Podcast Vs. Everyone

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 quarterback: John Mateer and Zevi Eckhaus. Neither one has separated himself; and while that probably won’t happen on Saturday, either, it still will be interesting to take a much closer look at each of them. That’s just one of many things we’ll be looking for this Saturday at 3 p.m. PT on Pac-12 Network, which is where we start off this week’s show. Topics of discussion Spring football: We haven’t seen a whole lot in terms of video from WSU these past few weeks, but there was finally an extended highlight reel from the second scrimmage last weekend. We break down what we saw and what it means for what we hope to see this weekend. Men’s basketball: The roster churn continues. We assess what we’ve lost, what we’ve gained, and whether it’s a good idea to become EWU South. Beer: Jeff — Citra Crush (Rueben’s); Craig — Czech Dark Lager (Structures). Women’s basketball: Kamie Ethridge got an extension. Should we have hope that Charlisse Leger-Walker and Johanna Teder might come back? Notes Podcast music by Randy England. You can find more of his work on Instagram. You can also subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast services: Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Or, manually add this feed to your podcast app of choice: https://feed.podbean.com/podcastvseveryone/feed.xml

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 in Pullman. This episode was a fun one for us, as it’s one the rare occasions we were able to record at the same location — this time, at Beer Star in Tacoma after watching the NCAA championship. Let’s get excited about the future of Cougar basketball. Topics of discussion NCAA championship: Purdue kept it interesting for about 10 minutes, but the Death Star that is UConn did what it does to the Boilermakers. What makes the Huskies so good? WSU men’s hoops: Initial impressions of Riley and a bunch of thoughts about what might be in store for the roster. Beer: Craig — Rice Lager (Gold Dot). WSU women’s hoops: The Cougs crash landed in the semis of the WBIT, but it was a fun ride along the way. Notes Podcast music by Randy England. You can find more of his work on Instagram. You can also subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast services: Apple Podcasts Spotify Or, manually add this feed to your podcast app of choice: https://feed.podbean.com/podcastvseveryone/feed.xml

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 Smith left for Stanford. Pat Chun left for UW. What. The. Hell. We try to make sense of it all, which — to be honest — took us on quite the journey. Notes Podcast music by Randy England. You can find more of his work on Instagram. You can also subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast services: Apple Podcasts Google Play Spotify Or, manually add this feed to your podcast app of choice: https://feed.podbean.com/podcastvseveryone/feed.xml

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 on the link and select “Cougar Gold” to secure your discounted subscription. FOLKS: WE ARE DANCING. FINALLY. OFFICIALLY. DANCING!! Like you, we can hardly contain our excitement — and that meant grabbing our microphones and recording a Selection Sunday show to celebrate the Cougs’ inclusion as a No. 7 seed in the NCAA Tournament. It’s a long show, but that’s how it goes when your team hasn’t participated in March Madness in 16 years. WSU’s opponent is the No. 10 seed Drake Bulldogs out of the Missouri Valley Conference. The Bulldogs are and interesting and intriguing mid-major matchup. We agree that we’re glad the Cougs are playing a mid-major and not a high major, but WSU cannot take them lightly — the Bulldogs might not have elite athletes, but they most certainly have weapons that can hurt the Cougs if they’re not on their game. Topics of discussion Men’s basketball: Top of mind for the Cougs will be how to defend Tucker DeVries, who is an exceptional scorer. Top of mind for Drake will be keeping the Cougs off the offensive glass. Can WSU rein in their turnovers? And we take a very brief look at what Iowa State might hold in the next round if WSU can get past Drake. Women’s basketball: The Cougs were left out of the field. Pain. But they’re playing in the WBIT which is cool, we guess?. Beer: Jeff — A Seed To Blackened Acres (Holy Mountain); Craig — Beyond Spacetime, Beyond Self (Holy Mountain). Notes Podcast music by Randy England. You can find more of his work on Instagram. You can also subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast services: Apple Podcasts Google Play Spotify Or, manually add this feed to your podcast app of choice: https://feed.podbean.com/podcastvseveryone/feed.xml

