5 Washington State basketball games to circle on the 2026-27 schedule

The completely overhauled, new-look Washington State Cougars will get the basketball bouncing Saturday with their intra-squad “Crimson & Gray” scrimmage at Friel Court in Beasley Coliseum.

It will give third-year coach David Riley his best opportunity to evaluate a new cast of incoming transfers, headlined by guard Lazerek Houston (Central Missouri), forward Ronnie Harrison (East Texas A&M) and guard Jamari Phillips (Oregon).

And with the 2026-27 WSU schedule largely finalized and released earlier this week, here are five games that should create a buzz among the fan base:

Nov. 21 vs. Duke (neutral)

Mar 27, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Did we say buzzy? Well, a matchup against one of college basketball’s true blue bloods - five-time NCAA Division I champion Duke - is a great place to start.

WSU will play Jon Scheyer and the Blue Devils for the first time in school history at the Acrisure Series holiday tournament in Palm Desert, California.

Already a projected preseason top-three team nationally by many media outlets, the Blue Devils return arguably the deepest roster in the sport, led by junior center Ngongba, who could be the program’s best 2027 NBA Draft prospect, point guards Caleb Foster and Cayden Boozer, high-scoring transfer John Blackwell (Wisconsin) and touted teenager Joaquim Boumtje, a 7-foot-2 center who might have the highest playmaking ceiling of all.

The last time the Cougars played an ACC program was in the 2008 NCAA Tournament under former coach Tony Bennett. They lost to North Carolina, 68-47, in the Sweet 16.

Dec. 28 at LSU (road)

Mar 22, 2025; Providence, RI, USA; St. John's Red Storm guard RJ Luis Jr. (12). | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

At this point, who knows what - or specifically who - will be awaiting the Cougars for this non-league title three days after Christmas.

Hot-topic Will Wade is back for his second coaching stint with the Tigers, and he has brought a whole new wave of talent with him to Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Question is - of the newcomers, who will be eligible to play?

The headliner is RJ Luis Jr., the former Big East player of the year from St. John’s who declared for the 2025 NBA Draft and ended up signing a free-agent contract with Utah. He never played in a professional game.

Luis is part of a group trying to regain eligibility to play for LSU, which also includes a pair of 2025-26 UCLA standouts in Skyy Clark and Donovan Dent. As of now, the Tigers have just four eligible players on the roster.

Jan. 6 vs. Gonzaga (home)

Gonzaga head coach Mark Few shakes hands with Washington State head coach David Riley following a game at the McCarthey Athletic Center in Spokane, Wash. | Photo by Myk Crawford

No longer is the top-25 national stalwart just the program up the road 80 miles away. The Zags and WSU are now locked in as members of their second conference together in back-to-back seasons - the newly shaped Pac-12.

Gonzaga has won 17 of the 20 games against the Cougars, including an 83-53 victory in Spokane last February. The Zags have won nine games in a row in the series.

Can Gonzaga return to a dominant force in college basketball this season? Yes, but it’s dependent on a couple of factors.

The Zags are waiting to hear about the eligibility status of three transfers with plenty of experience - Florida guard Xaivian Lee, Florida State forward Chauncey Wiggins, and Dayton guard Javon Bennett.

And, of course, can Braden Huff regain his old form? The 6-foot-10 center was plagued by a knee injury that wiped out the second half of his junior year. If he is fully healthy, he and rising sophomore Davis Fogle could be one of the best duos in college basketball.

Nov. 2 vs. Davidson (home)

Oklahoma State Cowboys forward Christian Coleman (4) dribbles beside Davidson Wildcats guard Josh Scovens (4). | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

This is as much about the occasion - WSU’s season opener - as it is about the opponent.

After a dismal 12-20 season a year ago, including a road loss to this same Wildcats team in North Carolina (85-69), the Cougars are in dire need of an early spark in November.

Beating Davidson would be a start.

Forward Josh Scovens is the Wildcats’ returning leading scorer as a senior. They also have key transfers Jackson Keith (Butler) and Nick Janowski (St. Thomas of Minnesota) coming in, as well as guard John Carter Jr., who played in 109 career games at Navy (2018-22) before spending the last four years away from basketball in the U.S. Marine Corps.

March 6 vs. Utah State (home)

Mar 9, 2024; St. Louis, MO, USA; Northern Iowa Panthers head coach Ben Jacobson. | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

By the time this regular-season finale rolls around in Pullman, either the Cougars will be battling for a spot in the conference postseason tournament, or they will be playing out another frustrating string of games.

The Aggies won the Mountain West title a year ago, and return conference player of the year Mason Falslev, who should be one of the top scorers in the Pac-12 at guard. He is in line to have his best season yet.

One of the roster personnel emphases in the offseason for new coach Ben Jacobson, who built one of the most respected programs in the country at Northern Iowa, was fortifying the frontcourt with bigger bodies.

He has reigning MWC sixth man of the year Karson Templin already near the basket - and now has a face he’s familiar with from Northern Iowa in Will Hornseth as an addition, as well as defensive-minded center Connor Turnbull.

The last time these schools met was in 2022-23. The Aggies won, 82-73.

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