SUN DEVIL 2008-09 OUTLOOK SUN DEVIL 2008-09 OUTLOOK

year ago in this very space, it was talked about how the Arizona State men’s basketball team came close in a bunch of games in 2006-07, stayed strong during a long losing streak with Agood, but young, leadership, played a bunch of freshmen, upset a team or two and built for the future with a first-year head coach as it was finding the funds and space to build a cutting-edge practice facility. The student section was teased a bit and rushed the court once and showed a tendency to get loud. A new theme is needed. Those close losses in 2006-2007 (a 4-17 record in games decided by 10 points or less) evolved into head-turning wins in 2007-2008 (7-4, including three over NCAA Tournament teams). That young leadership has now matured into a roster that has one of the league’s best seniors in Jeff Pendergraph and has eight players who have started at least one game. True, the team again played four freshman and started three on a regular basis last year, but that train has probably left the station as six of the seven freshmen who have started a game in the past two years are on the roster this year fighting for playing time. The upsets of the first year? Maybe they are not upsets when you do it consistently. ASU knocked off four teams in the top 50 of the infamous Ratings Percentage Index with wins over #9 Xavier, #14 Stanford, #28 USC and two wins over #37 Arizona. Those five top-50 RPI wins were more than NCAA Tournament teams Washington State, USC and Oregon (four each). And building for the future could apply to this coming spring, when ASU’s Weatherup Center will be completed, a big-time practice facility that will have all Jeff Pendergraph’s rebound and follow-up against Arizona was the amenities needed to recruit and then develop top talent for years the key bucket in the Sun Devil victory on Jan. 9. ASU swept the to come. And that student section? The ESPN commentators and SEC Wildcats for the first time since 1994-95 last year, and Pendergraph had 29 points in the win in Tucson. writers commented on not only how loud it was against Florida in the NIT, but how it stayed loud throughout. Even when ASU fell behind big early, they just screamed louder. in his three years, including a tumor scare, a coaching change, an eight- So what can Sparky fans expect this year? Especially after watching win season and then the roller coaster of last year being on the bubble. ASU, with zero seniors and three freshmen starters, put together one It has made him stronger. He has stayed on course on the court and in of the more impressive Sun Devil seasons in arguably the Pac-10’s best the classroom, as he will graduate this December with a not-so-simple year? economics degree. “We always want to put ourselves in position to make the NCAA Tournament The 6-9 Etiwanda, Calif., native can score (over 1,000 points in his and challenge for the things that everyone in wants,” says career), is active on the defensive end (56 blocks last year), makes his third-year head coach Herb Sendek, who is the third-youngest coach in free throws (over 75 percent in career) and, above all, is the kind of the Pac-10 but carries that loaded resume’ which includes 476 games person you want leading your program. coached, six NCAA Tournaments, 12 NCAA Tournament games and “Jeff had an outstanding season last year and knows where he has to improve,” the outrageous total of eight former assistants currently serving as a notes Coach Sendek. “He works hard and is always eager to get better. Jeff is a head coach on the Division I level. “But making the NCAA Tournament has great player to coach and a great role model for all of our student-athletes.” become increasingly more difficult. So we need to just get better daily and with Part two of ASU’s All-Pac-10 duo is , who had one of the attitude of our guys I like our chances. We’re always trying to put the players the best all-around freshman seasons in league history in a season where we have in the best position to succeed, and I think this year we have more options and more competition for spots.” AT HOME: ASU won 15 home games for first time in the 32-year history He likes his chances because he has star power in an All-Pac-10 duo, of Wells Fargo Arena last year (15-5) with wins over NCAA Tournament has a stable of solid experienced players, an energized coaching staff and teams Arizona, Xavier, Stanford, USC, Oregon and Coppin State. ASU pre- a system that continues to work as he enters his 16th year mentoring a viously won 14 home games in 1974-75 (14-0), 1979-80 (14-3), 1980-81 program with 283 career wins behind him. (14-1), 1990-91 (14-4), 1994-95 (14-3), 1997-98 (14-4), and 1999-2000 Most good teams have great senior leadership. Put a checkmark in the (14-3). ASU was 5-4 in Pac-10 home games after going 9-27 the previous Sun Devil box on this one. Jeff Pendergraph has been through a lot four seasons.

