Washington State's Emmanuel Ugbo suspended through season amid stalking accusation

Washington State forward Emmanuel Ugbo has been suspended through the 2025-26 season, head coach David Riley confirmed. The transfer from Boise State has been accused of stalking and harassment by an ex-girlfriend, who filed for a protective order.

Reports have confirmed that his ex-girlfriend is a member of the Washington State volleyball team. Her request for a full protection order was granted in Whitman County last week.

Riley confirms that the suspension began on Jan. 28, around the same time claims were made. This led Ugbo to miss a game against Portland on Jan. 31. Since then, he has not played or practiced with the Cougars.

“As an institution,” Riley said, “we believe that’s the best course of action.”

Over the past month, Washington State has gone 2-5 in the West Coast Conference, including losses against NCAA Tournament contenders Gonzaga, Santa Clara and St. Mary’s. The Cougars will conclude the regular season against Pepperdine before playing in the conference tournament next week.

For the season, Ugbo averaged 6.7 points and 3.5 rebounds in 18.1 minutes per game. The 6-foot-8 forward played in 22 games in his debut season for the Cougars, starting six games along the way. In his one season at Boise State, Ugbo averaged 3.1 and 2.3 across 36 appearances.

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This season, Washington State is playing a full West Coast Conference schedule, part of an agreement that helps the program stabilize amid the Pac-12’s dramatic breakup. Along with Oregon State, the Cougars found this as a short-term fix as they rebuild the infrastructure of their own conference.

Washington State has not found great success this season, falling to 12-18 overall and 7-10 in WCC play with a Wednesday loss against LMU. The Cougars’ only shot at an NCAA Tournament invite now is an automatic bid through the conference tournament.

As for the future, 2026-27 is scheduled to bring back the Pac-12, allowing the Cougars to leave this conference in favor of a new-look group which will feature many current Mountain West schools and a handful of other programs invited. Alongside Oregon State and Washington State, long-time powerhouse Gonzaga will leave to become a basketball-only member.

Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, SDSU, Texas State and Utah State will also join for the relaunch.