Arizona State Basketball

Arizona State starts the 2012-13 season as early as ever with their Nov. 10 tipoff against Central Arkansas.

With five returning lettermen including four starters, such as junior Jordan Bachynski and sophomore Jonathan Gilling, the Sun Devils are hoping for a fast start against the Southland Conference team that only managed eight wins last year, three of them in conference.

This will also mark the debut of three redshirt players that practiced last year with the Sun Devils but were not allowed to play. Freshman phenom Jahii Carson is the biggest thing to happen to ASU basketball since James Harden, so this game will be huge for him and the program. Also making their first starts are transfer students Evan Gordon and Bo Barnes.

Let's take a look at the game by the numbers.

Where: Wells Fargo Arena, Tempe, Ariz.

When: Saturday, Nov. 10 at 5:30 p.m. MT

Watch: Pac-12 Networks

Listen: 860-AM in the metro Phoenix area or ASU All Access on the web.

Seniors Carrick Felix, Chris Colvin and Ruslan Pateev return for their final season and look to make it a memorable one. Felix averaged 5.6 more points per game when the Sun Devils won. The Sun Devils average loss was by 5.3 points per game. If Felix can bring his A-game, they will win the close games.

Colvin finished the year with seven points per game and four rebounds per game but turned it up a notch and finished the season with 8.7 points per game and five assists per game over the last 15 games.

Pateev averaged three points per game, three rebounds per game and has 67 blocks in 79 games entering his final year. The 7'0", 250-pound center has to step up and help out fellow big man, Jordan Bachynski. 

Bachynski and Colvin must have spent a lot of time together, as Bachynski finished the year with an average of six points per game and four rebounds per game. The final stretch of 13 saw Bachynski's number skyrocket to 10.1 points per game as well as shooting .643 from the field.

As a freshman last year, Jonathan Gilling starred and had he played more than 18 games, he would have been a shoo-in for Pac-12 Freshman of the Year. He finished second in minutes per game (31.9) and three-point percentage (.416) while finishing fifth in points per game (9.2). Compared to other ASU freshmen, Gilling finished seventh all-time for minutes played and fifth for three-pointers made with 55. 

Redshirt sensation Jahii Carson set and broke his high school records in several categories in his junior and senior years and looks to do the same at Arizona State. Carson, the best in-state recruit in decades will be a spark plug to ignite an otherwise slower-than-usual team. 

Coach Herb Sendek had this to say about about Jahii Carson:

Jahii is an electrifying player. He's blessed with amazing athletic talent. But for me, the joy in practice with Jahii is his eagerness to learn. And he has been a complete and total team guy. So that's the joy that I get from working with Jahii every day. He's very unselfish and he's very eager to learn. And that's an awesome combination to have in a young player. 

What They're Saying:

Doug Haller of the Arizona Republic had this to say about the upcoming season:

The Sun Devils need an adrenaline boost, and perhaps no freshman in recent school history is more qualified to do so than the 5-foot-10 Carson, whose dunking highlight videos have captured more than 2.5 million hits on YouTube.

He continued about Carson staying at home:

In Carson, Sendek has a point guard who turned down scholarship offers from schools such as Arizona, Memphis, Marquette, UCLA and Washington to attend a school that lacks basketball tradition. 

Sendek has also been quick to remind those in the arena and media that may be putting unrealistic expectations on Carson's young shoulders stating that "he will be wearing an ASU uniform this season, not a costume with an "S" on the chest."

"It's been great in terms of attention and hype for our team and program," Sendek said of the Carson exposure. "I think our fanbase is excited and look forward to seeing him, but that has to be balanced with some level of reality as well because you almost feel these expectations growing to mythological proportions, and that's not fair to him."

Meanwhile, Ryan Bafaloukous from House of Sparky had this to say about the backcourt of Carson and Gordon:

Gordon is an X-factor for the Sun Devils this season. He put up solid numbers and proved he could hit the outside shot, but that was at the mid-major level. Gordon will have to prove he can score against the defenders of the Pac-12.

