Arizona State Basketball

For most of the 2009-10 college basketball season, the national media panel has proclaimed that the Pacific Ten Conference is one of the weaker leagues in the country. Well, I say to those pundits, watch the showcase that California and Arizona State display tomorrow at Hass Pavilion in Berkeley, CA.  It does not get any bigger this year in the Pacific Ten, as the regular season conference championship is on the line. 

Since "bubble watch 2010" has commenced, all the talk in recent weeks regarding the Pacific Ten has been: "only one team will earn a bid to the big dance."  Well, two schools will be fighting, for the inside track to that "sole NCAA tournament bid."

The California Golden Bears (19-9, 11-5), have been the one team that has received kudos from media members across the country. However, Arizona State, a team that has a 20-8 record, has just started to create a buzz. 

These two conference rivals hit the hardwood earlier this season in Tempe, AZ, and the Sun Devils ended up letting the Bears return home with a narrow eight point victory, 78-70. Tomorrow, you can bet that both coaches will throw everything their squad has in their repertoire out onto the floor for this epic battle. 

To reinforce that point, ASU Head Coach Herb Sendek stated, "We're going to have to play almost a perfect game, there is no sense pretending that's not the case." 

Haas Pavilion might not be the host of the biggest game of the day, that honor resides in Syracuse, NY, where the Villanova Wildcats will invade the Carrier Dome for a top five tilt with a Big East Championship on the line.  However, for West Coast fans, a double shot isn't too bad either. 

Sure, neither team is ranked in the top five, or even the top 25, but both California and Arizona State know how much this game means.  And I am not talking about Joe Lunardi's ESPN Bracketology. 

Arizona State has virtually no non-conference wins of quality, other than a home victory against San Diego State, which looks better and better every day.

In California's case, the Golden Bears scheduled a tough out of conference slate. However, just like the Sun Devils, their only note worthy win came against Iowa State. By the way, the Cyclones are 14-14 and sit at ninth in the Big XII.  

If you dive deeper into the Bears' schedule, they did beat UC Santa Barbara and Pacific, who are coupled at the top of the Big West standings. Sure, to beat conference leaders is a solid feather in the cap.  But both squads hail from the Big West Conference, which is not exactly the cream of the crop. 

Nonetheless, throw both Cal and ASU's strength of schedule out the window in this matchup.  Just ask either Mike Montgomery of Cal, or ASU coach Herb Sendek, neither cares about the games before the one at hand. This game is that meaningful.

ASU Senior point guard Derek Glasser said, "This is as big as it gets, we're going to have to play as hard as we've played all year."  The Sun Devils will be seeking their first ever Pacific Ten Championship, since joining the league in 1978. 

The regular season is winding down with one week to play, and a win by either team will virtually guarantee a number one seed in the Pacific Ten Conference Tournament. With that being said, the team that emerges victorious from Strawberry Canyon tomorrow will have the inside track to receiving that elusive "lone" NCAA bid to see if Cinderella's slipper will fit just right. 

The Pac-10 Conference has placed, at the very least, two teams in the NCAA Tournament every single year since 1985, when the field expanded to 64 teams. According to the "experts", that very trend might be in jeopardy this season. 

Sure, this season the national media does not have a team like UCLA hovering around the top five, or a team like Arizona, which has reached the NCAA Tournament in 25 straight seasons, but the teams that have won nearly twenty games thus far this season, are not bottom of the barrel type of teams. 

The Pacific Ten does not have their traditional basketball powers ruling on the court this season. However, that does not mean that the basketball being played by the likes of California, Washington, and Arizona State is poor, unfortunately, no one seems to take note that these teams play the sport as well. 

Even with USC near the top of the Pac-10 standings, the Trojans have no shot at making the "big dance" due to self-imposed NCAA Sanctions. Too bad, because Southern California's timing could not have been worse. 

In fact, the Trojans are one of the select few that has beaten a quality opponent. In fact, USC won against Tennessee by a whopping 22 points, as well as notching victories against high profile "mid-majors" UNLV and St. Mary's College.  

