What: Colorado (15-10, 7-6) at Washington State (9-15, 1-11)

Where: Beasley Coliseum (11,671), Pullman, WA

When: Thur., Feb. 15, 8 p.m. PT

TV/Radio: Pac-12 Network (JB Long, Matt Muehlebach); Washington State IMG Sports Network (Matt Chazanow).

PROBABLE STARTING LINEUPS

Washington State – F Robert Franks (17.9 ppg), G Viont’e Daniels (8.7), G Malachi Flynn (14.5), Davante Cooper (0.8), Drick Bernstine (6.4)

Colorado – G McKinley Wright (14.5), G Lazar Nikolic (2.5), G George King (13.8), F Tyler Bey (5.8), F Dallas Walton (5.2)

Barring a last surge by Washington State over the final six regular season games, the Cougars will finish no higher than 11th place in the Pac-12 standings heading into the conference tournament in Las Vegas from March 7-10.

By any measure, the 2017-18 campaign has been a major disappointment for WSU, particularly since the Cougars won six Pac-12 games in 2016-17 and showed early season promise with the 6-0 start and Wooden Legacy championship.

However, consecutive losses to UC Davis, Idaho and UTEP knocked Washington State off-balance and they have never regained their mojo, losing 15 of their last 18 games.

Nonetheless, Ernie Kent insisted this week that he blocks out the negative “background noise” surrounding the program and tries to keep a positive outlook even as the losses mount.

“I don’t focus on background noise,” Kent said Tuesday during his weekly press conference. “I focus on my guys and what’s in front of us. I know where we’re going with this program. All I worry about is getting this team in the right frame of mind and getting enough talent into this program to get us to where we need to get to. I hear no background noise because I don’t focus on the negative. I stay positive.”

However, Kent acknowledged additional tinkering in the future with the pieces currently in place because the Cougars “aren’t quite where we need to be.”

It’s quite apparent watching the Cougs since late December that they are simply not at the same talent level or have the same amount of depth as most Pac-12 teams.

“Everything centers around recruiting and positive energy and your vision,” Kent said. “What people see on the periphery, they’re not here with us every day. The biggest challenge is convincing those on the outside of the vision you have.”

Colorado carries a three-game winning streak into Thursday night’s game at Beasley Coliseum and now stand among a pack of six Pac-12 teams with seven conference wins.

NEXT FIVE GAMES

Feb. 15 COLORADO, 8 p.m. (Pac-12 Network)

Feb. 17 UTAH, 7 p.m. (ESPN or ESPN2)

Feb. 22 at California, 8 p.m. (Pac-12 Networks)

Feb. 24 at Stanford, 4 p.m. (Pac-12 Network)

March 1 OREGON, 6 p.m. (ESPN)

(All Times Pacific)

PAC-12 MEN’S BASKETBALL SCHEDULE (Feb. 15-18)

Thu. Feb. 15

Arizona at Arizona State, 6 p.m. (ESPN)

Oregon at USC, 6 p.m. (ESPN2)

Utah at Washington, 6 p.m. (Pac-12 Network)

Colorado at Washington State, 8 p.m. (Pac-12 Network)

Oregon State at UCLA, 8 p.m. (FS1)

Sat., Feb. 17

Colorado at Washington, 5 p.m. (Pac-12 Network)

Utah at Washington State, 7 p.m. (ESPN2)

Oregon at UCLA, 7:15 p.m. (ESPN)

Oregon State at USC, 8 p.m. (FS1)

Sun., Feb. 18

Stanford at California, 5 p.m. (ESPNU)

(All Times Pacific)

CURRENT PAC-12 STANDINGS

Arizona 10-3 (20-6)

UCLA 8-5 (17-8)

USC 8-5 (17-9)

Oregon 7-5 (17-8)

Washington 7-5 (17-8)

Stanford 7-6 (13-13)

Colorado 7-6 (15-10)

Arizona State 7-6 (19-6)

Utah 7-6 (15-9)

Oregon State 5-7 (13-11)

California 2-11 (8-18)

Washington State 1-11 (9-15)