5 Washington State basketball players to know entering the 2026-27 season

As part of a busy “Parents Weekend” around Pullman on Saturday, the new-look Washington State Cougars men’s basketball team held an hour-long scrimmage in front of a couple of hundred fans at Friel Court.

Teams were purposely split up evenly, playing two 12-minute quarters. The Crimson squad won, 47-41.

Here are five players who stood out in the Cougars’ first open public viewing that WSU fans might want to get to know heading into the 2026-27 season:

1. Ronnie Harrison, forward

Dec 5, 2025; Storrs, Connecticut, USA; UConn Huskies guard Braylon Mullins (24) and East Texas A&M Lions forward Ronnie Harrison (0). | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It was pretty obvious early - he will be the go-to scorer most nights for the Cougars this upcoming season.

As a full-time starter and leading scorer for East Texas A&M (14.7 point per game) last season, the 6-foot-8 Harrison primarily played near the basket. WSU will ask him to open up his game more on the wing as a shooter and also face up defenders as an off-the-dribble playmaker. He is also a willing rebounder, which should be crucial for an undersized frontcourt.

Harrison is really the team’s only true three-level scorer.

2. Jaylen Harrell, shooting guard

Dec 2, 2025; Providence, Rhode Island, USA; Providence Friars guard Jaylen Harrell (4) drives the ball while being defended by Fairleigh Dickinson Knights guard Joey Niesman (0). | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Third-year WSU coach David Riley is going to quickly learn that he really can’t afford to take the transfer from Providence off the floor.

At 6-foot-5, he has the size and skill set to do a little bit of everything - shoot, defend, pass and rebound. He also has the fiery demeanor to truly be an on-court leader for this group, especially during rough stretches.

And he’s committed to having a big first season - he’s dropped up to 30 pounds since his arrival in Pullman.

3. Lazerek Houston, combo guard

After speaking to an assistant coach in the Pac-12 about what the Cougars brought in, he mentioned that Houston - an NCAA Division II star from Central Missouri - was the player other teams looked into adding.

And it’s easy to see why - he is a smooth, shifty, offensive-minded ball-handler who has a lot of the savvy tricks of the trade in breaking down defenders, including a nifty stop-and-go, hesitation dribble move to throw them into a blender.

Only 5-foot-10, Houston should quickly become a fan favorite.

4. Ladji Dembele, center

Mar 12, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes forward Ladji Dembele (13). | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

WSU has a trio of undersized post players in the 6-foot-10 duo of Mohamed Sankhe and Dominik Robinson, and the 6-9 Dembele.

Riley will ask all three to play away from the basket at times - and the twitchy Dembele isn’t shy about firing away from the mid-range and 3-point areas.

As far as defending bigger centers in the Pac-12, Riley pointed to Dembele being a half-season starter in the Big Ten at Iowa before transferring to UNLV, so the junior is equipped to handle himself on the low block.

5. Jamari Phillips, shooting guard

Feb 7, 2026; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Oregon Ducks guard Jamari Phillips (24) looks to get past Purdue Boilermakers guard Omer Mayer (17). | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Didn’t have a great scrimmage, but ask folks around the program who see the transfer from Oregon on a daily basis, and Phillips arguably is the most challenging perimeter player to defend because of his size (6-4), strength, length and first-step burst.

His signature move is the step-back perimeter shot, and will be one of the many WSU players firing away from the 3-point arc.

‘Crimson’ starting lineup: PG R.J. Jones, SG Jamari Phillips, F Tyler Kropp, F Ronnie Harrison, PF/C Dominik Robinson

‘Gray’ starting lineup: PG Lazarek Houston, SG Jaylen Harrell, SG/SF Casey Jones, PF/C Ladji Dembele, C Mohamed Sankhe

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