Unfortunately for the rest of the teams in the Pac-10, quality wins have been scarce. 

California (18-9, 10-5, first in standings)  is currently the front runner for the lone Pacific Ten bid, and although the Golden Bears scheduled grueling games against traditional powers such as Ohio State, Syracuse, and Kansas among others, the bottom line is California lost to all three by a combined 43 points. 

It is a virtual lock for Kansas, Syracuse, and Ohio State to all make the NCAA tournament field. So then why is California worthy of a bid if the Golden Bears can't hang with the big dogs either? Or to play devil's advocate, how can the tournament committee leave out a potential 21 or 22 win team that won the regular season conference title? 

Those same questions and issues can also be attached to the Arizona State Sun Devils and the Washington Huskies. 

Don't sleep on the Washington Huskies. Although they have struggled with consistency, head coach Lorenzo Romar has led Washington to six victories in their last eight contests.

The Huskies sit in third place with 18 wins under their belt, and three games left against in-state rival Washington State and the two Oregon schools, all on the road. If the Huskies are going to find a way to sneak into the tournament, the Purple and Gold will have to earn it the hard way.

In the Arizona State Sun Devils' case, they also scheduled critical make or break games against Duke, LSU, Brigham Young, and Baylor. Although ASU beat the LSU Tigers back in November at Madison Square Garden, that win looked much better then when the Tigers boasted a 3-1 record. Now, LSU sits at 9-17 and has laid claim to the cellar dweller in the Southeastern Conference.

Arizona State boasts a record of 19-8 (9-5, second in conference) and will travel to Berkeley on Saturday to take on the Golden Bears for what is shaping up to be the regular season championship game in the Pac-10. 

Certainly a California-Arizona State basketball game does not carry the same cache as Stanford-UCLA or USC-Arizona, but both teams' records are nearly identical, and in the first meeting in Tempe, the Golden Bears stole a tightly contested affair in the desert.   

From an outsiders perspective, it would seem that the absence of traditional national championship powers means poor basketball, however, when these two teams take the court, it will be an intense, heated battle for Pacific Ten supremacy. 

In the end, the selection committee will reward the Pac-10 with more than one birth to the tournament. Not only is history is on the side of the Pac-10, but the performances of this season's upper echelon programs will prove their worth.

Unfortunately for the smaller schools and "mid-majors", who are gingerly attempting not to burst their respective "bubble", the Pacific Ten will get two or three teams into the NCAA "Big Dance" based on the fan support, ticket sales, and revenue that these larger schools like California, Arizona State, and Washington will bring in for the NCAA. 

Whether you like it or not, come selection Sunday, two or three teams from the Pac-10 Conference will hope that Cinderella's slipper fits.

The Governator hasn't had much to clap about.  His state is teetering on the brink of financial collapse.  His beloved Chargers disappointed for the gazillionth consecutive year in the playoffs.  The fourth installment of the franchise he is most identifed with, Terminator: Salvation, was a hot mess of swirling sands and Matrix-stop action ripoffs.

But at least he can smile about something.  The Pac-10, which features four schools from his turf, finally managed to get more than one team in this week's NCAA Tournament projection.

Now, this isn't a ringing endorsement of West Coast play.  This is a reflection of how bad college basketball has become.  I had to dig deep to come up with the last seven at-large teams to fill the bracket.  Even last year, teams that had RPIs worse than 40 weren't even sniffed at.  There's a very good chance that more than one team with an RPI worse than 60 will get a dance invite, which has never happened in tournament history.  It's like crashing the hottest party on the Vegas strip only to find scarred strippers and Ed Hardy models (or the audition line for the latest VH-1 show).

Part of the reason has to lie with the one-and-done epic fail.  Why the NBA insists on keeping talented young men who are legally old enough to work full-time, fight for their country and vote from their league just so they can take underwater basketweaving for a semester baffles me.  If they're good enough to play at 18, they're good enough to play at 18.  Case closed.