40 www.thesundevils.com 2008-2009 media guide SUN DEVIL 2008-09 OUTLOOK SUN DEVIL 2008-09 OUTLOOK

“Ty practices hard on offense without a defense, so that tells you how sharp and FRESHMEN STARTS: ASU has had freshmen make 165 starts in the tuned in he is. He had an excellent first year and gave us a tremendous boost. He Herb Sendek 64-game ASU era. USC (136) is a distant second. NCAA clearly was the difference in a number of our wins.” Tournament teams from the past two years Oregon (41), UCLA (39) and Depth on the wing comes in the form of the steady Jerren Shipp, Washington State (4) had the fewest freshmen starts in the past two who averaged 6.8 points per game in Pac-10 play in his freshman year and years. Those 165 starts were made by seven players, six of whom are set the school mark with 23 points in his first game, the best freshman still on the ASU roster. debut in Sun Devil history. He comes from a basketball family, and his smarts were on display when he was named best cutter and screener by the coaching staff after his freshman season. Last year he started in 16 several others did the same. Harden has stretched out a bit (listed now games and shot over 80 percent from the free throw line and came up at 6-5), and the first McDonald’s All-American to sign with ASU out of big in ASU’s lopsided win over No. 17 Xavier with 17 points and seven high school since Chris Sandle in 1984 has the college basketball radar boards and then helped ASU to its comeback win at Arizona with Pac-10 turned towards Tempe. When the NBA Draft dust settled last June, he season-high 11 points. He had nine boards in the win at California on Jan. became the only returning first-team All-Pac-10 player. The most famous 17 and posted a career-best 42 minutes in the Arizona overtime win on Sun Devil southpaw since Phil Mickelson and the youngest player in the Jan. 9. He has averaged 28 minutes per game in all 64 games in the past Pac-10 last year, he became just the fifth freshman to lead the league in two years. steals (73) and averaged 17.8 points, the first freshman in Pac-10 history “Jerren is very coachable and understands the game very well and has become to notch both those marks. our utility player, sort of a jack-of-all-trades,” notes Coach Sendek. “He knows “James had a fabulous freshman year. We want to see him advance on a when to release from a screen, when to cut hard, where and when the screen is broadband like all of our players, and I think that will happen,” notes Coach coming…all those little things that are hard to teach in practice. He is very Sendek. “James is somebody who has great confidence in his ability. He knows his valuable to this program.” game and he knows what he has to do better than anybody.” One of the more intriguing parts of last year was the development Speaking of knowing what to do, ASU has a double-pronged attack of another freshman, Rihards Kuksiks. The Latvian had a light bulb at the ever-important point guard slot, and for the first time in Herb turn on beginning on Valentine’s Day last year, as he helped ASU beat Sendek’s ASU career it won’t be a freshman dribbling up the floor. Junior Derek Glasser has played in all 64 games in his career and started in 40 while sophomore Jamelle McMillan started in 16 games last year and dished out 73 assists. Glasser averaged 32.2 minutes per game in his freshman year when ASU had limited depth, just a shade under two of the top Sun Devil greats in Byron Scott (34.2) and Ike Diogu (33.3), but was able to rest more last year (26.8 minutes per game) as he shot 84.1 percent from the free throw line. The Seattle-born McMillan is the son of Portland Trail Blazer coach Nate McMillan, and Jamelle had a basketball field trip dream this summer when he tagged along with dad and the Olympic team in Bejing. He takes care of the ball and will only improve in year two. “Both Derek and Jamelle do a very good job of seeing the floor and distributing to the right people at the right time,” says Coach Sendek. “They know the value of time and score. Derek played through a tough injury and has regained strength. Jamelle gained valuable experience last year.” Opposite James Harden on the wing last year was another freshman whose numbers were lost in the freshman star power of the Pac-10. The efficient and precise Ty Abbott had arguably one of the five best freshman seasons in ASU history last year when you start crunching numbers. Where did his 34 starts rank in ASU history? How about tops on the list. The 34.8 minutes per game in Pac-10 play…only teammate James Harden had more as a Sun Devil freshman. Those 76 three- pointers that was a Sun Devil freshman record? One of the top marks in Pac-10 freshman history. His 30 points vs. Cal on Feb. 16? Only two other freshmen had 30-point games last year in the league, and they were James Harden scored at least 20 points against eight of the Pac-10 lottery picks (O.J. Mayo and Jerryd Bayless). teams last year and averaged 18.2 points in league play despite being the youngest player in the Pac-10. www.thesundevils.com 2008-2009 media guide 41 SUN DEVIL 2008-09 OUTLOOK SUN DEVIL 2008-09 OUTLOOK

