The WCC tournaments are this weekend, and they mean different things for WSU's men's and women's basketball teams. For the men, it's one last chance to put the bad taste of that no good, awful five-week stretch that tanked all the vibes around a good start. They played pretty decently in their final two games of the regular season, securing the WCC…

It was truly a weekend of pain for WSU men’s basketball. In one of the most anticipated games in Beasley Coliseum in years, the Washington State Cougars laid an absolute dud against the Gonzaga Bulldogs in front of a sold-out crowd, losing by 21 last Wednesday. Not to be outdone — and proving there is actually no floor — they then went out to Beasl…

WSU has had a rough go of it lately in men's basketball, having dropped six of seven. But now ... big, bad, Gonzaga makes its return to Beasley Coliseum on Wednesday. With special co-host Jamey Vinnick of Cougfan.com, we start off by looking at just how it is that this season went off the rails, then break down what it will take to beat the Zags. I…

After surging to an 8-1 record, the Washington State Cougars have now dropped two in a row as double-digit favorites. What on earth has happened to the defense? And can we even count on them to show up at home this weekend against Wyoming? Other topics: Beer, thoughts on the injury to Cedric Coward and what it means for the men's basketball team, a…

The Washington State Cougars easily handled Utah State on Saturday in what was a bit of a snoozer -- which is weird when you're talking about a game that was clearly never in doubt. But the team's conservatism seems to be by design, as the Cougs picked up their eighth win in nine games. New Mexico awaits this weekend. The Lobos are a little scary, …

Washington State didn't play its best game, but once again, the Cougars found a way to survive and win -- this time against San Diego State. The Aztecs surprised the Cougs with a pass-heavy attack, while the offense again had one of its lulls. But both sides of the ball came alive in time to pick up another win and stay on track for a quality bowl …

The Cougars turned in a comfortable win over the Rainbow Warriors on Saturday for homecoming, improving to 6-1. John Mateer looked fantastic as the offense as a whole took a step forward, and the defense generated a bunch of turnovers. All in all, it was a welcome, largely stress-free experience against a team that they should do that to. Other top…

WSU traveled to Fresno State and found the going exceedingly tough against the Bulldogs. They were able to emerge unscathed, however, thanks to a superlative performance by the defense. While we're thrilled to celebrate a win, we also have to try and figure out what it means for the rest of the season. What can be done to make sure the offense isn'…

The bye week is finally in the rear view mirror for WSU football. With roughly half the season in the books, let's look back at what we learned and think about how the rest of the season might play out. First up, of course, is Fresno State. The Bulldogs don't seem to present any kind of particular challenge, but it's a road game against a team that…

It's been a wild couple of weeks since we've recorded an "official" show. The Cougs won the Apple Cup (which we memorialized in an emergency show recorded on a phone at a bar), then they beat San Jose State (in one of the wildest games Pullman has seen), then the Pac-12 decided to expand again, going through a week of angst that ended with Utah Sta…

The Cougs won the Apple Cup, 24-19, thanks to a dramatic goal line stand in the final minutes of the game. We might have lost our minds. And we simply HAD TO record a quick show at Marco Polo after the game.על ידי Jeff Nusser and Craig Powers

Washington State beat the crap out of Texas Tech on Saturday in Pullman, has the Apple Cup coming up against the Washington Huskies on Saturday ... and that wasn't even close to the biggest news of the week for the Cougars. Such was the titanic announcement on Thursday that WSU and Oregon State were choosing to rebuild the Pac-12 by inviting four t…

The Washington State Cougars demolished the Portland State Vikings, and it was super fun. But also … it really was just the appetizer for this week’s main course: Hosting Texas Tech in Pullman on Saturday. Let’s look back on last weekend’s game and then turn an eye toward the Red Raiders. Topics of discussion Portland State: The Cougs put up a trul…

Let’s look forward to the upcoming season — which, as we all know, sets up to be one that is unlike any in our lifetimes. There are so many unknowns … with the roster, with the opponents, with the future. We start off by talking about our excitement before wandering into our areas of concern, including what we should expect out of John Mateer this …

For the first time in more than a decade , EA Sports finally -- FINALLY!! -- dropped a new version of the old NCAA football video game this week. It's a big moment for those of us of a certain age, and Craig wasted little time diving in. We've got lots of thoughts about an institution that has made its triumphant return. Also included this week: Th…

Apple Cup tickets went on sale for season ticket holders. And hooooooo boy are the prices something to behold: The cheapest, “get in the door” ticket is $94 (plus, I presume, fees). The most expensive ticket — in the club seating between the 40s — is $424+. There also are 12(!!) pricing levels in between those two extremes. Did the game organizers …

It’s no secret that raising NIL funds is a real challenge for WSU. It’s also no secret that the Cougar Collective has been fighting the good fight, doing what it can to help the school be competitive on that front. But this week, the game changes: Every purchase of Ol’ Crimson Legendary Lager sends cash to the Cougar Collective. How lucrative could…