Here are your last four teams to hang with the Tool Academy dropouts:

Dayton - 32 RPI, 4-5 against the top 50 RPI.

San Diego State - 40 RPI, tied for 3rd with UNLV in the Mountain West.

Arizona State - 2nd in the Pac-10(which means something this week), 7-3 last ten.

Virginia Tech - 8-2 in their last ten games and 3rd in the ACC(which is actually good).

Here are your first four teams unsuccessfully trying to pick up passed-out blondes:

Texas Tech - 1-8 against the Top 50, 4-6 in their last ten.

Cincinnati - 2-6 vs. Top 50, 5-5 their last ten, 6th in the Big East.

Marquette - 2-6 vs. Top 50, two losses against teams with a 100 RPI or lower.

Wichita State - Two losses against teams with a 100 or lower RPI, five MVC losses.

Here's the bracket. 

East Region(Syracuse)

1 Villanova(Big East) v. 16 Belmont(Atlantic Sun)

2 Purdue(Big 10) v. 15 Wofford(Southern)

3 Wake Forest(ACC) v. 14 Sam Houston St. (Southland)

4 BrighamYoung(MWC) v. 13 Murray State(OVC)

5 Texas A&M(Big 12) v. 12 Virginia Tech(ACC)

6 Tennessee(SEC) v. 11 Siena(MAAC)

7 Richmond(A-10) v. 10 UTEP(C-USA)

8 California(Pac-10) v. 9 Maryland(ACC)

South Region(Houston)

1 Kentucky(SEC) v. 16 Lehigh(Patriot)

2 Kansas State(Big 12) v. 15 Morgan State(MEAC)

3 Gonzaga(WCC) v. 14 Weber State(Big Sky)

4 Georgetown(Big East) v. 13 Utah State(WAC)

5 Michigan State(Big 10) v. 12 San Diego State(MWC)

6 Northern Iowa(MVC) v. 11 UAB(C-USA)

7 Florida State(ACC) v. 10 Louisville(Big East)

8 Oklahoma State(Big 12) v. 9 Charlotte(A-10)

Midwest Region(St. Louis)

1 Kansas(Big 12) v. 16 Play-In Winner

2 New Mexico(MWC) v. 15 Coastal Carolina(Big South)

3 West Virginia(Big East) v. 14 Oakland(Summit)

4 Temple(A-10) v. 13 Cornell(Ivy)

5 Pittsburgh(Big East) v. 12 Arizona State(Pac-10)

6 Wisconsin(Big 10) v. 11 Georgia Tech(ACC)

7 Baylor(Big 12) v. 10 Rhode Island(A-10)

8 Clemson(ACC) v. 9 Ole Miss(SEC)

West Region(Salt Lake City)

1 Syracuse(Big East) v. 16 North Texas(Sun Belt)

2 Duke(ACC) v. 15 Pacific(Big West)

3 Butler(Horizon) v. 14 Vermont(America East)

4 Ohio State(Big 10) v. 13 Kent State(MAC)

5 Vanderbilt(SEC) v. 12 Dayton(A-10)

6 Texas(Big 12) v. 11 St. Mary’s(WCC)

7 Xavier(A-10) v. 10 Florida(SEC)

8 UNLV(MWC) v. 9 Missouri(Big 12)

Play-In Game: Quinnipiac(Northeast) v. Jackson State(SWAC)

The Arizona State Sun Devils will look to wrap up their weekend road trip of the Washington schools, with a huge road win over the Washington Huskies. With a win tonight, ASU would complete the season sweep of both Washington State and Washington, as well as earn a leg up in the Pacific Ten Conference race.

But to be quite honest, that is much easier said than done. Back on January 8 in Tempe, the Huskies were dealt their worst loss of the season (68-51), at the hands of Herb Sendek and the Sun Devils.

Arizona State's stifling zone defense limited the Washington Huskies to their lowest point total of the season. And yes, you guessed right, with Washington playing at home today, everyone knows that ASU will get all they asked for, and more in this game.