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 back from an 18-point second half deficit to beat No. 7 California in overtime — and whom the Cougs have already beaten twice this year by a combined 27 points. What might a third matchup have in store? Topics of discussion Men’s basketball: Should Andrej Jakimovski play in this tournament? That shoulder looks pretty bad! And how deep do the Cougs need to go to affect their seeding? The projections have dropped a bit over the past couple of weeks. Beer: Jeff — Golden Gal (Single Hill); Craig — Doug The Dark (Ferment). Women’s basketball: Not much of an update to provide, but we’ll find out their fate on Sunday. Notes Podcast music by Randy England. You can find more of his work on Instagram. You can also subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast services: Apple Podcasts Google Play Spotify Or, manually add this feed to your podcast app of choice: https://feed.podbean.com/podcastvseveryone/feed.xml

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 basketball: The games against USC and UCLA were challenging for different reasons. The Trojans’ defense proved to be difficult to crack, but some hot 3-point shooting powered the Cougs to the win. And DJ Rodman returned … to a chilly reception. The Bruins, meanwhile, tried to turn the game in to a rock fight. Now, the Huskies come to Pullman for the season finale. How could it affect the Cougs’ seeding in the NCAA tournament. Beer: Jeff — Snow Cone (Single Hill); Craig — Unaltered State (Wayfinder). Women’s basketball: The Cougs failed to make it to even the quarterfinals in their defense of the Pac-12 Tournament crown, getting bounced unceremoniously by Cal in a blowout. Now, we wait for Selection Sunday, which is a week and a half away. Will WSU sneak into the field? It’s dicey. Notes Podcast music by Randy England. You can find more of his work on Instagram. You can also subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast services: iTunes Google Play Spotify Or, manually add this feed to your podcast app of choice: https://feed.podbean.com/podcastvseveryone/feed.xml

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 briefly about what went wrong against ASU before moving into previewing the weekend’s games against USC and UCLA. DJ Rodman makes his return to Pullman and he said some … curious … things in the lead up to the game. Beer: Jeff — Tweak (Avery); Craig — Oude Groseille à Maquereau Verte Tilquin à L'Ancienne (Gueuzerie Tilquin). Women’s basketball: The Cougs picked up a really nice win over Oregon on Senior Day. With their tournament hopes likely hanging by a thread, they head to the mountain schools desperate for at least one win before the Pac-12 Tournament. Notes Podcast music by Randy England. You can find more of his work on Instagram. You can also subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast services: iTunes Google Play Spotify Or, manually add this feed to your podcast app of choice: https://feed.podbean.com/podcastvseveryone/feed.xml

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 in Pullman. But now they have to travel to one of the more hostile venues in the conference. It won’t be easy. But nothing worth having ever is. Can WSU pull off another upset win? Topics of discussion Men’s basketball: Recapping the win over Stanford, then breaking down the keys to a regular season sweep against Arizona. Limiting turnovers will be absolutely key. Beer: Jeff — The Abyss (Deschutes); Craig — Forest King (Structures). Women’s basketball: After starting the weekend with a sizeable loss to Arizona, the Cougs rebounded with a beatdown of Arizona State. It was a huge relief for a team that was on a five-game losing streak. Notes Podcast music by Randy England. You can find more of his work on Instagram. You can also subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast services: iTunes Google Play Spotify Or, manually add this feed to your podcast app of choice: https://feed.podbean.com/podcastvseveryone/feed.xml

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 Wheatfield Underdogs absolutely own the PNW. And yet, there was a bit of trepidation coming back to Beasley to face the Golden Bears, who are well coached, play hard, and feature one of Those Dudes with Jaylon Tyson. It was Tyson who was largely responsible for WSU’s last loss, going off in the final few minutes in Berkeley. The Cougs made sure there was none of that drama this time. Really, this was utter domination. And we broke it down. Other topics of discussion Men’s basketball: After we finished talking about Cal, we looked ahead to Stanford. A reasonably talented, but deeply flawed team that isn’t particularly well coached and doesn’t match up real great with WSU. Drinks: Jeff — Vodka with Topo Chico Twist of Lime soda; Craig — Household Gods (Otherlands). Women’s basketball: More losses. Sigh. Notes Podcast music by Randy England. You can find more of his work on Instagram. You can also subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast services: iTunes Google Play Spotify Or, manually add this feed to your podcast app of choice: https://feed.podbean.com/podcastvseveryone/feed.xml