The annual Crimson and Gray game is on Saturday, and that’s when we’ll get our first real look at the Cougars’ rebuilt roster — and the first real chance to talk about something substantive other than the off-court upheaval of men’s basketball. All eyes, of course, will be on the two guys battling it out to succeed Cam Ward as the starting quarterb…

The last two weeks have felt like two months in the world of Washington State Cougars men’s basketball, but late last week, we finally were introduced to the program’s new coach: David Riley. The more we dig into Riley — and the more we hear from him — the more impressed we are with him, and the more excited we are about what he might be able to do…

Did you know? We have a newsletter! Sign up at podcastvseveryone.com to get additional content about WSU sports and whatever else is on our minds. The last time we recorded a show, the Cougs had just been selected as a No. 7 seed in the NCAA tournament. Since then … WSU beat Drake in the first round. WSU lost to Iowa State in the second round. Kyle…

Before we get rolling with today’s newsletter and celebrate WSU’s inclusion in March Madness, we want to tell you real quick about one of our favorite newsletters: Extra Points by Matt Brown. Extra Points offers both free and premium options — for a limited time, Podcast Vs. Everyone subscribers can get 15% off the regular subscription price. Click…

Last week sucked, so we’re not going to talk about it. Instead, we’re looking forward to the Pac-12 Tournament. It actually tipped off on Wednesday, but for the first time since 2008, Washington State was not playing on that first day. That’s because the Cougs are seeded 2nd in the field. And we now know their opponent: No. 10 Stanford, who came ba…

It wasn’t easy, but it was still a sweep, as the WSU men’s basketball team returned home to face USC and UCLA last weekend. The Cougars trailed by double digits in both games but showed the resiliency that has served them so well in soaring to a 23-7 overall record and 14-5 in the Pac-12. And now, Washington awaits. Topics of discussion Men’s baske…

Washington State’s win over Arizona last Thursday will go down in history as one of the great ones in program history. Pay no mind to the loss to Arizona State that followed it; the win over the Wildcats says so much more about who these Cougs really are. Topics of discussion Men’s basketball: After breaking down the game against Arizona, we talk b…

WSU beat Stanford on Saturday, but that was really just the appetizer to the main course: The Cougs will take on Arizona in Tucson on Thursday for a share of the Pac-12 lead — and control of their own destiny down the stretch for the final Pac-12 regular season crown. The Cougars already own a victory over the Wildcats this season, a 73-70 affair i…

The Washington State Cougars are absolutely rolling through their men’s basketball season, having picked up their sixth consecutive win on Thursday night with a fairly easy win over Cal in their return to Pullman after a three-game road swing that resulted in wins over Washington, Oregon State, and Oregon. As usual, Kyle Smith and his merry band of…

The Washington State Cougars are flying as high as they have in 15 years, with a dramatic overtime victory over Washington moving them not just up to second place in the Pac-12 — only a game behind Arizona — but also into the vast majority of bracket projections for the NCAA tournament. The win over the Huskies was satisfying on many levels. Craig …

Another weekend, another string of massive victories for WSU basketball — both men’s and women’s. This week, we start off with the women, who picked up what probably is the greatest regular season win in program history when they defeated No. 2 UCLA on the road on Sunday. It was the very definition of a pyrrhic victory, though: Charlisse Leger-Walk…

Greetings from Pullman! With a day to kill in between basketball games — we’re here to watch the women play against Arizona today — we decided to go kick it at The Coug on Saturday with friends and watch the men take on Cal. And then we figured … heck, why not bring the gear and record a show? The basketball game didn’t go the way we planned, but b…

Since last week’s episode — which came on the heels of UW’s loss to Michigan in the CFP championship and WSU’s men’s basketball win over USC a couple of days later — Washington has lost its football coach, the Cougs beat No. 8 Arizona in men’s basketball, the women beat UW at Hec Ed, and the Huskies hired a marginally successful coach away from Ari…

Washington State entered Wednesday’s game at USC teetering on the brink of irrelevancy. The Cougars were staring down 1-4 in the conference with Arizona on deck. But as he has done so many times in his tenure as the head men’s basketball coach, Kyle Smith cooked up something special and WSU improved to 11-5 overall and 2-3 in the Pac-12 with a 72-6…

Hey folks! Just wanted to give you a quick update on some stuff behind the scenes. Be sure to sign up for our newsletter at our new website: podcastvseveryone.com!על ידי Jeff Nusser and Craig Powers

It’s Apple Cup week!!!!!! Can’t you feel the excitement????? There are always a lot of complex emotions wrapped up in this game, but this year they’re amplified by the end of the Pac-12 conference, Washington’s role in that, and the announcement this week that the Apple Cup will continue for the foreseeable future. Washington is playing to keep the…

Wins have been hard to come by these days for WSU, but the Cougs got a huge one on Tuesday when a judge ruled that Washington State and Oregon State — alone — will govern the Pac-whatever out of this phase and into the next one. Craig watched the whole thing, and we’ve got lots of thoughts on what the decision means for the future of WSU, and the c…