As if the task of knocking off one of the hottest teams in the conference was tough enough, the Washington Huskies have only lost twice on their home floor, at Edmundson Pavilion in the past two seasons.

The Huskies have not only beat quality opponents at home in recent years, but Washington has ran teams out of the building, beating Stanford by 33 and Washington State by the same total earlier this season. 

For the Sun Devils to have success in this contest, ASU must control the tempo, utilize their zone defense to force tough shots, and control the backboard by winning the rebound margin.

Although the Sun Devils' defense was the story in the first contest between Washington and ASU, in recent weeks, shooting guard Ty Abbott has sparked the offense in two straight double digit victories.

In ASU's 80-71 win in Pullman, WA Thursday night, Abbott contributed with 18 points and 9 rebounds. Even against Stanford and California the week before, Abbott scored a combined 49 points to help the Sun Devils split the series between the Bay Area schools.

However, the scoring has been a bright spot for Herb Sendek's offense, but Abbott's contributions have expanded to rebounding as well.

Abbott has changed his style following a demoralizing performance against in-state rival Arizona two weeks ago. Since that game, Abbott has totaled at least 8 rebounds in each of the four contests since, and has even added three blocked shots to his stat sheet.

That's not bad considering Abbott stands at a meager 6'3", not exactly the ideal size for a rebounding machine.

Herb Sendek's crew has exuded confidence and total team effort since their loss to Arizona at home on January 23, and their performances as a team on the court, has shown that.

Another total team effort for 40 minutes, has to be in the works today, as well as not turning the ball over. Washington leads the conference in 17 forced turnovers a game. If Arizona State wants to stay atop the Pac-10 standings Abbott and company will have to bring their "A" game to the court, but it will not be easy on the road in Seattle.

The Arizona State Sun Devils tipped off last weekend with the Pac-10 Conference's best record, however, following their demoralizing 19-point defeat at the hands of in-state rival Arizona, the Sun Devils are just trying to get back on their feet.

Last week, the season's outlook appeared to be much brighter, yet the Sun Devils still have an abundance to play for.

Last Saturday, the Sun Devils were embarrassed by the Wildcats at home. Tonight, the Sun Devils will look to take out their aggression on the California Golden Bears, the conference's new top team.

The Sun Devils ran off four straight wins against the Washington schools and the Oregon schools. Both Washington and Washington State left Tempe wondering what hit them, as both the Huskies and Cougars were dealt double-digit blowout losses by ASU.

The fans at Wells Fargo Arena will be looking for similar production to be on display against California tonight, or else the Sun Devils might be looking down a rough slate of games coming up.

The difference between production in the games ASU has won and lost is a dominant inside presence.

The past four seasons, ASU was privileged enough to have Jeff Pendergraph on the roster. Pendergraph would fight for every rebound, contest every shot, and be a reliable, consistent second or third scorer for the Sun Devils.

This season, head coach Herb Sendek is clearly missing the quality of Pendergraph. Filling the shoes for the current Portland Trailblazer is Eric Boateng.

Boateng has had one game all season in which his rebounding total was in double-digits, and that came back in the third game of the season against Texas Christian. Unfortunately, Boateng's offensive prowess has been far from desirable as well.

Although he is averaging nearly eight points per game, his output has greatly diminished since conference play commenced.

And the sour note for this tale, is that the Sun Devils do not have the quality depth to insert if Boateng is not producing or another member of the normal starting five is underperforming.

Ruslan Pateev and Taylor Rhode can give Herb Sendek some quality minutes off the bench, but if either of them are on the court for more than four or five minutes at a time, then ASU gets exposed. 

As of right now, the Sun Devils scoring looks to be a three-headed monster with Rihards Kuksiks, Derek Glasser, and Ty Abbott.

For consistency and continued progress this season, Herb Sendek has to find or mold one of his young freshmen playmakers into a true big time scorer.

