After a disappointing last place finish in 2009, the Washington State Cougars expect to be much improved during the 2010-2011 campaign. The Pac-10 media seem to agree, ranking the Cougars No. 5 in what appears to be a wide open race. The Washington Huskies, predictably, took the top spot, garnering all but two first-place votes. After that, the Pac-10 is a jumbled mess between No. 2 and No. 8.
The Cougars return a talented trio in Klay Thompson, Reggie Moore and DeAngelo Casto. If the three, along with an assortment of role players, can gel and work well with each other, there’s no limit to what the Cougars can do — perhaps easily besting the preseason media ranking.
You can find the full rankings here. Arizona, UCLA and Arizona State round out the top 5. The Cougars tip off the season Nov. 10 with an exhibition against Lewis-Clark State.