Gordon's game will be helped by Carson, who should be able to find Gordon open on the perimeter when he drives to the basket. This is on display during the Maroon and Gold scrimmage, when Gordon had 14 points including several long threes.

 

Prediction

The Sun Devils were a pretty hard team to watch last year with an abnormally high number of turnovers, allowing them to only win 10 games last year, six of them in conference. They did finish the regular season with two victories, including an 87-80 win over their in-state rival, the Arizona Wildcats. 

I believe with the new up-tempo game plan and injection of new life, the Sun Devils win this game 85-68.

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Follow @ASUDave 

 

Wells Fargo Arena was abuzz two Saturday mornings ago as a new season of Arizona State Sun Devils' Men's Basketball was about to tip-off with the annual Maroon & Gold Scrimmage.

The 30 minute scrimmage featured two new, up & coming stars to the Sun Devil faithful; redshirt freshman guard Jahii Carson and junior guard Evan Gordon, a transfer from Liberty University.

Carson, the phenom from local Mesa High School, was ranked as high as No. 33 by Rivals.com and was being heavily recruited nationwide. He was Arizona's top in-state basketball player in decades and was a Parade Magazine Second-Team All-American. In the 2011 Class 5-A Tournament, he scored 37 points in the opening round, 38  in the second and an amazing 58-point effort in the third, including 25-38 from the field.

Carson set school records his junior year in points per game and assists per game and then went on to break them the next year with 32.2 ppg and 6.6 apg.

In the scrimmage, Carson switched from the maroon team to the gold team and back to the maroon for the three 10-minute periods, with his squad winning each period. He finished with 18 points and played nearly the entire scrimmage.

Another standout in the scrimmage was junior guard Evan Gordon. The younger brother of NBA player Eric Gordon, Evan recently transferred to Arizona State after playing two years at Liberty where he led the team in scoring his sophomore year. Gordon finished with eight points and led the Maroon team to a  47-33 victory.

Head Coach Herb Sendek thanked the fans for coming out and relayed the following message:

“This is a team that’s going to be easy to cheer for,” he said. “We have great guys on the team, they’re going to give a great effort, they’re going to play well together — it’s going to be an exciting style of play.

“I think it’s going to be a season we can all be proud of.”

I, for one, cannot wait to see what the Sun Devils have when it comes to playing a rather tame non-conference schedule before embarking on a very tough Pac-12 schedule.  

Their non-conference schedule begins November 11 at home vs. Central Arkansas and includes a Thanksgiving weekend trip to Las Vegas for the Continental Tires Las Vegas Invitational where they open up against the Arkansas Razorbacks.  The winner will go on to play against either the Wisconsin Badgers or Creighton Blue Jays.

The Devils will open up their Pac-12 schedule at home for the first time since the 2007-2008 season against the Utah Runnin' Utes on January 2nd. They then host defending Pac-12 Tournament Champion Colorado Buffaloes four days later.

The dreaded stretch comes two weeks after that when they host the No. 12 ranked Arizona Wildcats on the 19th of January and the No. 13 ranked UCLA Bruins on the 24th. This tough conference will truly test the mettle of the team, and I am confident that with the addition of two rising super stars in Carson and Gordon, things in the desert aren't as bad as once believed.

Don't forget to follow me on twitter at @asudave.

With so many coaches in the hot seat these days, no seat is hotter than that of Arizona State Sun Devils head coach Herb Sendek.

While Sendek's Sun Devils haven't shown promise since the departure of standouts James Harden and Jeff Pendergraph to the NBA, there is reason for hope and redemption in the desert.

Sendek is entering his 20th season as a head coach and he knows basketball.

He also knows to not let hometown boys get wooed to conference competitors or, worse yet, the evil empire 90 miles southeast in Tucson.

Last year, local high school senior Jahii Carson was ranked No. 33 by Rivals.com and being heavily recruited.  But Sendek was not about to let the Mesa native leave home and was able to work his magic to get Carson to sign with ASU.

Unfortunately, Carson was unable to clear academic requirements and red-shirted. Fortunately, he was able to learn from experienced players, as well build the discipline required of a Division I basketball player.

