1975–76 Washington State Cougars men's basketball team

{{short description|American college basketball season}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}

{{Infobox NCAA team season

|mode=Basketball

|year=1975–76

|team=Washington State Cougars

|image=

|image_size=150

|conference=Pacific-8

|division=

|short_conf=Pac-8

|CoachRank=

|APRank=

|record=18–8

|conf_record=8–6

|head_coach=George Raveling

|hc_year=4th

|asst_coach1=

|asst_coach2=

|asst_coach3=

|stadium=Performing Arts Coliseum

|champion=

|bowl=

|bowl_result=

}}

{{1975–76 Pacific-8 Conference men's basketball standings}}

The 1975–76 Washington State Cougars men's basketball team represented Washington State University for the 1975–76 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. Led by fourth-year head coach George Raveling, the Cougars were members of the Pacific-8 Conference and played their home games on campus at the Performing Arts Coliseum in Pullman, Washington.

The Cougars were {{nowrap|18–8}} overall in the regular season and {{nowrap|8–6}} in conference play, fifth in the standings;{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=hqRVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=LOADAAAAIBAJ&pg=6444%2C1189225 |work=Eugene Register-Guard |location=(Oregon) |agency=UPI |title=WSU wins as Huskies take fourth |date=March 7, 1976 |page=1B}}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=3pBfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=pzAMAAAAIBAJ&pg=2740%2C1863749 |work=Lewiston Morning Tribune |location=(Idaho) |last=Emerson |first=Paul |title=WSU nips UW 61-59 |date=March 7, 1976 |page=1B}}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=7vlLAAAAIBAJ&sjid=0fgDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3739%2C1759143 |work=Spokane Daily Chronicle |location=(Washington) |last=Brown |first=Bruce |title=Weekend's emotional for WSU hoop coach |date=March 8, 1976 |page=17}}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=NPNLAAAAIBAJ&sjid=de0DAAAAIBAJ&pg=6854%2C2760463 |work=Spokesman-Review |location=(Spokane, Washington) |title=Bitter, sweet mark end |date=March 8, 1976 |page=16}} it was Washington State's first winning season in six years.

On Wednesday, January 21, WSU met Palouse neighbor Idaho in the inaugural varsity basketball game in the recently enclosed Kibbie Dome in Moscow. The festivities included an alumni game, featuring Idaho great Gus Johnson, won by Washington State.{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=_bBfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=4jIMAAAAIBAJ&pg=5873%2C5364449 |newspaper=Lewiston Morning Tribune |location=(Idaho) |title=Dome opener |last=Emerson |first=Paul |date=January 21, 1976 |page=1B}}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=_LBfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=4jIMAAAAIBAJ&pg=4290%2C5163165 |newspaper=Lewiston Morning Tribune |location=(Idaho) |title=Idaho cage great Gus Johnson returns to Palouse |last=Barrows |first=Bob |date=January 20, 1976 |page=1B}}{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=_rBfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=4jIMAAAAIBAJ&pg=4183%2C5586383 |newspaper=Lewiston Morning Tribune |location=(Idaho) |title=WSU also captures alumni game 74-63 |last=Spotleson |first=Bruce |date=January 22, 1976 |page=1B}} The varsity Cougars also won the main event, 84–67, before 6,449 spectators,{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=_rBfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=4jIMAAAAIBAJ&pg=4228%2C5584942 |work=Lewiston Morning Tribune |location=Idaho |last=Emerson |first=Paul |title=Crowd of 6,449 sees Cougar romp in dome |date=January 22, 1976 |page=1B}} which easily set a campus attendance record for basketball that stood for five years.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Tk9OAAAAIBAJ&sjid=z-4DAAAAIBAJ&pg=4233%2C3318691 |work=Spokesman-Review |location=(Spokane, Washington) |last=Missildine |first=Harry|title=Vandals pass first Sky test |date=January 9, 1981 |page=25}}