Washington State Cougars

From Hoopedia

Washington State University (WSU) is a major public research university in Pullman, Washington. The state's land-grant university, WSU has a mission of teaching, research and public service, and offers more than 200 fields of study. It is one of 96 public and private universities in America with "very high research activity," as determined by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. It is ranked among the top half of national universities according to U.S. News.

The Washington State Cougars are the athletic teams at Washington State University; the term applies to any of the school's varsity teams. Washington State University is a member of the Pacific Ten Conference, which participates in the NCAA Division I. The athletic program comprises 9 women's sports: basketball, cross country, golf, rowing, soccer, swimming, tennis, track and field, volleyball; and 6 men's sports: baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, track and field. The school also offers various intramural sports.

Men's Basketball

Men's basketball is the second-most popular sport, although its popularity is rapidly increasing after the 2006-2007 season. The Cougar basketball team holds the dubious record of participating in the lowest scoring championship basketball game in Division I history, losing to Wisconsin 39-34 in the 1941 national championship game. In 1917, the Cougars won their only basketball National Championship. The team played to large crowds in the late-1970s when George Raveling was head coach. At that time, the Cougars were among the Pac-10 conference's top teams. The 1990s saw a major decline in support as the team floundered. However, there was the beginning of a resurgence under coach Dick Bennett. The 2004-2005 season saw a large increase in student support as the team finished within a few wins of a .500 record (along with a stunning upset win at eventual Elite Eight team Arizona). Bennett retired at the end of the 2005-2006 season and was replaced by his son, Tony. Before becoming coach, Tony Bennett spent three seasons as an assistant to his father, the last two as associate head coach. In 2007, following a win against then-No. 7 Arizona, the Cougars appeared in the Associated Press Top 25 poll for the first time since 1983. Picked to finish last in the Pac-10 in a pre-season media poll, the Cougars surprised everyone by finishing second in the conference and peaking with a No. 9 ranking. The Cougars were picked as a three-seed in the NCAA Tournament and beat Oral Roberts 70-54 in the first round. The Cougars then lost to Vanderbilt in the second round 78-74 in double overtime. Their final record was 13-5 in the Pac-10 and 26-8 overall, which tied a school record for most wins. That season, the Cougars swept rival Washington, Arizona, Arizona State, the University of Southern California, Oregon State, and the University of California. In the tournament, the coaching staff wore a pin saying TAY, which stood for Turn-Around Year. After the season, Coach Tony Bennett received the Naismith Coach of the Year award, the highest honor for a college basketball coach. The Cougars are expected to repeat in the 2008 NCAA Tournament with the majority of their team returning and new recruits signing on.

Basketball Traditions

• At the end of the National Anthem, Cougar fans replace "home of the brave" with "home of the Cougs" and simultaneously yell out the line.
• As the other team is announced, the student section holds up pieces of newspaper to show their disregard for the other team. The papers usually say "GO COUGS!" but have variations such as "BEAT THE DAWGS!" or "BEAT THE ZAGS!" The newspapers are then crumpled and tossed into the air when the WSU team is announced. Many students keep the papers for decorations in dorm rooms and hallways.
• When a Cougar player is at the foul line, the students are quiet and hold up one fist. If the player makes the shot, the fans quickly drop their fists and yell "Whoosh!"
• The Cougar Chomp (or shark attack) is used periodically throughout the game.