James Harden earns Pac-10 Player of the Week

January 07, 2008

Sun Devil freshman <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/harden_james00.html">J… Harden</a> has been named the U.S. Bank Pacific-10 Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Week for Dec. 31 - Jan. 6, Commissioner Tom Hansen announced today.<separator></separator>Harden, a wing from Los Angeles, Calif., helped the Sun Devils to a pair of wins last week, beating Oregon, 62-54, and Oregon State, 72-53. Against the Ducks, Harden scored 20 points, shooting 38.5 percent from the field (5-of-13) and .800 (8-of-10) from the free throw line. He also added seven rebounds and one steal. Against the Beavers, Harden scored 24 points, shooting 61.5 percent from the field (8-of-13). In addition, he recorded five rebounds and two blocks in his seventh 20-point game. This ties Harden for the second-most 20-point game by a freshman in ASU history, and the most by a Pac-10 freshman this year.<separator></separator>For the week, he shot 13-of-26 (.500) from the field, 4-of-8 (.500) from three-point range, 14-of-19 (.737) from the free throw line and averaged 22.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists.<separator></separator>Harden, who is the Pac-10's youngest player (born Aug. 26, 1989), leads the Sun Devils in scoring (17.6 ppg./sixth in Pac-10), steals (25/leads the Pac-10) and minutes per game (31.0) and is shooting .559 from the field (81-of-145/ninth in Pac-10), .802 from the free throw line (69-of-86/eighth in Pac-10) and .471 from the three-point stripe (16-of-34/eighth in Pac-10).<separator></separator>He is the only player in the league ranked in the top 10 in all three shooting categories. He is ninth in FG% (.559), eighth in FT% (.802) and eighth in three-point shooting (.471).<separator></separator>Sixteen ASU players have been named Pac-10 Player of the Week on 25 occasions. It marks just the 28th time a freshman has earned the honor since the Pac-10 started the award in 1983-84, as teammate <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/abbott_ty00.html">Ty Abbott</a> (Dec. 17) and UCLA's Kevin Love also earned the honor this year (Nov. 26).<separator></separator>ASU PAC-10 PLAYERS OF THE WEEK <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/harden_james00.html">J… Harden</a> (Fr.), Jan. 7, 2008 <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/abbott_ty00.html">Ty Abbott</a> (Fr.), Dec. 17, 2007<separator></separator><a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/diogu_ike00.html">Ike Diogu</a> (Jr.), Feb. 7, 2005 <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/diogu_ike00.html">Ike Diogu</a> (Jr.), Jan. 10, 2005 <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/diogu_ike00.html">Ike Diogu</a> (Jr.), Dec. 6, 2004 <separator></separator><a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/smith_tommy00.html">To… Smith</a> (Sr.), Mar. 10, 2003 <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/diogu_ike00.html">Ike Diogu</a> (Fr.), Feb. 16, 2003 <separator></separator><a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/prewitt_chad00.html">C… Prewitt</a> (Sr.), Jan. 7, 2002 <separator></separator><a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/storey_awvee00.html">A… Storey</a> (Jr.), Feb. 5, 2001 <separator></separator><a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/house_eddie00.html">Ed… House</a> (Sr.), Feb. 21, 2000 <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/house_eddie00.html">Ed… House</a> (Sr.), Jan. 10, 2000 <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/house_eddie00.html">Ed… House</a> (Sr.), Jan. 3, 2000 <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/house_eddie00.html">Ed… House</a> (Sr.), Dec. 20, 1999 <separator></separator><a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/house_eddie00.html">Ed… House</a> (Jr.), Dec. 21, 1998 <separator></separator><a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/veal_jeremy00.html">Je… Veal</a> (Sr.), Feb. 9, 1998 <separator></separator>Mario Bennett (Jr.), Mar. 13, 1995 Mario Bennett (Jr.), Feb. 13, 1995 <separator></separator>Stevin Smith (Jr.), Feb. 1, 1993 Dwayne Fontana (Jr.), Jan. 4, 1993 <separator></separator>Mario Bennett (Fr.), Feb. 24, 1992 Jamal Faulkner (So.), Jan. 20, 1992 <separator></separator>Alex Austin (Sr.), Jan. 9, 1990 <separator></separator>Arthur Thomas (Jr.), Feb. 17, 1986 <separator></separator>Bobby Thompson (Sr.) Jan. 14, 1985 Chris Sandle (Fr.) Dec. 10, 1984<separator></separator>