Washington State’s new-look men’s basketball group got a first public run in front of fans Saturday at Friel Court, and the hour-long scrimmage offered an early look at who might matter most once the 2026-27 season gets rolling.
The Cougars split into two evenly matched teams for the event during a busy “Parents Weekend” in Pullman, playing two 12-minute quarters. The Crimson side came away with a 47-41 win, but the bigger takeaway was the chance to see a roster with plenty of fresh faces try to sort itself out.
One name stood out fast: Ronnie Harrison. The 6-foot-8 transfer from East Texas A&M looks like the obvious candidate to carry the scoring load most nights.
He was a full-time starter and the team’s leading scorer there last season at 14.7 points per game, and he made his living around the basket. Washington State wants more than that from him.
The Cougars will lean on him to stretch out to the wing, knock down shots, and attack defenders off the dribble. He’ll also need to keep rebounding, especially with this frontcourt lacking size.
Harrison is the only true three-level scorer on the roster.
David Riley’s team also figures to rely heavily on a transfer who brings toughness and versatility. The 6-foot-5 player from Providence can shoot, defend, pass and rebound, and he has the kind of edge that can steady a group when things get bumpy.
He has already trimmed down to 30 pounds since arriving in Pullman, a sign he’s intent on making a major impact right away. Riley is going to find out quickly that he can’t really afford to sit him.
Then there’s Lazarek Houston, the 5-foot-10 guard from Central Missouri. A Pac-12 assistant told the Cougars’ staff that Houston was a player other teams had looked into, and it’s not hard to see the appeal.
He’s a slick, shifty ball-handler with a bag of tricks to get into the lane, including a stop-and-go hesitation move that can leave defenders scrambling. In a group that needs some juice, Houston looks like the kind of player fans could latch onto fast.
Washington State also has to figure out how to handle a frontcourt built around undersized bigs. Mohamed Sankhe and Dominik Robinson both check in at 6-foot-10, while Ladji Dembele stands 6-9.
Riley is expected to use all three away from the rim at times, and Dembele in particular is comfortable stepping out to the mid-range and 3-point line. He also has experience against bigger bodies after starting for half a season in the Big Ten at Iowa before transferring to UNLV, which should help him hold his own on the low block.
One more perimeter piece worth watching is Jamari Phillips, the transfer from Oregon. He didn’t have a strong scrimmage, but people around the program see him as one of the toughest guards on the roster to defend.
At 6-4 with strength, length and burst off the first step, he can stress a defense in a hurry. His calling card is the step-back jumper, and he’ll be one of the Cougars letting it fly from deep this season.
The starting groups in the scrimmage reflected the mix Riley is working with. Crimson ran with R.J.
Jones at point guard, Jamari Phillips at shooting guard, Tyler Kropp and Ronnie Harrison at forward, and Dominik Robinson at power forward/center. Gray countered with Lazarek Houston at point guard, Jaylen Harrell and Casey Jones on the wing, Ladji Dembele at power forward/center, and Mohamed Sankhe at center.
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