Transfers Lead the Way For Washington State at Forward in 2025

Similar to their situation at guard, WSU doesn't have much starting experience in the forward rotation. However, the Cougars will arguably have more potential at this position group, given some of the guys they are bringing in. Washington State is also returning a player from last season whom they are hoping will take another step forward. Let's take a look at how coach Riley's team is shaping up in the front court heading into November.

There won't always be a clear distinction between exact positions in this area of the floor, as the Cougars have a couple guys who can play like a small forward/power forward hybrid. One exception to this will be returner Rihards Vavers, who plays mostly as a true SF. The Latvian junior came on strong towards the end of last season, and showed his affinity for shooting the deep ball. In their West Coast Conference tournament match against LMU, Vavers went 4 of 5 from beyond the arc, finishing with 16 points and five rebounds. An established shooting threat, Rihards could play a big part in opening up the floor for the point guards, giving them a driving lane by forcing the defense to respect his presence on the perimeter.

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Coach Riley has also managed to acquire a couple of forwards from fairly prominent programs. One of these guys is Texas Tech transfer Eemeli Yalaho, a 6'8" junior who averaged 3.3 points and 2.4 rebounds in eight games played for the Red Raiders, before suffering an injury. While the Finland native didn't put up huge numbers in the Big 12, he did demonstrate quality instincts playing down near the basket in the minutes he got for Texas Tech. With the experience he acquired playing in a power conference, the Cougar coaching staff is hoping that Yalaho will be a solid contributor in the front court this season. Another intriguing piece they’ve brought it at power forward is Boise State transfer Emmanuel Ugbo. Though he didn’t see consistent playing time last season with the Broncos, Ugbo showed flashes of what he can do. In the Mountain West Conference championship game last March, Ugbo answered the call with a performance of 17 points, five rebounds and three blocks.

Finally, High Point transfer Simon Hildebrandt has also joined the Cougars this offseason. A 6'9" Canadian who played on HPU's tournament team last season, Hildebrandt is a good spot-up shooter who also has some power driving to the hoop. Though he only averaged five points a game last season, Simon was efficient in the limited minutes he got for the Panthers. He put up a season-high 13 points in the conference tournament quarterfinal against Gardner Webb, going 5-6 from the floor and hitting three triples.

Wrap-up

With the departure of so much talent from last year's squad, WSU is making the most of what they were able to get in the front court. There are likely to be some growing pains at the start of the season, with guys who will be playing with one-another for the first time. On paper, this isn't a unit that is going to jump out at opposing teams. However, there could be a high ceiling for guys like Ugbo and Hildebrandt who never got starting opportunities at their previous destinations. The same goes for Eemeli Yalaho, who played good basketball for Texas Tech last season prior to sustaining an injury.

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