Arizona Daily Star / Tucson.com Subscriber?

[YoDeFoe]

Can someone with a Tucson.com subscription post the below story for us, please?

https://tucson.com/sports/arizonawildca ... fe7e9.html

[BBQ wildcat]

"For six weeks this summer, Washington State coach Kyle Smith had a chance to work with Kim Aiken Jr., showing him where he fit in the Cougars’ plans. Then Aiken made a one-way trip to Tucson.

“I guess the six weeks wasn’t as good as we thought,” Smith said, laughing.

It wasn’t the Cougars’ practices that prompted the Eastern Washington grad transfer to recommit last week to the Wildcats, his first choice until coach Sean Miller was fired in April.

Aiken committed instead to WSU and enrolled as an undergraduate, allowing him to join the Cougars for offseason workouts. But Aiken said he decided to leave Pullman late last month after being told he could not advance to WSU’s graduate political science program despite his 3.48 EWU grade-point average, a situation Smith said was “unusual.”

“What bums me out is that I coached in the Ivy League (at Columbia) and really care about academics and so does he,” Smith said. “He’s unique. He’s really driven to do that stuff and so I’m not bitter about it.”

Well, except about one thing.

It was, “Hey, just go to the Big 12!,” Smith said.

Smith struck out there, too. Aiken will return to Pullman next season in a visitors’ uniform, meaning Smith will instead have to scheme against Aiken — not for him.

That may not be easy.

“I think he’s just a really solid two-way player,” Smith said. “He’s a plus defender, and he’s better offensive player than people think. He really plays hard. I think he’ll start for them.”

The Big Sky Conference’s defensive player of the year and an all-conference pick while averaging 11.3 points and 8.4 rebounds for Eastern Washington, the 6-7 Aiken can play either at power forward alongside Azuolas Tubelis, Christian Koloko or Oumar Ballo, or at small forward alongside two of them."

[Spaceman Spiff]

Not that I'm advocating this, but if you use secret/incognito mode on your phone, I've heard Tucson.com does not paywall you.

[YoDeFoe]

Not that I'm advocating this, but if you use secret/incognito mode on your phone, I've heard Tucson.com does not paywall you.

Classic, thanks for the reminder. And thank you BBQ

[YoDeFoe]

“I think he’s just a really solid two-way player,” Smith said. “He’s a plus defender, and he’s better offensive player than people think. He really plays hard. I think he’ll start for them.”

The Big Sky Conference’s defensive player of the year and an all-conference pick while averaging 11.3 points and 8.4 rebounds for Eastern Washington, the 6-7 Aiken can play either at power forward alongside Azuolas Tubelis, Christian Koloko or Oumar Ballo, or at small forward alongside two of them."

Gotta agree with Smith here, better offensive player than people realize, is likely to start (or get some starts), and can play either forward spot well.

[Merkin]

Not that I'm advocating this, but if you use secret/incognito mode on your phone, I've heard Tucson.com does not paywall you.

I use incognito mode on my desktop all the time on pretty much all paywall sites including this one.

[UAEebs86]

Not that I'm advocating this, but if you use secret/incognito mode on your phone, I've heard Tucson.com does not paywall you.

I use incognito mode on my desktop all the time on pretty much all paywall sites including this one.

We are a paywall site? I guess I was given a free subscription!

[Spaceman Spiff]

“I think he’s just a really solid two-way player,” Smith said. “He’s a plus defender, and he’s better offensive player than people think. He really plays hard. I think he’ll start for them.”

The Big Sky Conference’s defensive player of the year and an all-conference pick while averaging 11.3 points and 8.4 rebounds for Eastern Washington, the 6-7 Aiken can play either at power forward alongside Azuolas Tubelis, Christian Koloko or Oumar Ballo, or at small forward alongside two of them."

Gotta agree with Smith here, better offensive player than people realize, is likely to start (or get some starts), and can play either forward spot well.

I'd be shocked if he starts much. First, unless we see a lineup where Koloko's almost unplayable, I think we start Kerr, Terry (potentially Larsson), Mathurin, Tubelis and Koloko every game.

If we can't use Koloko and have to go small, I think we go Kerr, Larsson, Terry, Mathurin and Tubelis. Bottom line, Tubelis and Mathurin are locked into starting roles in the frontcourt, IMO. Big lineups, Koloko is the obvious third guy.

Aiken's chance would come in smaller lineups, but I'd expect Larsson, Terry and Mathurin to at least start out. They're all good enough to handle the glass and I know you like Aiken's O, but that's a much more dynamic offensive lineup.

[Chicat]

Not that I'm advocating this, but if you use secret/incognito mode on your phone, I've heard Tucson.com does not paywall you.

I use incognito mode on my desktop all the time on pretty much all paywall sites including this one.

We are a paywall site? I guess I was given a free subscription!

Get Premium

[Spaceman Spiff]

Not that I'm advocating this, but if you use secret/incognito mode on your phone, I've heard Tucson.com does not paywall you.

I use incognito mode on my desktop all the time on pretty much all paywall sites including this one.

We are a paywall site? I guess I was given a free subscription!

Uh, do you think I post angry accusations against Bobby Robbins because I'm some sort of deranged Arizona basketball fan?

No, it's because I hope I'll get some of that sweet BDW cash one of these days.

[YoDeFoe]

I'd be shocked if he starts much. First, unless we see a lineup where Koloko's almost unplayable, I think we start Kerr, Terry (potentially Larsson), Mathurin, Tubelis and Koloko every game.

If we can't use Koloko and have to go small, I think we go Kerr, Larsson, Terry, Mathurin and Tubelis. Bottom line, Tubelis and Mathurin are locked into starting roles in the frontcourt, IMO. Big lineups, Koloko is the obvious third guy.

Aiken's chance would come in smaller lineups, but I'd expect Larsson, Terry and Mathurin to at least start out. They're all good enough to handle the glass and I know you like Aiken's O, but that's a much more dynamic offensive lineup.

Admittedly, I like a lot of our players' O - big Larsson fan and I'd be happy to see Terry step-up to starting quality as well. And I agree of course that we've basically got four guys locked in as starters (Kerr, Mathurin, Tubelis, Koloko) with four guys fighting for the final spot (Kier, Larsson, Terry, and Aiken). Even going small, it's tough competition to get two of those guys into the lineup. So I'm not going to forecast any of those four as permanent starters, but I think we shouldn't discount the flexibility, two-way play, and basketball IQ that could lead Aiken to getting some starts this season - especially given the youth of the higher ceiling guys.