. . . And now here’s some context to the above numbers: In October a poll of Big Sky media and coaches placed WSU as the favorites to win the league. The ‘Cats were the defending champs and had finished first or second in five of the past six seasons. Rahe, who won Coach of the Year honors in 2014 – giving him four such awards – seemed to be a lock to win yet another COY award.
But instead of blowing through the league, WSU struggled to find its identity. Because preseason polls are essentially worthless, neither the media nor the coaches truly seemed to grasp the changes afoot for the ‘Cats, who had just one senior on the roster and very little practical experience.
At one point during the conference season Weber lost six of eight games and saw its best player, Jeremy Senglin, suffer a broken jaw that would keep him out for the remained of the regular season.
So there you have the particulars and the context behind them. Regardless of what happens in the Big Sky tournament, it has been a long, tough season for the ‘Cats. At various times during the season, after games, Rahe has appeared in the post-game interview room looking careworn and emotionally spent, though never overwhelmed or angry with his players.