CLOSE GAME SUCCESS: ASU was 4-0 last year in overtime with wins over LSU, Arizona, at Cal and vs. #7 Stanford. ASU was 3-12 in two- possession games in 2006-07 (six points or less or OT) but was 6-4 in 2007-08. PAC-10 TEAMS WITH AT LEAST FOUR OT WINS (1978-79 TO PRESENT) Arizona State (4-0 in 2007-08) California (4-0 in 2006-07) USC (4-1 in 2003-04) Arizona State (4-2 in 1985-86) Arizona State (5-0 in 1980-81)

its highest-ranked opponent since it topped No. 4 Stanford on Jan. 31, 1998. In the Stanford game, he had 15 points and that would begin a 12- game stretch to finish the year as he averaged 26.6 minutes, 8.7 points and made 25 three-pointers. Best way to put it…42 points in the first 22 games, 104 points in the final 12. “Rik became comfortable with the environment and really made us better last year down the stretch. He understands the game very well and has the ability to be the beneficiary of great movement on offense.” Abbott, Kuksiks and Shipp are all solid shooters, and it is not a shock that a Coach Sendek-led team has a few marksmen. His 2003-2004 NC State team led the nation in free throw percentage (.799) and his 2005- 2006 squad was ninth in the nation in three-pointers made per game Lost in the Pac-10 parade of great freshmen last year was the (9.0). solid play of Ty Abbott. Abbott set ASU freshman records for three- Junior Eric Boateng adjusted to playing again after having to sit all of pointers (76) and games started (34) and is one of only three 2006-2007 after transferring from Duke. He saw double-digit minutes Sun Devil freshmen in history to score at least 30 points in a game. in eight of the final 11 games and his 12 points in 19 minutes on 5-of-6 shooting at Oregon State on March 8 in the regular season finale. He athletic ability and has gained weight and will hope to crack the rotation added a career-best 10 boards against Alabama State a week later. His this year. role will grow this year as ASU needs an inside presence besides Jeff Coach Sendek’s staff has two newcomers this year who are expected Pendergraph. to see playing time. Johnny Coy is a slick and thin 6-8 shooting guard “In fairness to Eric, he essentially did not play competitively for two years, and who can fill it up from deep and also hit the curve ball. A seventh-round that is a long time. As he got his feet under him and gained game experience, he draft pick of the Phillies last year, expect Coy to be on the receiving end clearly continued to rise and play better and was the difference maker in a couple of a James Harden pass a few times and be stationed outside the new of our wins down the home stretch. He simply needs to keep grinding and making three-point arc. But he won’t make a living there, as his athletic ability the effort to get better.” and length gives him the ability to get to the basket. Arizona prep product Kraidon Woods signed with Villanova out of high school but elected Taylor Rohde is a 6-8 fundamentally-sound inside player who makes to go to prep school in 2006-2007 and played in 12 games last year. The shots and is skilled around the hoop. Both have a chance to see quality 6-9 forward averaged 16.0 points in his senior year and has a tremendous minutes but ASU’s increased depth won’t mean forced playing time.

WINNERS: ASU’s roster has some sparking numbers when it comes to high school wins. Here is a quick look at some eye-popping team won-loss notes from Sun Devils in their high school careers: Sun Devils High School Notes Ty Abbott Team went 29-2 in senior year and lost in state semifinals. Derek Glasser Artesia H.S. team went 33-1 in his senior year and 111-19 in his four years. James Harden Last year he led Artesia to No. 9 final ranking by USA Today and 33-2 record. Rihards Kuksiks Florida Air Academy went 25-3 last year as he averaged nearly 30 points. Jamelle McMillan Played for a state champion in three of his four years in talent-rich Seattle area. Jeff Pendergraph Etiwanda H.S. went 62-5 in final two seasons. Jerren Shipp Fairfax H.S. went 24-3 in his senior season with a 15-game winning streak.

