Casey Jones Is Coming Back to WSU This Summer, and Coach Riley Couldn't Be More Excited
Here's the thing about Casey Jones: he's been gone from the Washington State basketball program for a while now, but he's not forgotten. The Cougar forward has been on a Mormon mission, totally focused on service and personal growth, but head coach David Riley just confirmed to Cougfan.com that Jones is still locked in on returning to Pullman this summer and suiting up for the Cougars again. The original plan is still the plan: redshirt next season and play his final year in 2027-28.
Riley Gets Weekly Updates on Jones' Growth
This is honestly kind of beautiful. Every Monday, Riley gets an email with updates on what Jones has been doing out on his mission, and the coach is genuinely impressed. "That's the plan," Riley told Cougfan.com. "He gets done with his mission late summer and I get emails on what he's been doing every Monday. It's really cool kind of being this close to someone that's on a Mormon mission and I'm learning about that religion and what they're doing. And it's cool to see how he's grown and how he's helping other people right now."
Riley believes Jones will come back as a better person and a better teammate. "Whether he redshirts or not next year, he's going to be big help to our team," Riley said. "He has a championship mindset. He helps practices a lot. He's a dog out there. He's going to make it a little nasty every day in practice. We're going to stick with the plan of him redshirting, and we'll have that conversation when he gets back."
What Jones Brought Before He Left
In his last season in 2023-24, Jones averaged 12.6 points and 4.4 rebounds per game while playing 26.6 minutes nightly. He shot 54.7 percent from two and 36.2 percent from deep on 58 attempts. The guy also led Eastern in steals with 33 and earned second-team All-Big Sky honors plus a spot on the Big Sky All-Defensive team. That's a lot of production to look forward to getting back.
Changes Coming to the Roster
While Jones is on his way back, some Cougars are heading the other direction. Kase Wynott and Eemeli Yalaho are both expected to enter the transfer portal when it opens April 7. Riley has nothing but respect for both guys. "Two guys who I really love and care about that did a great job here," Riley said. "EY had a good season for us. He is a quiet guy until you get to know him and he did a good job leading our guys. He was a calming influence on the floor for us, and he's got an opportunity to make some life-changing money in the portal, and I'm happy for him."
Riley also confirmed that Simon Hildebrandt has no more eligibility left, and his college career is officially over. With Wynott, Yalaho, and other departures, WSU is looking at five open roster spots heading into next season.
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This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.