Washington State basketball is gearing up for a major transformation. Head coach David Riley has confirmed that the Cougars' roster for next season is nearly finalized, promising a wave of new talent that could reshape the program's trajectory.

"I think we did a really good job being efficient this year in the portal," Riley said during a Zoom press conference on Friday. With the exception of one more post player to be announced soon, the new-look roster is locked in.

This overhaul comes after a tough 12-20 season—WSU's first losing campaign in seven years. The Cougars lost their entire starting five to the transfer portal, including star guard Ace Glass (Vanderbilt), forward ND Okafor (Mississippi State), and others who landed at high-major programs. In total, Riley noted that outgoing transfers secured roughly $10 million in NIL deals combined at their new schools.

"We basically 10x'd their value, and it's exciting for those guys," Riley said. "Obviously we would love to keep them and have more retention. But we've created a clear path: players can 5x or 6x their NIL value in one year, 10x in two years, even 50x in three. That's what we've seen with guys like LeJuan Watts and Cedric Coward."

To fill the gaps, Washington State has brought in nine transfers, plus a prep school standout. The newcomers include Oregon transfer guard Jamari Phillips, UNLV forward Ladji Dembele, Northwestern's Tyler Kropp, and Providence guard Jaylen Harrell, among others. They'll join returners Dominik Robinson and Dio Blakely, along with incoming freshman Brayden Kyman.

Riley believes the timing of this year's portal work gives the Cougars an edge. "We have a lot more talent walking in the door than we did last year," he said. With 11 newcomers adding depth and versatility, the program is betting big on a quick turnaround. For fans and gear enthusiasts alike, this roster refresh signals a new era—and plenty of reasons to grab some fresh Cougars apparel for the season ahead.