Harden named Pac-10 Player of the Year

March 09, 2009

ASU sophomore guard <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/harden_james00.html">J… Harden</a> has been named the 2008-09 Pacific-10 Men's Basketball Player of the Year, becoming the third Sun Devil to win the honor. Harden joins Eddie House (2000) and Ike Diogu (2005).<separator></separator>Senior <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/pendergraph_jeff00.htm… Pendergraph</a> was named to the 10-man first-team. He earned all-freshman honors in 2005-2006, honorable mention in 2006-2007, third-team in 2007-2008 and first-team this season.<separator></separator>In other honors handed out by the Pac-10: Washington guard Isaiah Thomas was named Pac-10 Freshman of the Year; USC junior forward Taj Gibson has been named Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year; Washington senior guard Justin Dentmon has been named Pac-10 Most Improved Player of the Year and Lorenzo Romar of Washington is the Pac-10 Coach of the Year, Commissioner Tom Hansen announced Monday.<separator></separator>The duo of Harden and Pendergraph has led ASU to back-to-back 20-win seasons for the first time since 1979-80 and 1980-81 as ASU was 21-13 last year and is 22-8 this season. The Sun Devils swept UCLA for just the third time in its 31 years of Pac-10 play and posted 11 conference wins for just the second time in the past 14 seasons, as it tied with Cal for third in the league.<separator></separator>ASU will take on Arizona at noon Thursday in the first round of the Pac-10 Tournament.<separator></separator>In a vote of the Pac-10 Coaches during their meetings last spring, the league restructured the All-Conference honors from three teams of five players each, to a 10-player first team and a five-player second team.<separator></separator>Harden, a first-team selection last year, is averaging 20.8 points, 5.4 rebounds and 4.1 rebounds per game and is shooting 50.4 percent from the field and has 16 20-point games.<separator></separator>Pendergraph is averaging 14.4 points and 8.5 rebounds per game while shooting 66.5 percent from the floor and 77.2 percent from the foul line.