Either Demetrius Walker or Trent Lockett need to catapult themselves into the starting lineup to add a spark to this Sun Devil offense, because Arizona exposed the Sun Devils defense last weekend in their 77-58 rout of ASU.

Let us hope for better things to come starting tonight against the California Golden Bears.

Arizona sent a message to the rest of the Pac-10 conference last night, routing ASU 77-58.

The Wildcats were down by 10 points with eight minutes left in the first half but were able to tie the score by halftime.

The first 12 minutes were among the worst that any Wildcat team has ever played. They scored 10 points and shot 24 percent from the field.

Then something clicked for the young team, coupled with the fact that ASU stopped hitting their shots.

The rest of the way out they shot an astonishing 75 percent from the field, as they looked like the Cats of old.

Watching this Wildcat team dominate ASU was like watching Arizona during the Lute years. ASU had no answer for whatever it was that Arizona threw at them.

The Cats were confident and did not get down on themselves. The frustration was evident in the first 12 minutes as they could not hit shots, the offense wasn't flowing, and ASU's defense was suffocating.

Surprisingly, ASU Head Coach Herb Sendek's technical and the hard foul on Ty Abbott, things that most people think might spark ASU, actually fired up Arizona. After the hard foul, Arizona went on a 9-1 run to stretch their lead to 20.

For a team that was put together in four weeks last April, the Wildcats have put together some great basketball. It also says something about the coaching.

Miller has Arizona on the up. This game answered all the "$2 million a year for a head coach" questions.

Miller is one of the best coaches in college basketball. Not best young, or best up-and-coming, just best. This game may prove to be where he makes his mark on the Arizona program.

This might be the game that fans remember as the point where Arizona turned themselves around and became an elite program once again.

In a bitter rivalry like this one, a game like this could help turn around Arizona's season.

The Cats, once again, now have a shot at winning the Pac-10 regular season title.

Many national media pundits, will say, "that the Pacific Ten Conference is in a bit of a down year," from a national perspective. However, fans in Tempe will not mind if everyone else surrounding them, is treading water to earn NCAA Tournament bids, especially since Herb Sendek's Sun Devils sit atop the Pacific Ten Conference Standings.

If the local media in Tempe, AZ ask Head Coach Herb Sendek, if he thought his team would be sitting pretty in first place in late January, most likely his response would have been, "great, let's see what we can do in March when it counts." 

But on the positive side of the Pac-10 season, ASU is currently holding the pole position with a 4-2 record, just as their in-state rival Arizona Wildcats stare them right in the face.

A four and two record is great, but Herb Sendek has to instill in his players' mind, that with three straight homes games coming up on the maroon and gold's schedule, the Sun Devils should be eyeing a seven and two start to reach the half way point of the conference season.

The interesting topic about the Sun Devils' success, is that ASU has won their games primarily without a big play scoring threat. If the Sun Devils are hot shooting the ball from the three point line, well, their opponents will be in for a long night.

Rihards Kuksiks has led the charge for ASU offensively, scoring in double figures four out of the six conference games this season. Kuksisks even managed to score 25 points or more twice in that stretch.

Now, for the Sun Devils and Herb Sendek's squad, the key will be to continue this hot streak of shooting from the perimeter.

But when things have look gloomy for the ASU basketball team, the past four years Senior point guard Derek Glasser has led the way, and this season is a perfect example of such leadership.

Glasser is ASU's second leading scorer, behind the sharp shooting Kuksiks, but Glasser has left his mark on a different stat column. Earlier this month, Glasser re-wrote the ASU assists record and etched his name in, as the best point guard in Sun Devil history.

The only thing that Glasser is missing is an outright Pacific Ten Conference Championship. With the next three games at home versus Arizona, and the two bay area schools, Glasser and his Sun Devils will look to write their storybook tale on their way to that goal.

Ever since the arrival of Head Coach Herb Sendek, the Arizona State basketball team has been known for their stifling zone defense that has tormented their Pacific Ten Conference foes. However, the offensive production and prolific scoring that fans became all too accustomed to, seemed to have came and went with former Sun Devil and current NBA rookie, James Harden. 