It is rare that the hiring of assistant coaches register in the media, but Sendek went way out of the box when looking to hire two new assistants.In fact, the assistants have such great coaching pedigrees that many in the media claimed that he had just hired his replacement.

Larry Greer, an advance scout for the NBA's Portland Trail Blazers, is one of the best at what he does. He recognizes talent, can predict how opposing teams are going to play and will relay that information by putting the best game plan forward. 

Eric Musselman was also tabbed by Sendek to join the coaching staff this summer.

Musselman has been a head coach for three seasons in the NBA with the Golden State Warriors and the Sacramento Kings, as well as stints in the CBA, USBL and most recently Coach of the Year for the NBA D-League Los Angeles D-Fenders.

Musselman has also served as an assistant coach for the Minnesota Timberwolves, Orlando Magic, Atlanta Hawks and Memphis Grizzlies. It is safe to say that his 24 years of coaching experience will help tremendously.

ESPN analyst and former National Champion coach Fran Fraschilla said of Musselman on Twitter: "Eric is one of the best basketball minds that I know

Two big name transfers will also be playing this year after sitting out last year due to NCAA transfer requirements.

Scottsdale native Bo Barnes left for the beaches of Hawaii and set the freshman record for three-pointers made with 57. He looks to bring that long range jumper to the Sun Devils in grand fashion.

NBA standout Eric Gordon's younger brother, Evan, played two seasons at Liberty University and led the team in scoring his sophomore year.

With their combined experience and the expert tutelage of Sendek and staff, Barnes and Gordon will have an immediate impact to the Sun Devils.

Lastly, we shift our focus to the experienced players on the ASU roster and their massive improvements.

Their two big men, 7'0" Ruslan Pateev and 7'2 "Jordan Bachynski, are hoping to make a big splash this year in the paint. Bachynski, a devout Mormon who spent two years on a mission before coming to Arizona State, is the complete package. He is intelligent, articulate and has a work ethic that is second to none. Already a husband and father, Bachynski has made great strides to being a better player and person.

Finishing the season strong last year, Bachynski set his career-high scoring 20 against a tough Stanford team and followed it up with 19 against USC a couple weeks later.

His abysmal free throw shooting average of .400 skyrocketed to .702, making 33 of 47 from the charity stripe in the last 13 games.

His blocks and rebounds nearly doubled over the final stretch as well.

Pateev also impressed coaching staff with his offseason improvements and will be part of the solid foundation for the Devils.

Two other seniors for Sendek who will be the heart and soul of the squad are guards Carrick Felix and Chris Colvin.

Felix has been a roller coaster ride for Sun Devil fans and when he is on, the team responds, but if he isn't hitting, it also brings down the team. He is the Devils' leading scorer in last year's wins with 14.4 ppg, yet in their losses, he only manages 8.8 ppg. If the coaches can get Felix to show up for all games, this year could be great for Felix and ASU.

Junior college transfer Colvin sputtered out of the gate last year and finally found his groove come February. It was like there was another player out there for the final 15 games of the season where Colvin nearly doubled his totals for points, field goal percentage and assists per game. There will be a crowded back court with the three newcomers in Carson, Barnes and Gordon, but I think Colvin will get a chance to prove his worth.

The Pac-12 Conference will be extremely tough this year.

With a log jam at the top of the heap, I don't expect Arizona State to win the conference or even finish in the top five. I do feel, however, that all the pieces are in place for Sendek and the Devils to have a good season in 2012-13.

Furthermore, I predict that they will be a part of the postseason this year if all things fall into place.  That is really all that is needed to silence the "Fire Sendek" critics.

Three days after being suspended for “unacceptable conduct” along with Kyle Cain and Chris Colvin, Sophomore Arizona State guard Keala King has been dismissed from the team, according to Doug Haller of the Arizona Republic. 

King averaged 13.7 points per game which was tied for the team-high and led the Sun Devils with 3.3 assists per game. He shot 51.7 percent from the floor and 38.7 percent from beyond the arc. King also is a great rebounding guard posting 4.9 per contest.

