Washington State Cougars men's basketball

The Cougars earned a #3 seed in the NCAA Tournament and beat Oral Roberts 70–54 in the first round. The Cougars then lost to Vanderbilt in the second round 78–74 in double overtime. Their final record was 13–5 in the Pac-10 and 26–8 overall, which tied the school record for most wins in a season. During the 2006–07 season, the Cougars swept rival Washington, Arizona, Arizona State, USC, Oregon State, and California. In the tournament, the coaching staff wore a pin saying TAY, which stood for Turn-Around Year. After the season, Coach Tony Bennett received the Naismith Coach of the Year award, the highest honor for a college basketball coach.

In 2008, the Cougars returned to the NCAA Tournament. The Cougars earned a #4 seed and were matched up against #13 seed Winthrop University. The Cougars dominated in the second half after a 29–29 tie in the first half to finish 71–40, far beyond the 9 point margin they were favored by.[5]

After two straight victories in the NCAA Tournament, the Cougars headed to the Sweet Sixteen for the second time in school history. In the Sweet Sixteen, Washington State was matched against the #1 overall seed North Carolina. During the first half, both teams seem evenly matched, but North Carolina took control in the second half and won by a score of 68–47.[6] The Cougars finished the 2007–08 season with a record of 26–9.

The Cougars have appeared in six NCAA Tournaments, with an overall record of 6–6.

The Cougars have appeared in five National Invitation Tournaments (NIT). Their combined record is 7–5.

The Cougars have appeared in one College Basketball Invitational (CBI). Their combined record is 4–2.

Gonzaga University is a Jesuit university in Spokane, about 75 miles (120 km) north of Pullman.[12] As of the 2013–14 season, Washington State has a 98–50 (.662) lead in the series against the Bulldogs; the series began in 1907 and has most recently been played annually since 2001.[13] The game in December 2007 marked the first time the two met as ranked teams.[14] Visiting Washington State was ranked #6 in the AP Poll and won 51–47 over #19 Gonzaga at the McCarthey Athletic Center.[15]

A non-conference series since 1959, Washington State has played the Idaho Vandals of neighboring Moscow annually since 1906 in a rivalry dubbed the Battle of the Palouse; the U of I is less than eight miles (13 km) east of Pullman. They often met four or five times per season until 1964, reduced to twice a season for the next decade. It has since become an annual event early in the schedule (except for the mid-1990s, when two games per season were played). The continuing rivalry is the oldest in the western United States,[16] four years older than WSU's series with the Washington Huskies.

The two played the first-ever regular season basketball game in the newly-enclosed Kibbie Dome in January 1976, won by the Cougars.[17] The rivalry was at its peak in December 1982 when 11,000 were in the same venue for a Saturday night overtime thriller, won by the Vandals.[18][19][20][21]

Washington State has a 163–110 (.597) lead in the series through December 2017, when Idaho won 91–64 in Moscow, for a third win in four years.[16] Before that, WSU had won 11 straight and 19 of the previous 21 meetings.[22][23]

The University of Washington is located in Seattle, nearly 300 miles (480 km) west of Pullman. As of 2019, the Washington Huskies have a 183–104 (.638) lead in the series that began in 1910.[24]