Is this a transition year at WSU?

It has that appearance, with more contributors now recruited to the Bone regime than Tony Bennett's before him. While that handoff takes place, the Cougars need to win games as well.

With Klay Thompson gone, where does the offense come from?

Thompson was the Pac-12's top scorer at 21.6 points per game. Freewheeling Faisal Aden will pick up some of that slack, but it's probably going to have to be a group effort.

Who does the heavy lifting?

WSU's strength is clearly on the perimeter. The rebounding-and-defense void left by DeAngelo Casto's early exit must be minimized somehow.

Can the Cougars be more consistent?

A year ago, they took fans on a wild, and not entirely satisfying, ride, beating Washington twice but losing to teams like struggling Arizona State. This season, they need to be more even-keeled.

Will Reggie Moore return to form?

The junior point guard wasn't the same player last season, dealing with a small wrist fracture. A rebound would be a big boost for WSU.

Bud Withers