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 was there. Let’s relive it. Topics of discussion Men’s basketball: Beating UW in Seattle never gets old. Why is this team so good? It’s the stellar offense led by the studs who can go get a bucket. A dangerous game at Oregon State looms. Beer: Jeff — Red Eye November 2021 (Bottle Logic); Craig — Fundamental Observation 2023 (Bottle Logic). Women’s basketball: Life after Charlisse Leger-Walker got off to a rough start. There’s a lot of talent on the roster, but is there enough time left in the season to sort it out? C’mon students: Craig has a message for the kids who aren’t going to the games. Notes Podcast music by Randy England. You can find more of his work on Instagram. You can also subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast services: iTunes Google Play Spotify Or, manually add this feed to your podcast app of choice: https://feed.podbean.com/podcastvseveryone/feed.xml

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-Walker went down with a non-contact knee injury that looked very bad. Is this the last we’ll see of her in crimson and gray? And if so, what does it mean for the team going forward? Other topics of discussion Men’s basketball: The Cougs were so tough against Colorado, as they finished off a perfect weekend that has catapulted them into the thick of the Pac-12 basketball title race — and into NCAA tournament projections. What will they need to do the rest of the way? Beer: Jeff — Speedway Stout, salted caramel brownie edition (Alesmith); Craig — Plum, 2021 harvest (Hill Farmstead). Notes Podcast music by Randy England. You can find more of his work on Instagram. You can also subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast services: iTunes Google Play Spotify

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 being in God’s Country with some of our favorite folks — including our special guest, Cougfan’s Jamey Vinnick — lifted our spirits significantly! Topics of discussion Men’s basketball: Losing to Cal on the road is hardly a killer for NCAA tournament chances, but that doesn’t discount what a shitty loss it was — when you have a 95% win probability, you definitely don’t want to be one of the 5 out of 100 that goes badly. We break down how it all went wrong. Beer: Everyone — Frenz Giving (Bale Breaker, et al.). Women’s basketball: The Cougs beat up on Arizona State with an 18-0 run to start the game and sorta cruised from there. Favorite memories: When we have a special guest, we love hearing about their memories as a Coug. Jamey doesn’t disappoint. Notes Podcast music by Randy England. You can find more of his work on Instagram. You can also subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast services: iTunes Google Play Spotify Or, manually add this feed to the podcast player of your choice: https://feed.podbean.com/podcastvseveryone/feed.xml

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 Arizona to fill its vacancy as an unprecedented number of their players announced their intentions to depart the program. We had a hard time remembering a more fun and satisfying week than this one. Podcast music by Randy England. You can find more of his work on Instagram. You can also subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast services: iTunes Google Play Spotify https://feed.podbean.com/podcastvseveryone/feed.xml

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 72-64 victory over the Trojans in what might have been WSU’s final visit to the Galen Center in Los Angeles. That win — powered by Isaac Jones’ monster night with 26 points, 11 rebounds, and 3 assists — had us riding high through the first segment of this week’s show. Other topics of discussion Women’s basketball: An 0-3 start in Pac-12 play is not what anyone had envisioned, but also … this conference is no joke — four teams ranked in the AP top 10, a whopping 10 teams ranked in the top 60 of NET. So, while there’s no shame in losing any of these games, WSU needs to start getting some wins. They’ll try to exact some revenge on the Huskies on Sunday at Hec Ed. Beer: Jeff — Colita de Rana (Stoup + Varietal + Loza Farms); Craig — Triple B’s (E9). CFP Championship: Oh my goodness, did we love Michigan’s win over Washington. Notes Podcast music by Randy England. You can find more of his work on Instagram. You can also subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast services: iTunes Google Play Spotify

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!