As you all are extremely well aware, the last month of WSU sports hasn’t exactly been a whole lot of fun. Enter basketball! The men’s and women’s teams tipped off their seasons on Monday, and each of them delivered a resounding victory in Beasley Coliseum: The 24th-ranked women first defeating Cal Poly (78-61), then the men dispatching Idaho (84-59…

How on earth did things get this bad? From ranked No. 13 in the AP poll to the wrong end of a four-game skid that threatens bowl eligibility, things are very bad with WSU’s football team. And when we look around Pullman, things aren’t much better — volleyball has dropped three of four in a fashion that we didn’t even imagine was possible, and socce…

Well, that could hardly have gone worse! No. 13 WSU football traveled to Los Angeles and lost to UCLA. No. 4 volleyball hosted No. 3 Stanford and lost. Soccer went to Tempe and got pummeled by Arizona State, 5-1. And yet, even in the wake of these disappointing results, we find ourselves encouraged by many aspects of the performances turned in, par…

WSU football has soared to No. 13 in the AP poll after beating then-No. 14 Oregon State 38-35, followed by watching the Beavers easily hand then-No. 10 Utah a humbling 21-7 defeat the next week. Just how good have the Cougars been in this opening four-game stretch? They currently rank sixth in ESPN.com’s “resumé” metric, sitting one spot ahead of G…

If you haven’t been paying attention to WSU volleyball, it’s time for you to start. Because folks, this is not an exaggeration: We have a legitimate national championship contender on our hands in Pullman. It’s tough to properly contextualize what Jen Greeny’s squad accomplished in three matches over the span of eight days. Beating a top 10 team at…

A week ago, we wondered what the weekend might bring, not just in terms of the outcome of the football game against the Big Ten’s Wisconsin Badgers — visiting Pullman for the first (and almost certainly last) time — but in terms of how everyone would be feeling. As it turned out, everyone was feeling pretty damned good from start to finish. Let’s c…

WSU started off the football season with a bang, smacking around Colorado State in Fort Collins in the return trip of a home and home series with the Rams. It sure looks like the Cougs are in about as good of a position as they can be heading into this weekend’s massive matchup with Wisconsin in Pullman. If the old adage — the biggest improvement h…

It’s been a loooooong time since we’ve recorded an episode — 133 days to be exact. With football’s season opener on tap this Saturday, we figured it was time to get back on the horse. And we do talk about football … but not before we get pretty mad about the conference situation. I guess it was a little cathartic? Anyway, come get mad all over agai…

The end of WSU’s basketball season was a real bummer, but we got a bit of very good news just in time to record a new episode: The commitment of transfer Jaylen Wells from Sonoma State. Wells is a 6-foot-7 wing who, as a sophomore, lit up the California Collegiate Athletic Association to the tune of 22.1 points and 8.7 rebounds per game, being name…

Good morning. Go Cougs! As you read this, the Cougs are in Philadelphia, preparing to open up the 2023 NCAA Tournament on Saturday against Florida Gulf Coast. That deserves a deep-dive preview on the matchup. WSU, seeded 5th, would seemingly be a prohibitive favorite against the No. 12 seed Eagles. But FGCU is actually quite terrifying as an oppone…

The WSU women's basketball team has done what once was thought to be impossible: Win a Pac-12 championship with a 65-61 win over UCLA in Las Vegas. Let's celebrate. Then, let's turn our attention to the men, who beat UW handily and are heading into their own conference tournament riding a six-game win streak. Podcast music by Randy England. You can…

Wins against Stanford and Cal have given the WSU men five wins "on the trot," as we say in soccer -- and it's propelled the Cougs into sixth place, with an eye on potentially securing the No. 5 seed in the Pac-12 tournament -- and maybe another appearance in the NIT. But they'll need a victory over Washington in the season finale first. And we make…

Don't forget: SB Nation is cutting off support for the podcast. To continue to get our work, the best thing is to subscribe to our newsletter at podcastvseveryone.substack.com. You'll get the podcast and ALSO get some writing from us! The Cougs welcomed the Washington Huskies (and former teammate Noah Williams!) to Pullman over the weekend, and the…

When Noah Williams announced last April that he was transferring away from Washington State after three years in Pullman, it wasn’t exactly a shock. When Williams announced less than a week later that he was heading back to his hometown to play for the Washington Huskies, it was ... a bit more surprising. Now, Williams returns to town for the first…

It was a killer weekend for WSU basketball, where the Cougs won three of four against the Arizona schools, capped by the women knocking off the ranked Wildcats in Tucson. It was the first time the Cougar women have won two games against ranked opponents on the road -- just another feather in Kamie Ethridge's cap. Music by Randy England. You can fin…

We were hoping for a split on the road for men's basketball, but the mountain trip proved perilous -- as usual -- and the Cougs returned to Pullman without a victory. What does it mean for the rest of the season? Then, we talk women's hoops' equally rough weekend. How will the NCAA committee weight the absence of Charlisse Leger-Walker? Music by Ra…