There is no doubt that his production level will be missed for 5-10 Arizona State.

Freshman Jonathan Gilling has filled the production void in the absence of King and Cain scoring 29 points in two games, but he will now be depended on scoring consistency. Depending on freshman to score at a high level is never a great thing. 

Without King, Cain and Colvin Arizona State defeated USC but lost to UCLA. They have one of the worst offenses in college basketball and now that offense will be even more limited.

The Sun Devils are No. 264th in the country in terms of points scored. They don't share the ball very well, and it will show with King no longer around. Arizona State is 250th in assists and King led the way with a little more than three per game. 

This season has been a disaster so far, but we haven't even seen the worst of it. Arizona State will struggle heavily without their star player. 

Arizona State’s next game will be vs. Oregon on Thursday, January 12. 

For the Arizona State Sun Devils, optimism has been hard to come by this season.

Early-season publications ranked the Sun Devils as high as fourth in the Pac-10 Conference and as low as ninth. No one predicted the Sun Devils would nosedive straight to the bottom of the conference. 

Yet, as the Pac-10 Conference tournament opens Wednesday night, the 10th-seeded Sun Devils will be playing the No. 7 seed Oregon Ducks at the Staples Center.

Although ASU finished the regular season with a 12-18 (4-14 Pac-10) record, the Sun Devils did beat Oregon twice this season, including a 73-53 win last Thursday.

Beating the same opponent twice in a season is difficult, but three times would be a rarity, especially for the struggling Sun Devils. Late-game follies and dreadful free-throw shooting have hurt the bad-luck team all season.

However, there is still hope in the Valley of the Sun.

After dismantling both Oregon schools at full strength by a combined total of 34 points, ASU has a winning streak for the first time since Christmas.

And once March comes, it's all about confidence.

Right now, both Ty Abbott and Rihards Kuksiks are playing up to preseason expectations and are fully recovered from injury.

Against Oregon State, the senior duo combined for 40 points, eight assists, seven rebounds, four steals and one block. That is a pretty impressive one-two punch, but not every team in the Pac-10 is named Oregon State.

The Sun Devils did in fact lose nine straight conference games in January and February, including two losses to the UCLA Bruins.

Fans will need to be optimistic if the Bruins and Sun Devils meet for a third time. The winner of Wednesday’s Ducks-Sun Devils matchup will be rewarded by playing the second-seeded UCLA Bruins (22-9, 13-5 Pac-10) on Thursday. 

Although, if you believe in luck or hope for the best, that might not be necessary in roundball.

If the Sun Devils continue their hot shooting form and beat the Ducks, confidence is all they'll need to advance further. 

Thumbing through the Pacific 10 Conference standings, at first glance, the Arizona State Sun Devils' unattractive position at the bottom has been uncommon recently in Tempe.

After three straight seasons with at least 21 wins, Herb Sendek’s Sun Devils are at the halfway point of the conference season with a distasteful 9-12 record, including a frustrating 1-8 Pac-10 record.  

Certainly, any losing record would leave any fan with “bitter beer face,” but the staggering 1-8 record within the conference is cringeworthy. 

However, the Sun Devils have not lost their competitive fight. 

With UCLA wrapping up the weekend visit by the Los Angeles schools, Arizona State completed the two-game homestand with two losses by a combined three points.

Close losses and nail-biting finishes are not rare for ASU athletics recently, especially after the 2010 Sun Devil football season.

Perhaps the Sun Devils had no business even being within shouting distance of the third-place Bruins after a 15-point deficit twice in the game, yet Sendek’s ASU squad kept battling back.

After only scoring 19 points in the first half, ASU responded with 42 points in the second stanza at Wells Fargo Arena in Tempe. 

The normally electric three-point shooting of Rihards Kuksiks and Ty Abbott was virtually nonexistent in the first half. Kuksiks could not find his shooting touch and Abbott spent only seven minutes on the court in the first half due to foul problems.

As the Sun Devils began to slowly chip away at UCLA’s lead, ASU began to make the necessary stops on defense and turn away the Bruins' second chances with solid rebounding.