Harden was a household name the past two seasons in college basketball, and the Los Angeles, CA native, looks to have a bright future in the NBA, but Sendek and Sun Devil fans are much more concerned with how the ASU basketball team will overcome the lack of a complete game-changer on the court, in late game situations. 

This scenario has been evident during the early going this season. ASU's leading scorer this season is Senior point guard Derek Glasser, averaging just under 13 point per game and nearly six assists a game. But for Sendek, Glasser is the facilitator of the basketball, almost like the quarterback of his offense, not the pure scorer like Harden was the past two seasons. 

James Harden averaged 21 points, five rebounds, and four assists per game last season, while earning Pac-10 player of the year honors. To the dismay of Sun Devil fans, his production is now seen on the grand scale, not at Wells Fargo Arena in Tempe. 

ASU is now turning to Rihards Kuksiks, Eric Boateng, and Glasser to be the three headed scoring monster to drive the Sun Devils to potential back to back NCAA tournament appearances this season. But fans in Tempe are hesitant to start drinking the koolaid. 

Following Arizona State's narrow 55-52 victory of the San Diego State Aztecs, Glasser was the man that stepped up to solidify the victory for the Sun Devils. However, in the last eleven minutes of the contest, the Sun Devils nearly blew an eighteen point lead, when the offensive output for Sendek's squad began settling for long range three-point shots. 

In year's past, Harden was the man that took over the game in crunch time, to put the nail in the coffin. Against the Aztecs, Glasser was the reliable floor general, and finished off the Aztecs at the free throw line. Unfortunately, the meat of the Pacific Ten conference schedule will not be as forgiving as the SDSU Aztecs. 

When Harden was a Freshman he was thrown into the role of ASU's high flying top scorer, so far this season, the Sun Devils do not have that performer. But will one emerge as the diamond in the rough? 

Look no further than Freshman Trent Lockett. Lockett has shown signs of taking over a game, such as his 19 point performance against San Francisco, a game which ASU won 104-65, and even against Duke at Madison Square Garden, Lockett scored 8 of his 13 points in the final four minutes to formulate a comeback against the Blue Devils.  

Sendek stated that even Harden did not put up twenty point performances early on as a Freshman, but once the calendar changes to a new year, freshmen turn into sophomores, and the experience begins to show. 

Lockett has shown his ability on one of the grandest stages of them all in New York, the coaches, teammates, and fans in Tempe are waiting for this breakout Freshman to turn into the Sun Devils game-changer and emerge as the play-maker that he ASU offense is missing. 

ASU’s Pac-10 player of the year, James Harden is expected to officially declare himself eligible for the NBA draft on Wednesday.

Harden, a sophomore, averaged 20.1 points, 5.6 boards, and 4.2 dimes this season, leading ASU to their first NCAA tournament appearance since 2003.

Unfortunately for the Devils, and Harden, he struggled mightily down the stretch, scoring just 10 points in ASU’s loss to USC in the Pac 10 Tournament’s championship game.

Harden’s hard luck shooting continued into the NCAA tournament, as he scored just 9 points on 1-9 shooting in ASU’s first round victory over Temple. He shot 2-10 from the field while scoring 10 in the Devils’ eliminating loss to Syracuse.

A few weeks back I argued that Harden wasn’t ready for the NBA; lacking the jump shot and aggressiveness I feel he will need to be an impact player in the world’s premier basketball league.

Even Harden seemed unsure himself after his poor performance saying, “I haven’t thought about it, but why wouldn’t I come back? We have something here at Arizona State that’s great. We have great culture, great players. Obviously, we lose a key point with Jeff (Pendergraph) leaving, but there’s some great pieces here.”

Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim called Harden “passive,” saying he “did nothing” in the Devils’ victory over Temple.

Harden likely hurt his draft value with his tournament play, perhaps dropping out of the top five. Even so, Harden was still a great college player and will still be a lottery pick in this year’s draft.

