WSU Basketball: Former Idaho Gatorade Player of the Year Will Make an Impact for Cougars

Kase Wynott, who won the award in 2024, will play for Washington State this season.

Keenan Womack | Sep 2, 2024

Mar 14, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Washington State Cougars mascot Butch during the game against the Stanford Cardinal at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

6'6" guard Kase Wynott, the 2024 Idaho Gatorade Player of the Year, had several offers coming out of Lapwai High School in Winchester, including home-state schools Idaho and Idaho State, as well as Eastern Washington, Weber State, UC-San Diego, Utah State, Indiana State, Montana State, Washington, and Washington State.

Initially committing to play for Utah State, Wynott had a change of heart and de-committed on March 26 of 2024. When current Washington State coach David Riley left the Eastern Washington job and joined the Cougars, he had already established a relationship with Wynott, and upon Wynott's de-commitment from the Aggies, was offered by both the Cougars and the Washington Huskies.

He opted to stay closer to home and joined Riley's team, as his hometown is just 64 miles away from the Washington State campus in Pullman. The oversized off-guard broke the Idaho state scoring record his senior season, which had stood for 31 years, set by Jared Mercer with 2,589 at Kamiah High School. Mercer ended up playing a small role for the Idaho Vandals in his collegiate career.

Wynott finished his high school campaign with 2,962 points as well as three state titles in four seasons. He also owns the single-game scoring record with 68 points, set against Genesee High School in January of 2024. His pedigree makes him one of, if not the most decorated Idaho high school basketball player in history, and he brings this scoring ability to the Cougars this season.

Wynott will play shooting guard and small forward this year for Washington State, and though there is a bit of a logjam at the wing spot with Cedric Coward, LeJuan Watts, Isaiah Watts, and Rihard Vavers all vying for minutes, the Idaho product will still see some playing time, even if it is more in a reserve role as he adjusts his game to the Division-I level.

Regardless, Wynott will likely be a career player for the Cougars, and by the time he has developed more, can be a real asset for this program.

Published Sep 2, 2024

KEENAN WOMACK

Keenan Womack is a sportswriter native to Dallas, Texas, who has spent the last 12 years in Austin, the home of his alma mater, the University of Texas. Keenan has covered sports for SB Nation, Bleacher Report, Rivals/Orangebloods, a host of his own sites and now, Fan Nation. Focusing on basketball, Keenan was on the beat for the Longhorns hoops team for the last two-and-a-half years before moving on to pursue other opportunities. He is married and lives with his wife close to the Moody Center, so they can continue to catch games together.