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 their CFP hopes alive, while the Cougs are playing for bowl eligibility. There are a lot of reasons to think that WSU can play well enough to win — and that UW could play poorly enough to lose — but … we have a lot of recent history in this game to suggest that it won’t be close. That said … beating Colorado in the fashion in which the Cougs did might give us a little more hope than we otherwise might have for a road game against a top 5 team. How are you feeling about it? Other topics of discussion: * Beer: Jeff — Fresh Catch (Block 15); Craig — A Deal With The Devil (Anchorage) * Men’s basketball: The Cougs split a pair of games, losing to Mississippi St. then beating Rhode Island. We learned a lot in these two games, the vast majority of it positive! * Women’s basketball: The Cougs are still undefeated. Now they’re in Cancun, Mexico, for a tournament. * Volleyball: Winning in five sets against ASU wasn’t exactly how it was planned, but a win is a win and now WSU sets its sights on Washington on Friday. Podcast music by Randy England. You can find more of his work on Instagram. You can also subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast services: * iTunes * Google Play * Spotify

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 conference as a whole. How are you feeling about it? Other topics of discussion: * Football: Everything still sucks. Maybe they can beat Colorado on Friday? * Beer: Jeff — Fresh Hop Lateral A (Single Hill); Craig — Chamomile tea. (For real.) * Men’s basketball: Off to a 2-0 start, the Cougs face a big measuring stick contest against Mississippi State on Saturday morning. * Women’s basketball: The Cougs are 4-0 after their busy early schedule, but … should we be a little bit worried about Charlisse Leger-Walker? * Volleyball: The Cougs needed a big win, and they got one over USC last weekend. Podcast music by Randy England. You can find more of his work on Instagram. You can also subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast services: * iTunes * Google Play * Spotify Thanks for reading Podcast Vs. Everyone! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support our work. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit podcastvseveryone.substack.com

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). Look, nobody is saying that either of these outcomes guarantee enormous things for either team — both contests certainly had that “first-game vibe” that everyone is familiar with, and both opponents were decidedly overmatched. We’re just saying that it was incredibly nice to start our weeks by enjoying a couple of Cougar victories on a Monday evening with nothing bad happening in the time between that and when we recorded. Other topics of discussion: * Beer: Jeff — Fresh Hop Fiend (Stoup); Craig — Vanilla Deth (Revolution). * Football: Everything sucks. * Soccer: They lost to Washington to end the season. Jeff was there. It was dreadful. * Volleyball: Things are looking up(?) after sweeping Cal. There’s still a big chance to finish the season strong. * NIL: Jake Dickert said something that riled people up. Maybe it riled you up. It did not rile us up. Podcast music by Randy England. You can find more of his work on Instagram. You can also subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast services: * iTunes * Google Play * Spotify This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit podcastvseveryone.substack.com

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 soccer has just one win in its last six. In the last two weeks, the Big Three fall sports have combined for one win — ONE! — in 10 combined games. It’s the kind of thing that makes you wonder if maybe the problems run deeper than the things that normally plague college teams. Like … maybe it has something to do with the state (or lack thereof) of the Cougs’ conference affiliation going forward? Other topics of discussion: * Football: Recapping ASU and previewing Stanford. How on earth are the Cougs double-digit favorites over anyone in the conference at this point? * Beer: Jeff — Hearts & Bines (Varietal); Craig — Juicy Bits (Weldworks). * Basketball! The women and men each tip off their seasons on Monday. What’s in store? Podcast music by Randy England. You can find more of his work on Instagram. You can also subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast services: * iTunes * Google Play * Spotify This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit podcastvseveryone.substack.com

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, particularly as it pertains to football and volleyball. Craig’s got the week off, so let’s discuss all this and more — with special guest Zane Murfitt! Other topics of discussion: * Beer. Jeff: Fresh Hop Gorgeous IPA (Rueben’s Brews). Zane: Johnny Utah (Georgetown). * Volleyball dropped a heartbreaker to No. 3 Stanford. * WSU soccer started its weekend with a nice comeback win over Arizona, but then crashed hard on Sunday. Podcast music by Randy England. You can find more of his work on Instagram. You can also subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast services: * iTunes * Google Play * Spotify This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit podcastvseveryone.substack.com