Washington State
Cougars

"I just knew he was the type of superstar coach that could end up in our league. But we're both competitors and we'll be trying to do everything we can to help our respective teams win when we play each other."

Bone, 50, spent four seasons at Portland State and led the Vikings to NCAA tournament appearances in the past two years. He replaced Tony Bennett, who left after three seasons to coach at Virginia.

"To be able to coach in the Pac-10 is the ultimate to me," Bone said. "The Pac-10 is as high as I ever dreamed of going."

Romar is not the least surprised Bone has ascended to the Pac-10.

"No question. Even when he was an assistant, you speak with certain athletic directors about jobs and I always felt it was just a matter of time," Romar said. "He's a good one."

Bone wasted no time improving the Cougars' roster. He landed a key spring signee, adding Seattle native Reggie Moore, who played last season at Brewster Academy in Wolfeboro, N.H.

"Reggie is exactly what and who we needed to add to our backcourt," Bone said of Moore, who will compete to replace Taylor Rochestie at point guard. "He's a multi-dimensional guard that can play a couple of positions. His ability to score in a variety of ways and also deliver the ball to others is what we were looking for.

"With the addition of Reggie, I really like our group of young guards."

Moore will get the chance to play alongside sophomore Klay Thompson, one of the Pac-10's most promising young players.

Moore, at 6-1, 175 pounds, played one year at Brewster Academy, helping the team to a 22-12 record and a spot in the New England Prep School league semifinals.

As a senior at Seattle's Rainier Beach High in 2008, Moore averaged 13 points and 10 assists for a 29-1 team that won the Washington state 3A title. He was a two-time all-state selection and the state 3A player of the years as a senior.

WHAT WENT WRONG: Senior center Aron Baynes averaged 12.7 points and 7.5 rebounds, but seemed to fade out of the picture at times. Senior forward Daven Harmeling, a valuable role player the two previous seasons, never adjusted to an expanded role and finished the season shooting 29.3 percent from the 3-point line. The offense produced seven points per game fewer than a year ago.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "I think, in time -- maybe not, maybe I'm wrong -- but in time the kids will recover and, I think, having been there six years, I really feel like the program is left in a better place. That was important to me." -- Coach Tony Bennett, explaining his decision to leave Washington State for Virginia.

KEY RETURNEES: Sophomore Klay Thompson returns with one of the purest shooting strokes of any player in the Pac-10. He hasn't figured out how to get to the basket -- explaining the fact that he attempted just 31 free throws in 33 games -- but he's so smooth from the perimeter he should be able to take defenders off the dribble. Forward DeAngelo Casto, who averaged 4.4 points and 4.0 rebounds in just 16 minutes per game, should make a huge leap, and guard Marcel Capers figures to battle for a starting job after an encouraging freshman season.

ROSTER REPORT:

--Freshman guard Klay Thompson skidded into the off-season, failing to reach double digits in any of the Cougars' final four games. Owner of one of the Pac-10's sweetest shooting strokes, Thompson followed his 1-for-11 effort vs. UCLA in the Pac-10 tournament with a 2-for-11 performance against Saint Mary's in the NIT.

--Fabian Boeke, a 6-11 sophomore center from Hamburg, Germany, has ended his playing career due to his continued back problems, allowed the Cougars to recoup a scholarship.

--Freshman guard Nick Witherill was released from his scholarship.

--Charlie Enquist, a redshirt sophomore who was a scholarship player in 2007-08 but not last season, was rewarded with a scholarship for 2009-10.