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Mar. 24—PULLMAN — Washington State guard Nate Calmese will be moving on to his fourth school in four years.
Calmese is entering the transfer portal, multiple sources confirmed to The Spokesman-Review on Monday, ending his one-year stay at WSU. The team's leading scorer, Calmese averaged 15 points and 4 assists on 47% shooting from the field.
The news was first reported by On3 Sports. The transfer portal officially opened Monday and will close on April 22.
Joining guard Isaiah Watts as WSU's second player to enter the portal this season, Calmese shouldered nearly all the team's shot-creation and ball-handling duties this season. Calmese, who started his career with one-year stints at Lamar and Washington before signing with WSU last spring, shot just 29% from deep, and with three turnovers per game, often contributed to the Cougs' struggles in the ball security department.
Calmese earned all-WCC honorable mention honors this season, also pulling down an average of 3 rebounds in 30.2 minutes per game.
The Calmese experience often resembled a rollercoaster: He's lightning-quick, which he uses to get to the basket and finish nearly at will, and his assist rate of 29.2% ranked No. 88 nationally. But he's also turnover-prone and given to emotion, which often skewed negative, causing him in one instance to sit the final five minutes of WSU's home win over San Diego.
Calmese was also a hot-and-cold defender. At times, he would use his athleticism to nab steals and stay in front of opponents' quicker guards. But at others, he would float off the ball, and opponents took advantage.
Without Calmese and Watts, Washington State's guard rotation will look a little different for its College Basketball Crown first-round game against Georgetown, set for 8 p.m. March 31 in Las Vegas. Expect to see more of redshirt freshman Parker Gerrits and true freshman Tomas Thrastarson, the latter of whom told The Spokesman-Review he plans to stay at WSU after the Cougs' loss to San Francisco in the WCC tournament.
As the transfer portal opens, the Cougars will also look to hang on to sophomore wing LeJuan Watts, who also said he plans to stay at WSU after that loss to USF. As far as current players go, Watts' retention looms largest for the Cougs, who will play their second and final season as WCC affiliates next season before the rebuilt Pac-12 launches for the 2026-27 campaign.
In addition to Calmese and Watts' decisions to enter the portal, WSU is also likely bidding farewell to star wing Cedric Coward, who sat out for much of the season with an injury and is looking to turn pro. Seniors Ethan Price and Dane Erikstrup are also out of eligibility. Assuming Coward indeed leaves, that means the Cougs will be losing five of their top six scorers from this season, which adds up to a total of 69 points per game.
WSU now has seven open scholarship slots for the 2025-26 season. The team's only current commitment is from class of 2026 wing Brayden Kyman.
Continue reading...
Calmese is entering the transfer portal, multiple sources confirmed to The Spokesman-Review on Monday, ending his one-year stay at WSU. The team's leading scorer, Calmese averaged 15 points and 4 assists on 47% shooting from the field.
The news was first reported by On3 Sports. The transfer portal officially opened Monday and will close on April 22.
Joining guard Isaiah Watts as WSU's second player to enter the portal this season, Calmese shouldered nearly all the team's shot-creation and ball-handling duties this season. Calmese, who started his career with one-year stints at Lamar and Washington before signing with WSU last spring, shot just 29% from deep, and with three turnovers per game, often contributed to the Cougs' struggles in the ball security department.
Calmese earned all-WCC honorable mention honors this season, also pulling down an average of 3 rebounds in 30.2 minutes per game.
The Calmese experience often resembled a rollercoaster: He's lightning-quick, which he uses to get to the basket and finish nearly at will, and his assist rate of 29.2% ranked No. 88 nationally. But he's also turnover-prone and given to emotion, which often skewed negative, causing him in one instance to sit the final five minutes of WSU's home win over San Diego.
Calmese was also a hot-and-cold defender. At times, he would use his athleticism to nab steals and stay in front of opponents' quicker guards. But at others, he would float off the ball, and opponents took advantage.
Without Calmese and Watts, Washington State's guard rotation will look a little different for its College Basketball Crown first-round game against Georgetown, set for 8 p.m. March 31 in Las Vegas. Expect to see more of redshirt freshman Parker Gerrits and true freshman Tomas Thrastarson, the latter of whom told The Spokesman-Review he plans to stay at WSU after the Cougs' loss to San Francisco in the WCC tournament.
As the transfer portal opens, the Cougars will also look to hang on to sophomore wing LeJuan Watts, who also said he plans to stay at WSU after that loss to USF. As far as current players go, Watts' retention looms largest for the Cougs, who will play their second and final season as WCC affiliates next season before the rebuilt Pac-12 launches for the 2026-27 campaign.
In addition to Calmese and Watts' decisions to enter the portal, WSU is also likely bidding farewell to star wing Cedric Coward, who sat out for much of the season with an injury and is looking to turn pro. Seniors Ethan Price and Dane Erikstrup are also out of eligibility. Assuming Coward indeed leaves, that means the Cougs will be losing five of their top six scorers from this season, which adds up to a total of 69 points per game.
WSU now has seven open scholarship slots for the 2025-26 season. The team's only current commitment is from class of 2026 wing Brayden Kyman.
Continue reading...
