ROSE BOWL REPORT

A basketball player, a quarterback and three running backs.

Washington State has one of the best receiving corps in the country--and none of them played receiver in high school.

A look at the Fab Five on the receiving end of Ryan Leaf’s passes:

* Kevin McKenzie: “Great technically, and very explosive,” receivers coach Mike Levenseller said of the senior who rushed for 1,000 yards at Long Beach Wilson High but became a receiver at Long Beach City College. McKenzie led Washington State with 50 catches and was second with 833 yards.

* Shawn McWashington: “One of the smartest kids as a football player I’ve ever coached,” Levenseller said. McWashington, a senior from Seattle who played quarterback in high school, caught 31 passes for 556 yards.

* Shawn Tims: A high school running back from Vallejo, Tims is “the quickest kid I’ve ever coached,” Levenseller said. A former walk-on, he caught 35 passes for 497 yards.

* Chris Jackson: He started college on a basketball scholarship at UC Riverside, switched to football at Orange Coast College, and led Washington State this season with 916 yards on 49 catches.

* Nian Taylor: A junior, he caught only 21 passes but had a gaudy 25-yard average. UCLA remembers him too: He caught five passes for 200 yards in the victory that proved to be the Bruins’ only loss.