Jul. 3—PULLMAN — As Washington State looks to complete its roster for the upcoming basketball season, the program is adding some experience.
The Cougars are adding veteran Spanish guard Adria Rodriguez, according to a Thursday release, filling one of their last roster spots with the 6-foot-4 combo guard. Rodriguez will have one year of eligibility.
A three-year veteran of Lucentum Alicante, a team in the Spanish second division, Rodriguez played 34 games last season, averaging 8.1 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.4 steals. He shot 52% inside the arce and 38% on 3-pointers, his best 3-point-shooting game coming in a 3-for-5 effort.
Scoring in double figures 15 times last season, Rodriguez played 21 minutes per game in a key rotational role for Alicante, which finished the season with a 13-21 record. He had as many as eight rebounds in one game, including one outing apiece with seven and six rebounds, plus five games of five rebounds.
At WSU, Rodriguez could be an instant-impact player, considering the experience he will bring to the group. He may not have played American college basketball, but with three years of Spanish ball under his belt, that may prove valuable to a team lean on experience in spots. The Cougs have just one senior, High Point transfer Simon Hildebrandt, with four incoming freshmen set to suit up.
WSU has added some experience, including Texas Tech transfer wing Eemeli Yalaho and Boise State transfer wing Emmanuel Ugbo. WSU also returns guard Tomas Thrastarson, forward ND Okafor and wing shooter Rihards Vavers, all of whom played key roles on last season’s 19-15 team.
WSU’s freshmen include guards Aaron Glass and Brunel Madzou, forward Dominik Robinson and walk-on guard Dio Blakely. The team also returns sophomore guards Parker Gerrits and Kase Wynott, whose roles fluctuated last season based on availability and need.
Rodriguez could add perimeter defense for WSU coach David Riley, whose team struggled on defense a year ago. With good size for a guard, Rodriguez was described by his agency, Foz Sports, as a “talented PG with elite physicality. Very athletic, creative finishing and great defender, using his 6-8 wingspan to get steals.”
Rodriguez is the ninth offseason addition for WSU. The others are Hildebrandt, Yalaho, Ugbo, Morehead State transfer guard Jerone Morton, Glass, Madzou, Robinson and Blakely.