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FRESHMEN: Freshmen accounted for 69 of 150 starts in Herb Sendek’s rookie 30-game season (2006-07). The numbers now read 165 out of 320 starts in his 64 games (freshmen started 96 games in 2007-08). In his two years, ASU has had freshmen make 51.6 percent of the starts. Sophomores have made 68 starts (.213), juniors 51 (.159) and seniors 36 (.113). Against No. 17 Xavier on Dec. 15, ASU started four freshmen for the first time in school history. ASU FRESHMEN STARTS 2007-2008 (96): Ty Abbott (34, ASU record), James Harden (33), Jamelle McMillan (16), Rihards Kuksiks (13) 2006-2007 (69): Derek Glasser (21), Christian Polk (26), Jerren Shipp (22) 1991-1992 (45): Mario Bennett (25), Tony Ronaldson (20)

“As someone makes the adjustment from high school to college, we have to make as he currently has eight former assistant coaches serving as head coaches sure that we allow them to do that at a pace that makes sense,” notes Sendek. “To on the Division I level, including the super successful (Kent be honest, we have not been able to do that the past two years because of lack of State to TCU), (Xavier) and (Ohio State). And depth, but this year will be a good learning experience for Taylor and Johnny.” his most recent staff change was when 12-year sidekick Mark Phelps Rounding out the Sun Devil roster are newcomers Trent Anderson (a accepted the Drake job last spring. Tucson native who redshirted last year after injuring his knee), Stephen “We continue to be blessed with an outstanding group of coaches. They are Rogers, Nico Fricchione, Brenton Thomas and Virgil Sanders. character-based, experienced and passionate. They are united and determined to Coach Sendek expects the league to be much of the same, despite a continue to advance Arizona State Basketball. bevy of NBA Draft picks from the Pac-10 last year, including seven in the “It should be an exciting season. Our fan support continues to grow and certainly first round. As many as six Pac-10 teams have received top-25 rankings reflects the excitement around the program. Our student section was outstanding. in the various summer polls, as the league matched its best mark by We are determined to demonstrate continued improvement in every aspect of our sending six teams to the NCAA Tournament for the second straight year. program. Our crowds continue to grow and at the end of the season they were as In the past seven years, the league has gone 58-38 (.604) in the NCAA good as anybody in terms of their involvement in the game.” Tournament and has sent 18 teams to the Sweet Sixteen. “My first two seasons in the Pac-10 confirmed my belief that the conference is as good as any in the country and one that will consistently remain at the top because of the great coaches and players,” he notes, and this is coming from a former head coach in the ACC for 10 seasons. “We proudly feature outstanding academic institutions, future NBA players and rich basketball traditions. Pac-10 basketball is awesome.” On the sideline, southern California native Dedrique Taylor enters his third season after helping lead Nevada to the WAC Championship in 2004-05 and 2005-06. enters his second year as an assistant coach after serving as the Director of Basketball Operations in 2006- 07 and is the recruiting coordinator. The newcomer is Lamont Smith, who played at San Diego and spent the better part of the past decade at St. Mary’s helping build that program to NCAA Tournament level. Rob Spence rounds out the staff as Director of Operations. The 45-year-old Coach Sendek knows all about working on a great staff

DEFENSE: Just how good has the Sun Devil defense been the past two years? ASU has given up less than 62 points per game in each of the past two seasons, the best back-to-back seasons since the middle of the century.

