PULLMAN – Right off the bat, Kyle Smith is bringing experience to his first Washington State basketball roster.
Smith’s first commitment as the Cougars’ new coach came Deion James, a Colorado State graduate transfer forward who announced on Twitter Monday he’d be spending his final college season in Pullman.
James, who should be eligible to play immediately, will become the seventh member of Smith’s 2019-20 roster once he signs his letter of intent, joining forward CJ Elleby, guard Jervae Robinson, forward Jaz Kunc, forward Jeff Pollard and guard/forward Chance Moore.
The Cougars got James on the second try, and with a different coach, after Ernie Kent initially attempted to recruit the 6-foot-6, 220-pound forward out of Arizona’s Pima Junior College, where he was the NJCAA Division II National Player of the Year after a 2016-17 season that saw him score 20.