After two seasons playing basketball at the University of Idaho, Katie Madison wanted out.
She also wanted to get away.
“Throughout the process of finding a new school after Idaho, I had options to go pretty far away — and that’s what I thought I wanted to do,” the Prairie High School graduate said. “I wanted to go way far away, but I really didn’t.”
In the end, Madison could not have picked another school any closer than the one she chose: Washington State in Pullman, located about eight miles from the UI campus in Moscow, Idaho.
After sitting out a year because of transfer rules — a season which she would have been unable to play anyway following knee surgery — she had two years of eligibility remaining at WSU playing for June Daugherty, who previously coached archival Washington.
State pride won over her initial desire to get far away from Idaho.
“I wanted to play for my state,” she said. “I wanted to play somewhere close, and I just figured why not try walking on there? I know the area, and I’m comfortable in the area. I heard June’s a great coach. I grew up in Seattle and saw her program there and how successful it was. I thought maybe it would be cool to be part of something special here.”
It turned out that her moving process could have simpler.
“I took all my stuff home, and then I had to move it all back out,” she said, laughing. “My dad had to get the U-Haul again, so he was really happy.”
This is the third year since Madison’s transfer. She nicely — apologetically, in fact — declines to comment about her reasons for wanting a change.
That is the past.
In the present, Madison is a WSU senior averaging 6.8 points and 5.4 rebounds a game while leading the Cougars reserves in minutes played at 19.2 a game. Although Madison was a two-time Second Team All-Western Athletic Conference selection and was WAC Newcomer of the Year as a freshman at Idaho, she has no regrets about her path since.
“I definitely feel like I’m in the right place,” she said. “It’s not fun to transfer. No one goes to college thinking they’re going to transfer, but I’m definitely happy about where I ended up and I wouldn’t change where I’m at now.”
Madison spent her redshirt year paying attention and being involved as much as possible at practice, and said she “definitely got a feel for the system” as she waited for her return to the court.
The 6-foot forward/center is WSU’s second-leading rebounder this year, and one of eight players averaging between 6.7 and 9.8 points a game for the Cougars.
“I think my role is to play hard and be focused and be a leader and bring a sense of experience when I’m in, and just to do what they ask me to and get the job done,” she said.
“I would say my style of play is more physical. I’m kind of strong, so I’m pretty physical. I don’t really need to be, but I am. I also can shoot the three every now and then outside, so I kind of go in and out.”
The Cougars are 2-8 in a rugged non-conference schedule that concludes with an upcoming trip to Wyoming and San Diego State.
Nine of WSU’s 12 non-conference games are away from home — although three games at the Waikiki Beach Marriott Rainbow Wahine Showdown in Hawai’i was not so bad, Madison said, and a Nov. 18 game at the University of Portland was for her virtually a home game of another kind.
WSU begins Pacific-10 Conference play Jan. 31 and Jan. 2 with the Los Angeles schools in Pullman.
“We’ve had a very tough preseason, and that’s exactly what we want,” Madison said. “We want the toughest teams we can get so we can be prepared and ready for the Pac-10. Our record may not show it, but we have definitely gotten better. We’ve played great competition, and we played them very tough. I think that our preseason has definitely prepared us for Pac-10.”
Madison said the team’s goal for the Pac-10 season is simple. It’s no different from No. 3 Stanford’s goal, or that of any of the eight others.
“I think everybody’s goal is to win,” she said. “We want to win the Pac-10 and win as many games as possible. Why shoot for anything less?”
Another goal is to end the Cougars’ streak of futility against UW that is now 30 games. Madison said that would be a fitting accomplishment for her final home game, on Feb. 26.
Personally, Madison wants to make the most of her final season — “to enjoy it and play my hardest and give it all I’ve got and have no regrets.”
One nice thing about being at WSU is that her little brother Stephen — who played three seasons at Prairie before finishing his high school years at Portland’s Jefferson High — is playing basketball at Idaho.
Stephen Madison is averaging double-digit minutes for the 5-4 Vandals as a true freshman, and his big sister said, “it’s been such a blessing to be able to watch him play” when their schedules allow.
“I love it,” Katie Madison said. “I am his biggest fan. I’m definitely enjoying it. He’s happy, and I’m glad he’s happy.”
Richards, Beasley garner team awards
Junior forward Brent Richards was named Offensive MVP and sophomore forward Quinton Beasley was presented with Most Improved honors at the University of Washington men’s soccer team awards.
Both are graduates of Camas High School.
Richards led the Huskies (11-6-1, 5-5-0 in Pacific-10 Conference play) with eight goals, five assists, 21 points and three game-winning goals. Beasley scored two goals, one a game-winner.
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