But when a rebound was needed most, three Sun Devils jumped in the air, only to collide with each other as the ball fluttered out of bounds.

ASU looked to secure a precious rebound and have one last chance to win the game in regulation, but it was not meant to be. 

The 7,000 fans present witnessed the Sun Devils lose another game in the waning moments. This time, the Bruins won 73-72 in overtime.

With all due respect to both the UCLA Bruins, and for that matter, USC on Thursday night, if ASU connected on even 65 percent of their free throws, the Sun Devils would have two more victories in the win column. 

Between the Sun Devils' two games this week versus the Trojans (63-61 loss), and Bruins, ASU connected on 27 of 49 attempted shots from the charity stripe.  Free throws are supposed to be the easiest shot in the game, unless you are Shaquille O’Neal.

As the Sun Devils' losing skid now reaches seven games, a look back on the fundamentals that propelled ASU to three straight postseason tournaments is in order. If not, this losing streak looks to extend through the Devils' upcoming road trip to the Bay Area. 

As the college basketball season began back in November, Arizona State coach Herb Sendek stood in front of a Herculean task of replacing All-Pac-10 performers James Harden and Jeff Pendergraph. However, as most media members predicted ASU to return to the bottom tier of the Pac-10 following these key departures, Sendek and his Sun Devils came together as a team and disregarded the media pundits and exceeded the preseason expectations. 

But how does a team which exceeded expectations still come up just short in the long run? 

As the basketball season marched on, Arizona State began building chemistry and team morale began to rise with victories at home against NCAA tournament teams San Diego State and UC Santa Barbara, which the Sun Devils beat in dominating fashion.

Then ASU hit the road to tip off against top opponents such as Duke, BYU, and Baylor. Although the results were not what Sendek and the Devils would have hoped for, Arizona State built confidence through these narrow defeats at the hands of Duke and Baylor, and entered conference play with a 10-3 record.

Although ASU's conference slate began with a series sweep at the hands of the Los Angeles schools, Sendek and the Devils knew their ability and rose to the challenge and won four straight games by double digits to rise to the top of the conference. 

Sure, Arizona State played quality basketball for stretches of the season, but it slipped up at the most inopportune times, such as a demoralizing home loss to in-state rival Arizona, followed up by a second half lapse against conference champion California at home. 

Then again, aside for Arizona State's series sweep in L.A., the Sun Devils beat every team on their schedule that they were slated to beat. Although, if the media members during the preseason were correct, ASU would have finished with lone victories against cellar dwellers Washington State and Oregon. 

Instead, proving preseason polls wrong, Arizona State ended the regular season with 22 wins, nine losses, and a second-place finish, one game behind conference champion California. So much for a ninth-place finish and no chance of a postseason for the Sun Devils. 

Now, fans in Tempe took a wait-and-see approach with Herb Sendek's squad, and once Pac-10 play began, the waiting was over and the hype and expectations began to rise.

Fans became intrigued by the outside shooting of Ty Abbott and Rik Kuksiks, the ball handling and leadership exuded by senior point guard Derek Glasser, and the growing inside presence of Duke transfer Eric Boateng. The team had character, confidence, and drive, as well as a coach who knew how to lead a team to the promised land. 

The Sun Devils seemed to prove the doubters wrong all season, even when national media experts bad mouthed and talked down the Pac-10's performance and the quality of basketball that the teams displayed. Nonetheless, ASU continued its hard-hat performances and kept grinding through its opponents, and earned a second seed in the Pac-10 tournament. 

Expectations rose to new heights in Tempe. However, fans could think back to November and December, remembering the wait-and-see approach, although most ignored those sentiments, and rightfully so. The fans were caught up in the excitement of March Madness and their Sun Devils had a legitimate shot at making the Big Dance. 

All ASU had to do was beat Stanford and get the ball rolling once again. That task was a lot easier said than done.

Stanford, a team that Arizona State defeated twice this season, came out with energy, intensity, and a defense that was forcing turnovers left and right. Sendek and the Sun Devils met their match and clearly it was not the Sun Devils' best performance of the season. 