No matter what type of player Harden turns out to be NBA, he will never be forgotten here in the Valley. He will be credited, along with coach Sendek, for turning around an embarrassing ASU program, and most importantly leading the Devils to five straight wins over the hated Wildcats.

So maybe he won’t be the superstar he was at ASU, but Harden is a smart guy. He is mature and professional, especially for a 19 year old, qualities that should take him a long way in the NBA.

Sound off: Where do you think James Harden will be picked in the 2009 NBA Draft?

One week ago, I began writing an article that I never finished. I was going to craft a piece about the Arizona State Sun Devils' first ever Pac-10 Tournament title and how James Harden appeared calm, poised under pressure, mature, and ready to make his move to the NBA.

Then, in the waning moments of the Devils’ 66-63 loss to USC this past weekend, my faith in Harden's ability to play at the next level started to waiver.

Aside from his low-scoring total (just 10 points), Harden looked cool and collected. At the time, I remember admiring his maturity, but now, I fear this perceived strength might, in fact, be a weakness. It might be a lack of urgency.

Harden tends to let the game come to him, opting to get his teammates involved before himself. The problem is, as shown in the USC loss, he is often too passive for too long and is therefore unable to turn it in crunch time.

Harden missed a three-point shot with 6:38 remaining in the game. His next shot attempt came in the form of a free-throw over five minutes later. He made his first and missed his second.

After a three-pointer from Dwight Lewis pulled USC within one point, with just over a minute to play, Harden turned the ball over on the next possession.

James had the opportunity to redeem himself twice after the Trojans took the lead, but he had his layup blocked and missed a three-pointer that would’ve given ASU the win.

I stopped writing my article praising the young man. Now was not the time to celebrate Harden.

Harden had possibly his worst game of the year in Friday’s victory over Temple, scoring just nine points on 1-of-8 shooting from the field. He was lucky that his team was bailed out by 22-point performances from both Jeff Pendergraph and Derek Glasser.

The nightmare continued on Sunday, as he shot just 2-of-10 from the field and scored a measly 10 points in the Devils’ 78-67 eliminating loss to Syracuse.

Perhaps most frustrating was the complacency displayed by the squad in maroon and gold. They helplessly passed the ball around the perimeter, while wasting precious clock time. Even the broadcasters commented on ASU’s noncommittal attitude, saying the team was playing like had several minutes left to go in the game.

The Devils were shut down by the zone defense of the Orange and were unable to penetrate the into the lane, settling instead for 30-foot three-pointers.

It was, to say the least, an inopportune time for the Devils' leader to go missing. Especially when they needed his point production so badly.

A clearly shocked Harden was immediately questioned about his next career move after the game, and said "I haven’t thought about it, but why wouldn’t I come back?

We have something here at Arizona State that’s great. We have great culture, great players. Obviously, we lose a key point with Jeff (Pendergraph) leaving, but there’s some great pieces here."

Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim chimed in as well with some brutally honest comments, when asked about Harden’s performance in the tournament. He said Harden "did nothing" and was "really passive" in the Devils’ first-round victory over Temple.

Boeheim went on to say "...and (today), when he was on the perimeter, we weren’t concerned. If anything, we were going to let him shoot the three over the other three guys."

Harden cannot afford to be passive in the NBA. At 6'5", he’s not a particularly tall player, good outside shooter, or skilled ball handler. To be successful in the pros, Harden has to be aggressive and drive to the rim with reckless abandonment in order to draw fouls or hand the ball off to a cutting teammate.

If Harden opts to enter the NBA Draft this year, he likely would still be a lottery pick. At one point, he was considered a top-five prospect but has seen his value decline significantly over the past week. If Harden opts to stay for his senior year, he could increase both his value and the minutes he is likely to see in his rookie season.

If there’s one thing you can say about Harden, it’s that he’s smart.

Let’s just hope he’s smart enough to stay in Tempe for one more year.