Two seasons ago, the Arizona State men’s basketball program was floundering.
In 2006, the first season under coach Herb Sendek, the Sun Devils stumbled to an overall record of 8-21, managing only two wins in the Pac-10.
Yet what has taken place in Tempe since that trying season is nothing short of spectacular.
After a 19-11 season last year which ended in a loss to Florida in the quarterfinals of the National Invitation Tournament, the Sun Devils entered the 2008-2009 season with high expectations. The team opened the season ranked No. 15 in the Associated Press poll and was picked to finish second in the Pac-10 media poll, receiving the one first-place vote that did not go to UCLA.
On Saturday, the No. 16 Sun Devils (14-2, 3-1 Pac-10) come to Pauley Pavilion to take on the No. 9 Bruins (13-2, 3-0) in a battle of two of the top three teams in the Pac-10. Normally, when the Bruins play the Arizona schools, it is the Arizona Wildcats that represent the biggest game for the Bruins.
Not so this season. And according to UCLA forward Josh Shipp, the rivalry that has existed between the Bruins and the Wildcats never diminished the importance of the weekend’s other game against the Sun Devils.
“Not at all,” Shipp said. “That’s always a big game for me. I like to play against my younger brother.”
Shipp’s brother, Jerren, is a junior guard for the Sun Devils. Because of his close connection to Arizona State, Shipp has a unique insight into the program and the incredible transition it has undergone in just a short amount of time.
“I think it’s a combination of things,” Shipp said. “Coach (Sendek) is doing a good job, players are buying into the system and I think their players are playing for each other. There’s no selfishness out there; they just all care about winning ball games, and it’s shown.”
One player who has played a particularly crucial role in the rise of the Arizona State men’s basketball team to a level of relevance is guard James Harden. The sophomore from Los Angeles has grown to become one of the best players in the Pac-10. This season Harden leads the conference in scoring, averaging 23.1 points per game.
Another important part to the Sun Devils’ success has been forward Jeff Pendergraph. The senior from Etiwanda and high school teammate of UCLA guard Darren Collison is averaging 13.6 points and 7.1 rebounds per game. Pendergraph will pose a difficult matchup for the Bruin frontcourt.
The Bruins are coming off three consecutive road games to open the Pac-10 season, but playing on the road has proven not to intimidate the team as they came away with three wins.
“It means a lot (to win on the road),” Shipp said. “Road games are tough to come by. It’s tough to get wins on the road in the Pac-10. It’s definitely a good conference, so whenever you can get those road wins, it’s an added advantage. But for us, we’re at home now, so we’ll do whatever we can to protect our home court.”
The most recent game came last Sunday against USC at the Galen Center. The Bruins battled from a six-point deficit in the second half to come away with a 64-60 win over the Trojans.
Freshman guard Jrue Holiday’s defensive play was a large reason for the Bruins’ success, as he limited talented USC freshman DeMar DeRozan to just four points in the second half.
“We (the freshmen) really want to help our team win, contribute in some kind of way, and I felt that we did that pretty well,” Holiday said.
In his weekly press conference on Tuesday, coach Ben Howland talked about how important Sunday’s win was and about the confidence it has given the team early in the conference season.
“It was a great win,” Howland said. “As I said going into the game, USC is very good. … That being said, it was a terrific win, to go in there on their home floor and be able to come out with a win.”
INJURY REPORT: Freshman guard Malcolm Lee dressed Sunday for the game against USC but did not see any playing time. Lee had missed the previous three games because of a left knee injury and participated in just one full practice prior to the game. Howland said that “he should be good to go this week.” Freshman center J’mison Morgan did not dress for Sunday’s game because of a strained groin. Morgan practiced for 30 minutes on Tuesday and was cautioned against coming back too soon.
With reports from Sam Allen, Bruin Sports senior staff.