Ty Abbott, Arizona State's leading scorer, was ice cold from the floor for the better part of the game, and the only thing keeping ASU close was the play of Kuksiks and Boateng.

Kuksiks scored 15 points, however all of his points were scored in the first half. Boateng was a spark to the offense with 13 points and 15 rebounds, but his performance was not enough to carry ASU to the promised land. 

The talk around town before ASU's quarterfinal matchup was: "Beat Stanford and you're in." Now, looking back on those comments, ASU would most likely have had to beat Washington again in the semifinal game. 

All of the upsets this weekend—conference favorites like Utah State going down in their championship, Texas-El Paso losing to Houston, and even Gonzaga coming up short against St. Mary's—affected the chances ASU had to make the field without an automatic berth from winning the conference tournament. 

Was Arizona State worthy of bid to the Big Dance? Probably not—and that is the honest truth. However, Sendek and the Sun Devils captured lightning in a bottle and ran with it for as long as they could, and as fans, we bought into what the program was selling. 

In the end, Arizona State was passed over for teams that performed better late in the season with better profiles and were more deserving. Now, ASU has to reevaluate their postseason expectations and focus on a different championship: the NIT Championship.

ASU lost to Duke in the preseason NIT championship at Madison Square Garden. This time around, ASU will look to raise the trophy and end the season on a winning note. It is not the national championship, but Arizona State will make continued progress toward next season. What type of expectations will come from their performance? Only time will tell. 

If your allegiance stands with the maroon and gold, and the beloved Sun Devils, the position that Arizona State is currently in has to put a smile on your face. ASU tips off against Stanford tonight, as the Sun Devils begin their quest to reach their second consecutive NCAA tournament.

So, how does it feel to control your own destiny? Well, according to ESPN's Joe Lunardi, the Sun Devils are currently one of the last four schools included in the 65 team field. However, ASU coach Herb Sendek would rather be officially invited to the Big Dance this Sunday, and ignore all the "bubble watch" talk on various media outlets. 

Arizona State, would rather play quality, tough, and disciplined basketball with the mindset of taking the decision out of the selection committee's hands, and win the conference tournament and the Pac-10's automatic bid. Although that is easier said than done.

Up first will be the Stanford Cardinals, a team that the Sun Devils beat twice during the regular season. Herb Sendek's squad beat the Cardinals 88-70 in Tempe and then completed the regular season sweep at Maples Pavilion by eight points. 

In both games against Stanford, Arizona State had performers step up in the clutch and would not settle for anything less than victory. In both games, ASU fell behind Stanford early only to regain the lead and secure the win. That mentality has to be the same in a short tournament such as this. 

Arizona State has had some big time performances this season by star players like Ty Abbott and Rihards Kuksiks, role players such as senior point guard Derek Glasser, and in many cases players coming off the bench like Jerren Shipp. A win tonight and beyond will have to follow the same suit.

ASU's top scorer this season has been Ty Abbott (12 ppg), and his breakthrough game came against these same Stanford Cardinals. Abbott made 11 of 14 shots from the floor, including seven of nine from three-point range.

Abbott finished the night with 29 points, 12 rebounds, and three assists. A stellar showing tonight would come in handy for the Sun Devils to advance to the semifinals of the Pac-10 Tournament.  

The Sun Devils have coupled Abbott's shooting from the perimeter with a new dominant presence inside the paint with Eric Boateng. When the Sun Devils hit the road in Palo Alto, CA, Boateng was the role player to step up and play up to his size. The Duke transfer not only controlled the glass with eight rebounds, but also added 24 points to propel the Sun Devils past Stanford 68-60. 

The upcoming battle with Stanford is paramount for ASU's hopes of making the tournament. As the calendar has flipped to March, top teams have fallen to Cinderellas, bubble teams have seen their bubble burst, and teams that were thought to have no shot at making the tournament are now hungrier than ever. 

Tonight, ASU has to be the tougher team and not settle into complacency. The mentality that the maroon and gold should exude, is win one game at a time.