ASU Lowest Defensive Point Average 1. 46.5 – 1948 2. 47.6 – 1949 3. 59.8 – 1950 4. 61.8 – 2007 Derek Glasser has 231 career assists in 64 games and is shooting 5. 61.9 – 2008 81.6 percent (93-of-114) from the foul line entering his junior season. www.thesundevils.com 2008-2009 media guide 43 The ASU File expanded to 10 teams in 1978-79. In fact, California THE HEAD COACH: Herb Sendek enters his 16th double-doubles in 2007-08 (18 in career). He is shooting .757 from the free throw line in his career (2001-2003), Oregon State (1980-82 and 1988-90) season as a head coach and has averaged 18.9 wins and Washington (1984-86 and 2004-06) are the only per season. He led the NC State Wolfpack to five (253-of-334). His 101 career blocks is sixth in ASU history. He became the 30th member of the ASU schools to have made three straight appearances in straight NCAA appearances from 2002-06 and is that time frame. now 283-193 (.595) in 15 seasons, including 191-132 1,000-point club against USC on March 1, as he has (.591) at NC State. The 45-year-old (born Feb. 22, 1,065 points in 90 career games (11.8 points per ROAD OPENER: ASU will open the Pac-10 season on 1963) , Pa., native is the third-youngest game) and also has 652 career rebounds (7.2 per the road for the fifth time in the past eight years coach in the Pac-10 behind only third-year mentor game). Tony Cerkvenik has the ASU record of 1,022 and for the seventh time in the past 11 seasons Tony Bennett of WSU and first-year mentor Johnny boards from 1960-63. Pendergraph needs 367 to tie, when it travels to 2008 NCAA Sweet Sixteen par- an average of 10.8 boards per game if he plays 34 Dawkins of Stanford. Only Duke posted more ACC ticipant Stanford on Friday, Jan. 2, and then travels games (which it did in 2007-08). wins (regular season and ACC Tournament) than NC to California on Sunday, Jan. 4. ASU has won at State’s 53 victories from 2002-2006. Coach Sendek MANY WINS AT MANY PLACES: When comes time California in each of the past four seasons. also led NC State to five 20-win seasons in his final to play on the road or at a neutral site, Herb Sendek FREE THROWS: ASU shot 73.9 percent from the seven years. Another overlooked note is his 10-year has a good map on how to win. In his career, Coach free throw line last year, the fifth-best mark in stay at NC State. To compare it to the Pac-10, since Sendek has won 280 games in 24 states, plus two the past 21 seasons and second-best in past 21. In the league expanded to 10 teams in 1978-79, only wins in Puerto Rico and one in Washington D.C. his 10 seasons at NC State, Coach Sendek’s teams five coaches have coached at their schools for at least North Carolina (153) and Ohio (51) and Arizona led the ACC four times in free throw percentage, 10 years: (currently 24 at Arizona), Ralph (21) lead the way because he has been a head including three straight seasons from 2002-2004. Miller (19 at Oregon State), (18 coach in each state, but he also has posted wins In 2004 his NC State squad led the nation and set at Stanford), (11 at California) and Ernie in Florida (seven), Michigan (six), South Carolina the ACC record by shooting .799 from the charity Kent (currently 11 at Oregon). and Virginia (five each), Georgia and Indiana (four stripe. His poorest free throw shooting team was each), Massachusetts and California (three each), HEADED IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION: Arizona State his first year (1996-97) when they shot 64.9 per- Hawaii, Texas and Maryland (two each). He has improved by seven wins in league play last year cent. While at NC State, his Wolfpack squads shot posted one win in Alabama, Utah, New York, (2-16 to 9-9), one of just 11 teams to do that in 71.3 percent. A good note that his 2003-04 squad’s New Jersey, Tennessee, Nevada, Kentucky, Illinois, league history, and just the fourth team in the past .799 mark is tied for the best mark in the NCAA the Washington and Oregon. 15 seasons (1994-95 to present). past nine seasons with St. Joseph’s in 2005-06. NCAA NOTE: Herb Sendek took NC State to the pre- TURNAROUND: ASU’s 13-win turnaround (ASU was THIEF: James Harden set the Pac-10 tournament vious five NCAA Tournaments (2002-2006) before 8-22 overall in 2006-07) was tied for the best turn- record with seven steals against USC (March 13). coming to ASU. To compare it to the Pac-10, around in the nation last year. UNC Wilmington It was the most steals by a Sun Devil since cur- only three schools (and one current Pac-10 coach) improved by 13 wins (7-22 to 20-13) while Maryland- rent NBA world champion Eddie House had seven can match that in the 30 seasons since ASU and Baltimore County (12-19 to 24-9) and Wagner (11- vs. Kansas State on Nov. 24, 1998, in the Maui Arizona joined the league in 1978-79. Arizona (cur- 19 to 23-8) improved its wins by a dozen. Invitational. It marked just the ninth time a Sun rently 23), UCLA (14 straight from 1989-2002) and Devil had at least seven steals. Harden’s 73 steals is Stanford (11 straight from 1995-2005) have had STEADY: Jeff Pendergraph had 56 blocks last year tied for fourth-best in school history and was just NCAA Tournaments streaks of more than five, but (he had 45 in his first two seasons) and shot .593 three shy of the ASU record of 76 set by Fat Lever none of the other seven Pac-10 schools have gone from the field (third in the Pac-10) and .799 from in 1981-82. the free throw line (tenth in Pac-10). He had five to more than three straight NCAAs since the league