Washington State is going global again. The Cougars have signed Australian wing Roman Stathis, the program announced Friday, marking their 10th addition of a busy spring overhaul.
Listed at 6-foot-7, Stathis hails from Sydney, Australia, and spent last season at Golden State Prep in Napa, California—a post-graduate academy designed to sharpen players' skills. While details on Stathis remain scarce, early scouting reports highlight his ability to knock down catch-and-shoot three-pointers and attack closeouts on offense.
Given the Cougars' recent flurry of signings, Stathis could be a candidate for a redshirt year in his debut season. Washington State's 2026-27 roster is nearly complete, with head coach David Riley noting in a Zoom press conference this week that just one more addition remains, expected next week.
Stathis joins a revamped squad that now features 12 players: Oregon transfer guard Jamari Phillips, UNLV transfer Ladji Dembele, Northwestern transfer Tyler Kropp, Providence guard Jaylen Harrell, Wake Forest guard Sebastian Akins, Central Missouri (DII) transfer Lazerek Houston, Manhattan transfer Fraser Roxburgh, TCU transfer RJ Jones, and Eastern Washington transfer Casey Jones. The Cougars also signed incoming freshman Brayden Kyman, while returning redshirt freshman Dominik Robinson and walk-on guard Dio Blakely round out the group.
The roster overhaul comes after a massive exodus. Phillips will help offset the departures of 12 players, including 10 who entered the transfer portal: Ace Glass (Vanderbilt), Tomas Thrastarson, Eemeli Yalaho (NC State), ND Okafor (Ole Miss), Jerone Morton, Ri Vavers (Memphis), Parker Gerrits (Wyoming), Brunel Madzoum, Kase Wynott (Idaho), and Emmanuel Ugbo, who was suspended for the final nine games due to a protection order.
Additionally, point guard Adria Rodriguez returned to his native Spain for a professional contract, and Simon Hildebrandt exhausted his college eligibility. That leaves Washington State with just two players returning from last season's squad: Robinson, who redshirted as a true freshman, and walk-on Blakely.
With a nearly blank slate, the Cougars are betting big on international talent and transfer experience to build a competitive foundation for the future.