane remains on the road until Friday. On Wednesday, the Chiefs played in Brandon and lost 6-3 to the Wheat Kings. Dave has this story too.

Seahawks: Seattle’s recent rough patch is still having an impact on the team. … DK Metcalf’s ball security issues had an even bigger impact. …And the secondary took another hit. … NFL games are won on the front foot. The Hawks’ offensive line hasn’t blossomed yet despite the addition of a new center. And the defensive front is missing the injured Byron Murphy II.

Sailors: Cal Raleigh wants to help hurricane victims. … It’s either feast or drought for the Dodgers in their NLCS series against New York. They enjoyed the Mets pitchers last night, Shohei Ohtani ended his losing streak and they won 8-0 to take a 2-1 lead in the series. … The Yankees and Guardians return to action today in Cleveland, with New York leading 2-0 in the ALCS.

Storm: Nneka Ogwumike received a lot of praise after her first season in Seattle. … Sabrina Ionescu’s long 3-pointer as time expired helped the New York Liberty to an 80-77 victory in Minnesota. The win gave the Liberty a 2-1 lead in the WNBA Finals.

•••

• We will make a subtle change to the Saturday column format. Read and see if you notice what it is. There are no prizes for the catch. Just a bit of fun. See you later …