Cougars suspend Casto as they prepare for NIT quarterfinals

SPOKANE — Washington State’s chances of advancing to the semifinals of the NIT in New York City took a blow with Tuesday’s indefinite suspension of post player DeAngelo Casto.

Coach Ken Bone said Casto was suspended because of a violation of team rules and would miss Wednesday’s quarterfinal

game against Northwestern in Pullman.

Bone declined to discuss the violation, and said the team will focus on the chance to advance to New York. Casto averages 12 points and six rebounds per game and is WSU’s main inside weapon.

“I am disappointed in DeAngelo as he let himself and his teammates down,” Bone said.

“It is important that our student-athletes realize that they are held to a high standard and that a lack of good judgment can be costly, especially in the postseason when so much is at stake,” director of athletics Bill Moos said.

Casto may have played his last home game. Bone said on a radio show recently that Casto may seek to play professionally in Europe next season because he has a child to support

It has been a tumultuous late season for WSU. Leading scorer Klay Thompson was suspended for a game against UCLA earlier this month after he was cited for marijuana possession. The overtime loss to UCLA was a factor in WSU (20-12) failing to get an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament.

The Cougars were invited to the NIT, where they beat Long Beach State and Oklahoma State. Northwestern (20-13) upset top-seeded Boston College last weekend.

“I think we are playing our best basketball at the end of the year,” Bone said. “That is what every team wants to achieve.’

Thompson, leading scorer in the Pac-10, scored 25 against Long Beach and 21 against Oklahoma.

“We try to make the most of the last home games we have here this season,” Thompson said. The son of former No. 1 draft pick Mychal Thompson, he is considering whether to skip his senior season and apply for the NBA draft.

He is averaging 22 points per game, and his 710 points this season are the most by a Pac-10 player since Ike Diogu scored 724 points in 2004-05.

Oklahoma State coach Travis Ford is a fan.

“He has seen every defense imaginable, I’m sure, and he plays unselfish,” Ford said of Thompson. “We think he is the best we have played against thus far individually.”