After a couple of discouraging performances to start the season, I was pretty nervous about our Cougs showing up on national TV for the most famous early-season basketball tournament of the year in Maui. And after the first half against Chaminade — trailing by 20 — I was convinced all my fears were confirmed. Then came a second half where WSU went absolutely scorched earth, dropping 49 points and pulling out a five-point win in a game defined by wild runs on both sides.
Game 2 brought their best performance of the young season, powered by the best game a WSU freshman has ever had — and one of the best individual performances in Maui history. Ace Glass put up 40 points on an absurd 9–14 from the field and 16–18 at the line. Unfortunately, ASU hit some spectacular, borderline-ridiculous shots and benefited from the softest rims in college basketball. In the third-place game against Seton Hall, we immediately fell behind 15–3 and never fully crawled out, playing them roughly even the rest of the way — not bad for a third game in three days.
Here are the five biggest takeaways so far.
Ace Glass Is Already Our Best Player — Enjoy Him
The 40-point explosion made it obvious, but I was thinking this even before that game. The word that comes to mind most when I watch him is balance. He’s rarely off balance, hits step-backs, knocks down catch-and-shoot threes, and gets to the rim with a level of poise you almost never see in someone this young.
I’ve already gotten several texts saying, “How much will it take to keep him?” Honestly — who cares. He’s awesome. I love watching him, and I’m going to enjoy every minute of it. You should too.
Turnovers Kill This Team
My goodness — press the wrong lineup against us and you can blow a game wide open. The first halves against Chaminade and Seton Hall were the clearest examples. When Adria Rodriguez isn’t on the floor, our ball-handling against pressure gets shaky fast.
Jerone Morton can dribble through a press but doesn’t keep his eyes up. Ace is doing well, but the collective ball-handling becomes dicey. Last year’s team had the same issue, and it derailed multiple games. Just like with football, turnover margin will probably be the best game-to-game indicator of how this team performs.
Adria Rodriguez Has to Make Shots
Rodriguez is easily the best passer on the roster and the only true table-setting point guard. The first 10 minutes of the second half against Chaminade showed the team David Riley and Orlando Johnson envisioned: Rodriguez driving, kicking, shooters knocking shots down, Yalaho and Okafor punishing mismatches.
But the shooting splits are rough — 33% from the floor, 17% from three, and 40% at the line. He’s essential to this team reaching whatever ceiling it has, but those numbers make him very hard to keep on the court. If he settles down and starts making shots, his impact could change everything.
Our Bigs Will Be a Problem for Teams Without Size
Last year’s group struggled rebounding and protecting the rim, with most bigs (outside of Okafor) being more perimeter-oriented. This year, Yalaho, Ugbo, and an improved Okafor give WSU a baseline of size and athleticism that smaller teams in the WCC will struggle to handle. Offensive rebounding, rim contests, physical mismatches — those advantages raise the team’s floor significantly.
The Returning Players Have Improved
I don’t know what ND Okafor, Tomas Thrastarson, Parker Gerrits, Rihards Vavers, and Kase Wynott did this offseason, but they all look noticeably better — credit to Riley and the staff. ND still struggles with ball control, Tomas still gets lost at times, Parker still can’t seem to hit open threes, and Kase may have a hard time earning minutes — but the collective improvement is impressive.
I still don’t have huge expectations for this season. You could tell me we win 20 games and push the top of the WCC, or tell me we win 12 and flirt with the bottom — both feel plausible. So much depends on how well we shoot from three and how well we protect the ball. The defense isn’t consistent enough yet to keep us afloat on off nights, so I expect a few hair-pulling losses… and a few games where we drop 90.
But overall, after Maui, I feel a lot better about watching this team the rest of the year. Much-needed encouraging performances — and most importantly:
Go Cougs!