If Arizona State overlooks the Cardinals, and a potential bubble popping matchup against the Washington Huskies tomorrow night, Stanford will be moving on, and ASU will be playing in the National Invitational Tournament, also known as "Not in the (real) Tournament". 

Stanford has the firepower to pull of the upset tonight, and at this point in the season anyone can beat anyone. Just look at national powers Syracuse and Georgetown losing early in the Big East Tournament. Anything can happen in March Madness. 

This is no longer the regular season, each time you step on the floor, it could possibly be the last game of the season. It is win or go home, and it certainly will not be easy. Herb Sendek pointed out, "Just like the regular season, we expect a great challenge." 

The Pac-10 Tournament will be a battle of wills and effort. Who will want it more? Derek Glasser stated that, "At this point, we've played each other twice. We kind of know what they're going to do, and they kind of know what were going to do. There are no secrets. It's just about playing hard."

Playing hard will be a good starting point for any team trying to earn a shot at the big dance, but for ASU, the quest begins tonight and wins are at a premium. An opening round loss for ASU will undoubtedly put the nail in the coffin on their tournament hopes. 

It has been said for most of the season: "the Pac-10 is down this year, there is only one good team, the conference does not deserve more than one bid, etc". Well to counteract those fallacies, Herb Sendek and the Arizona State Sun Devils are doing everything in their power to disregard statements such as these. A big win at home against USC did not hurt their case in the least bit either! 

Pacific Ten Conference fans, seem to be the most knowledgeable about this situation, however, the stipulation is that most fans that defend the conference, have a bias towards a certain team. 

My bias resides in Tempe, AZ with the Sun Devils, yet I have followed the Pacific Ten conference since my days living in Southern California and seeing Trojan red and Bruin blue everywhere.

My eyes have seen the triumph of many UCLA final four runs and their abundant talent, as well as ASU's in-state rival Arizona and their long tenured run of consecutive NCAA tournament appearances. 

Sure, the media pundits can knock the conference on the lack of talent and big name performers this current season, but no one can insult the competitive battles that occur every Thursday and Saturday night in the Pacific Ten.

No matter what two schools are on the court, there is going to be a hard fought battle. Consider Washington State (16-13, 6-11), rounding out the pack at the bottom of the conference, or perennial power USC, which is on probation this year, both teams have played well against the top half of the conference this season.

The Trojans (16-13, 8-9), have won seven of their nine games against the top five teams in the conference. Unfortunately, the Trojans downfall has come at the hands of the bottom feeders in the conference like both Oregon schools, on the road and at home. 

To add substance to my point, the Trojans even knocked off regular season champion, California earlier this season. On the other hand, the Golden Bears even lost to Oregon State by 16 points! Do these facts prove that the Pacific Ten does not deserve a respectable number of bids to the big dance?

Well, it seems that the teams are taking the court with knowledge of the complete disrespect coming from the national media regarding the conference's play. The competition in the Pacific Ten is just as high as ever. The only ingredient missing, is the big name talent at the big name schools.   

Take a look at Arizona State, two straight back to back 20-win seasons entering the current campaign, but that was with two stars currently playing in the National Basketball Association, James Harden and Jeff Pendergraph. Now, Herb Sendek has led his group of role players to a third consecutive 20-win season, which just so happens to be the first time in school history to reach that pinnacle. 

Yet, the national media is not too confident about their abilities on the court. The Sun Devils profile is quite simple. Early in the season, ASU hit the court against some lower level opponents such as Western Illinois, San Francisco, and Delaware State. However, Sendek's squad did exactly what was expected of them in those contests: blowouts and big wins. 

Arizona State did play a few quality opponents in the preseason such as Duke, BYU, LSU, Baylor, and fellow "bubble watch-mate" San Diego State. The Sun Devils ended up with two wins in those games, beating LSU and San Diego State, while coming up short in the other three road games, which should not be a black eye on their resume. 

From there on, Arizona State carried themselves through conference play with tough defense and sharp shooting from three point range. 

