SB Nation Seattle's Jeff Nusser put together his preview of the 2010-11 WSU Cougar basketball team this morning. The Cougs return a fine nucleus of Reggie Moore, Klay Thompson and DeAngelo Casto, but have plenty of questions to be answered if they plan on making it back to the NCAA tournament.
The hopes and dreams of the Cougars rely on Thompson, whose numbers fell off a cliff as the wear of the season took its toll last year. Can Thompson step up for WSU this year?
So, the question becomes this: Has Thompson added enough muscle to his frame and variety to his game to succeed against elite defenders this year? If he improves as much from last year to this as he did from his first year to last, then the answer might well be yes. He's obsessed with perfection and works tirelessly on his game, and rumblings out of Pullman are that he's ready to take the next step. If so, he's a potent enough scorer to carry the Cougs to the NCAA Tournament.