Hope you're all having a wonderful holiday season. I feel like I've been a bad Cougar lately. Amid all the Mike Leach hoopla of a few weeks ago, and emerging from what felt like fog-induced sleepwalking (that was some serious fog hanging around this area, am I right?), I realized the WSU men's basketball team is 8-4.

Eight and four. When did that happen?

Beating traditionally well-respected Pepperdine on Thursday is a sign that perhaps this team can overcome the early departures of Klay Thompson, who scored seven points tonight in his NBA debut, and DeAngelo Casto. The Cougs also hung tough with Gonzaga in their season opener. Of course, it can be hard to really gauge anything when their opponents also included Idaho and Western Oregon, but it's nice to see the Cougars winning supposed "gimme" games.

Only two players — Faisal Aden and Brock Motum — are averaging double-digit scoring, but they appear to be giving the Cougars desperately needed leadership.

It's a good start, and here's hoping they can continue the trend in Pac-12 play, which starts Thursday in Spokane against 9-3 Oregon.