Top 5 basketball players who could return to Washington State for 2024-25 season ft. Isaac Jones

The Washington State Cougars men`s basketball team is among the few programs that got hit by the offseason exodus. They`ve lost two main rotation players to the NBA Draft, as well as more than a handful of folks to the transfer portal.

As such, if they want to compete again for the NCAA Tournament title, they need to retool their roster while also taking note of their returning players.

Here are the top potential returning players for Washington State men`s basketball in the upcoming season.

Top basketball players who could return to Washington State

#1 Isaac Jones

The departure of the Cougars` several rotation players means that Isaac Jones can get more touches than he had last season and potentially up his numbers more. He was the team`s best scorer all year and also their best rebounder (15.3 points, 7.6 rebounds).

NCAA Basketball: NCAA Tournament Second Round-Washington State Cougars vs Iowa State Cyclones

As a fifth-year senior, this will be Jones` last dance for Washington State and he needs to bring it more than ever.

The 6' 9", 245 lb native of Spanaway, WA, skipped this year`s NBA draft and opted to stay, despite a lot of his teammates also entering the portal.

#2 Isaiah Watts

Freshman Isaiah Watts is a little further down Washington State`s ladder.

In 31 total games, he only averaged 3.7 points, 0.9 rebounds, and 0.5 assists on 10.1 minutes per contest. But the young man`s potential is there, and perhaps all he needs is some more reps to truly be a major contributor.

NCAA Basketball: NCAA Tournament First Round-Drake vs Washington State

His biggest asset for the team should be his three-point shooting. Watts hit 37.7% of his attempts from deep, making around 2 attempts per game.

So with him likely getting more minutes in the upcoming season, there`s a good chance for him to banner a team that was only seventh in three-point shooting efficiency in the Pac-12.

#3 Jabe Mullins

A 6-foot-6, 200-lb senior out of Snoqualmie, WA, Mullins appeared in 24 games this season and couldn't put up decent stats.

Aside from that, he also saw his minutes from the 2022–2023 season dashed. Mullins notably only shot 27.5% from the field and 26.5% from three this season.

NCAA Basketball: Pac-12 Conference Tournament Semifinal-Colorado vs Washington State

But Washington State clearly is desperate in terms of depth, so they`ll need to at least try to help Mullins find his shot once again.

If he could at least return to his 2023 form (when he shot 43% from rainbow country), then he could realistically contribute on offense once again.

#4 AJ Rohosy

Just like a few others on this list, AJ Rohosy`s numbers for the 2024 season aren`t worth looking. He`s due to get more reps for the 2025 season, so maybe he could up his numbers more in the absence of major cogs in Washington State`s frontcourt.

NCAA Basketball: NCAA Tournament First Round-Omaha Practice

If his career in high school is any indication, Rohosy has the potential to at least be a 10-point, five-rebound guy every night for the Cougars if he gets his rhythm. Here`s an excerpt describing his four-year high school career from the team`s offical profile on him:

"AJ Rohosy led Marin Catholic High School to an 11-3 record and a perfect 8-0 record in Marin County League play, while being named to the Marin Count Athletic League First Team...as a junior for the Wildcats, AJ nearly averaged a double-double with 11.5 points and 7.6 rebounds per game. The front court threat pulled in 5.5 offensive boards per game and shot 56% from the floor in 2019-20."

#5 Ben Olesen

At this point in the list, Washington State is scraping the proverbial bottom of the barrel with senior guard Ben Olesen. As a redshit senior, he appeared in just one game after being injured during the 23-24 offseason (via WSUCougars.com).

NCAA Basketball: Washington at Washington State

He had been dealing with a major knee injury for a good chunk of his career, so it remains to be seen whether he`d finally play up for the upcoming season.

Either way, Olesen is still a First Team All-Wesco honoree and second team all-area honoree during his career at Jackson High School in Mill Creek, Washington. So there`s no lack of skill or in-game experience there.