Bracket and game times released

for 2022 Diamond Head Classic

HONOLULU, Hawaii – Washington State will tip off the 2022 Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic against George Washington, Thursday, Dec. 22 at 6 p.m. at the SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center in Honolulu, ESPN Events, announced Tuesday.

The matchup between the Cougars and the Colonials will be televised on ESPN2 or ESPNU. The other three matchups scheduled for Dec. 22 start with the morning session which begins with Iona taking on SMU in the first game of the day at noon, followed by Seattle against Utah State at 2 p.m. In the second half of the bracket, the evening session, Pepperdine will take on tournament-host Hawaii following the WSU-George Washington game at 8 p.m.

Washington State’s matchup with George Washington marks the first meeting between the teams in program history. The Cougars last faced an Atlantic-10 conference member in 2017, defeating St. Joseph’s in the Wooden Classic. The Cougars hold a 5-1 record against Hawaii and have won four-straight in the series. The last meeting between the two teams was in the Rainbow Classic, Dec. 29, 1991, a 63-61 WSU win. This season marks the third time WSU has participated in the Diamond Head Classic. The Cougars played then No. 3 Oklahoma, Northern Iowa, and New Mexico during a 2015 trip to Honolulu. The Cougars hold an 92-89 all-time record in regular season tournaments, dating back to the 1954-55 season.

Ron Stone Jr. named to

Bronko Nagursky Trophy Watch List

Washington State EDGE Ron Stone Jr. was named to the 2022 Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List, the Football Writers Association of America and Charlotte Touchdown Club announced Tuesday.

The Nagurski Trophy is presented annually to the Defensive Player of the Year in college football. Stone Jr., one of 85 players named to the list, is the first Cougar to be named to the Nagurski Trophy Watch List since Jahad Woods prior to the 2020 season.

Stone Jr. earned his first career All-Pac-12 honor last season after making 11.5 tackles-for-loss, tied for fourth in the conference, and tied for eighth in the league with five sacks. The redshirt-senior from San Jose, Calif. recorded a tackle-for-loss in eight games in 2021, including a season-high three at Utah and tallied a sack in four-straight games, helping WSU to three-straight wins during that stretch.

The FWAA and the Charlotte Touchdown Club will announce finalists for the 2022 trophy on Nov. 16 and the winner will be unveiled Dec. 5 at the Bronko Nagurski Awards Banquet in Charlotte, N.C.

Cougar football set to open

fall practice on Aug. 3

Washington State Football will begin its fall practice schedule Wednesday, Aug. 3, with a morning practice at Rogers Practice Field, Washington State coach Jake Dickert announced Tuesday. The first of 25 fall camp practices will lead into WSU’s season-opener Saturday, Sept. 3 vs. Idaho at Gesa Field.

The Cougars begin with helmets-only practices the first two days of fall camp, and will add shoulder pads day three. The first practice in full pads is scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 9.

The Cougars’ season-opener against Idaho is set for a 6:30 p.m. start on the Pac-12 Network.

Eastern adds Stroud

to men's hoops roster

Eastern Washington men's basketball coach, David Riley, announced the addition of Deon Stroud to his roster on Tuesday. Stroud, a 6-5 forward, joins the Eagles for his senior season after two years at Fresno State plus one at UTEP.

He hails from Fresno, Calif., where he attended from San Joaquin Memorial High School.

"Deon's mix of skill, athleticism and ability to guard and play multiple positions is going to give us an immediate impact in the Big Sky," said Riley. "His experience playing at the Division I level will make him a valuable piece on our team, both on and off the court. I'm excited for Deon to be part of the Eagle family!"

Stroud played in 51 games for Fresno State over two seasons, scoring 427 points for an average of 8.4 per game. His junior season with the Bulldogs saw him play in 28 games, averaging 16.0 minutes per contest.

Stroud played in 24 games (two starts) in 2019-20 during his freshman campaign at UTEP. He totaled 103 points for an average of 4.3 per game to go with 24 total rebounds, four assists, seven blocks and five steals.

College of Idaho picked fourth

in preseason Frontier grid poll

GREAT FALLS, Mont. – Three-time defending champion College of Idaho was picked to finish fourth as the 2022 Frontier Conference Football Coaches Poll was released today at the conclusion of Media Day inside the Great Falls Holiday Inn.

The Yotes, who finished the 2021 season with a 7-3 record, earned 33 voter points and a first-place vote. Montana Western received four first-place votes, earning 43 points for the top spot in the poll. Behind Montana Western was Carroll College, who got three first-place votes with 37 points to share second with Rocky Mountain College ahead of the Yotes.

Behind College of Idaho in the poll was Montana Tech (30 points), Eastern Oregon (19 points), Southern Oregon (17 points) and MSU-Northern (8 points).