Feb. 9—Washington State will be shorthanded at the wing position for the second time in as many games against Gonzaga, but based on who's available the Cougars may feel they're better-suited to spring an upset of the rival Zags than they were a month ago when the teams met in Pullman.
Emmanuel Ugbo played 29 minutes and scored seven points for the Cougars in an 86-65 loss on Jan. 15 at Beasley Coliseum, but the 6-foot-8 senior is not expected to play in Tuesday's 8 p.m. (ESPN2) matchup against the 12th-ranked Zags due to an unspecified violation of team rules.
Ri Vavers wore a sweatsuit and was sidelined in last month's meeting because of a head injury, but the junior has played in six straight games since then and should be on the court for David Riley's team on Tuesday.
It's a tradeoff the Cougars will take, considering Vavers is WSU's second-leading scorer at 11.1 points per game and ranks third in the West Coast Conference in 3-pointers per game at 2.5.
Ugbo has been solid in certain spots, but the Boise State transfer has started four fewer games than Vavers, averages only 6.7 ppg and doesn't provide the same perimeter-shooting threat, making only 12 3s this season.
Vavers doesn't need a lot of time to get 3-point shots off or much space, considering the junior from Latvia stands 6-foot-7 and usually plays at the "3" for Riley's team, often giving him the ability to shoot over smaller defenders.
The junior who played at Quinnipiac as a freshman before transferring to WSU last season is starting to find his stride after breaking both hands during a turbulent sophomore year and suffering a shoulder injury earlier this season.
Offensively, Vavers has been the Cougars' most consistent producer over the last three to four weeks, scoring in double figures each of his last six games while averaging 16.1 points and making 3.3 3-pointers during that stretch.
"He's been ready to break out, even since the beginning of last season," Riley said. "... He was our leading scorer since the fall (this season) and then got the shoulder injury that knocked him out for a month. He just kind of had some rough luck and it feels good to know our practices have integrity. If Ri's doing that in practice, you've got to trust it's going to come in the game at some point."
If the Zags roll with the same starting lineup for the fourth straight game, Vavers will have a height advantage on presumed defender Emmanuel Innocenti, who stands 6-foot-5 but could make up for the size disparity with strength and quickness. A variety of other Gonzaga wings, including Tyon Grant-Foster, Jalen Warley, Davis Fogle and Steele Venters, could all have stints guarding Vavers.