LAS VEGAS – Players like Kenny Wooten don’t just fall out of trees, but one look at the springy, 6-foot-9 forward and it’s easy to understand why Washington State coach Ernie Kent wouldn’t mind cloning the Oregon freshman and suiting him up in the crimson and gray.
A player with Wooten’s physical makeup, bounce and defensive tenacity wasn’t the only thing missing for the 11th-seeded Cougars in 64-62 overtime loss to the sixth-seeded Ducks late Wednesday night at the Pac-12 Tournament, but as Washington State saunters into the offseason on the heels of another short stay in Las Vegas, Kent will have a better of what his program needs to do – or acquire – if it wants to finally turn the corner.