Since the Sun Devils first weekend of conference play in Los Angeles, where ASU returned to Tempe without a win, Herb Sendek has guided his team to an 11-4 record in their last fifteen games. 

And the Sun Devils have not slipped up on the road against a cellar dweller such as Washington State or one of the Oregon schools. Other than rough losses against in-state rival Arizona at home, and their two losses against Cal and Washington on the road, the Sun Devils have won the games they were supposed to.

What more can you ask?

ASU has handled their business in a very workmanlike manner. But, there is more work to be done. UCLA is still left on the Sun Devils' schedule, and any fan in the Pacific Ten knows that a game against Ben Howland and the Bruins is no easy task. 

If by chance, the Sun Devils earn a tough victory on Senior Day against the Bruins, ASU's record would be (22-9, 12-6), good enough for second place in the conference. However, most including me feel that more is left to be accomplished for ASU.

A win against UCLA on Saturday would be a good start to a week where wins will be at a premium. ASU will most likely have the number two seed in the conference tournament and face Stanford in the first round, or another rubber match with the UCLA Bruins. 

With that being said, no matter what uniforms are in front of the Sun Devils, the goal has to be win the tournament, and leave no doubt in the minds of the voters. With out a doubt, the conference tournament in Los Angeles will be the court where ASU's case will be on display for all to make the verdict. But by all accounts, Arizona State is not dead yet!

If your basketball team was one step away from securing their first ever conference championship, and then in turn lost that game by 16 points, how would you react? Well, for Arizona State, it is do-or-die time with the season winding down! 

Herb Sendek, ASU's head coach, now has to instill a never say die mentality in his team, because if the Sun Devils lose, their chances at reaching the NCAA Tournament are finished.  

Just the thought of that scenario is pretty tough to imagine, since the Sun Devils are having a rather surprising season. Sendek has led ASU to a 20-win season for the third consecutive year, and has the maroon and gold sitting pretty at second place in the Pacific Ten Conference. Sounds like a potential banner year in Tempe, right?

All of those numbers and standings sound well and good, however, not up to par compared to the rest of the country, as well as in the eyes of the selection committee. 

Arizona State might have USC and UCLA at home this week to finish up the regular season, although, Herb Sendek and the Sun Devils will be scoreboard watching to see if any of the potential bubble teams slip up, and their dream seasons come to an end. 

Yes, as the days count down until selection Sunday, the Sun Devils still have plenty of work left to do, if they even want to be in the tournament conversation.

First and foremost, Arizona State must take care of business with both Los Angeles schools this week at home. That much is certain, and even in a down year in the Pacific Ten Conference, home games are not a gimme, especially when you factor in that ASU lost to both squads back in January.   

Wells Fargo Arena has only surrendered one loss all year in conference, at the hands of Cal 78-70 in January. The maroon and gold clad fans just have to hope, that there will not be a hangover effect following ASU's dismal performance in their weekend showdown with California. 

With work left to do, the mindset for ASU will revolve around perfection. In the second half of the ASU-CAL game, the Sun Devils' performance was far from perfect. The majority of the Sun Devils' scoring outbursts this season, have come from three point baskets. Unfortunately, when you live by the three, you die by the three. Shooting an underwhelming 13% from behind the arc will not cut it, especially when you are competing for a championship.

Last Saturday versus Cal, the Sun Devils fell flat on their face while the hometown fans in Strawberry Canyon poured onto the court to rejoice the Bears first Pacific Ten Championship in fifty years. Arizona State walked off the court and onto the plane amid blue and gold confetti raining down from the Haas Pavilion rafters, knowing what was lost, and trying to salvage the remains. 

ASU still has a critical stretch of games yet to be played. All the media talk for the past few weeks regarding the Pacific Ten, has swirled around the winner of the conference tournament receiving the lone bid to make the tournament. 

With that being said, ASU has lost twice to the lone leader atop the standings, although, as we witness each year in the NCAA tournament and conference tournaments, if a team gets hot at the right time, look out and anything can happen. Can that anything happen for ASU, or will their season come to an end without a bid to the dance?