Notes on men's hoops game vs. Oregon
Past three seasons
The Arizona State's men's hoops team (17-8 and 7-5 in the Pac-10), in its fourth season under 324-game winner Herb Sendek, gets set for a 4 p.m. MT tip vs. Oregon on Saturday, Feb. 13, on FOX Sport Net Arizona and KTAR 620 AM. ASU is one of seven teams within two games of the lead of the Pac-10, as Cal leads the way at 8-4. ASU (7-5), UW (6-6), UA (7-5), UCLA (6-5) and USC (6-5) are in the mix. ASU topped Oregon State for the sixth straight time Thursday 56-46 and held the Beavers to just .246 from the field (14-of-57), the best defensive field goal percentage allowed by ASU in a Pac-10 game since 1987-88. The Sun Devils have held 15 of their 25 opponents to under 40 percent field goal shooting, as 32 of its past 60 opponents have shot under 40 percent. ASU is now 27-21 (.563) in Pac-10 games the past three seasons, tied for the second-best record in that time with Washington, also at 27-21. UCLA is 35-12 (.745).
To revisit
ASU was picked to finish seventh in the Pac-10 preseason media poll and some folks had them tagged for last (like Jon Wilner of the Sporting News), as ASU was one of just seven schools to have two draft picks in the top 35 last year (James Harden was the third pick and Jeff Pendergraph 31st), joining North Carolina (three), USC, Louisville, Wake Forest and UCLA. With seven conference games left and a Pac-10 Tournament game as well, ASU has clinched a winning season, the first time ASU had posted three straight winning seasons since Bill Frieder led ASU to five straight from 1990-91 to 1994-95 (worth noting last year was the first time ASU had posted back-to-back winning seasons since those same five seasons). Also, ASU has produced 63 wins in the past two-plus seasons, just the fourth time in school history a three-year period has produced 63 wins. ASU is trying to reach 20 wins for the third straight season after reaching 20 wins in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 1979-80 and 1980-81. ASU has not had three straight 20-win seasons since the 1960-61 (23-6), 1961-62 (23-4) and 1962-63 (26-3) teams racked up 73 victories. Entering this season UCLA, Stanford, USC and ASU were the only Pac-10 schools to notch 20 wins in each of the past two seasons.
Most wins over a three-year period in ASU history
1960-61 TO 1962-63 (73-13/.849)
1961-62 TO 1963-64 (66-18/.892)
1959-60 TO 1961-62 (63-17/.788)
2007-08 TO 2009-10 (63-31/.670)
History
ASU had a winning record at the halfway mark of the Pac-10 season (5-4) for just the third time in the past 15 seasons (1995-96 to present) and for the second straight season under Herb Sendek. ASU was 5-4 at the turn last year en route to the NCAA Tournament with NBA draft picks James Harden and Jeff Pendergraph leading the way. In 2002-03, ASU also was 5-4 at the turn, with Freshman of the Year Ike Diogu (and eventual NBA Lottery pick) and four seniors in the starting lineup and also advanced to the NCAA Tournament.
Against Oregon
ASU is 4-3 vs. the Ducks under Herb Sendek, including 2-1 in Tempe...ASU has held the Ducks to 41-of-129 (.318) from the three-point stripe, 139-of-332 (.419) from the field and 58.6 points per game in the seven outings under Herb Sendek...ASU is 38-31 against the Ducks all-time.
Good starts
In the past 10 games ASU is scoring 34.2 points in the first half while allowing just 26.8 and is holding its opponents to just 34.7 percent field goal shooting (99-285) in the opening 20 minutes. ASU is 7-3 in that stretch.
Most improved
The Pac-10 last season started a Most Improved Player Award and the inaugural honor went to Washington's Justin Dentmon. This year's first-half leader might/could/should be Sun Devil junior Ty Abbott...he is averaging 16.7 points and 7.1 boards in the past 10 games and is 36-of-78 (.462) from the three-point stripe in that time...averaging 6.8 boards per game in Pac-10 play...posted a season-high 29 points vs. Stanford on Jan. 30, including seven three-pointers, and also added a career-best 12 rebounds, all on the defensive end...played a season-high 38 minutes, posted 20 points and matched season highs in assists (four) and steals (three) vs. California on Jan. 28...and why the most improved tag? Abbott is 59-of-138 (.423) from the floor, 37-of-85 (.435) from the three-point stripe and is averaging 15.3 points and 6.8 boards per game in Pac-10 play. Last year he shot 19-of-86 (.221) from the floor, 8-of-59 (.136) from the three-point stripe and averaged 2.9 points and 3.7 rebounds in Pac-10 play...has played in 93 games in his three-year career and started in 82...when Abbott scores in double digits, ASU is 34-10 (.773) and 22-6 (.786) the past two seasons.
At home
ASU is 40-11 (.784) at home in the past three seasons, including a 15-5 mark in 2007-08 that set the ASU mark for total home wins. ASU is 25-6 (.806) the past two seasons at home, including 13-3 (.813) this season. Ten of ASU's 27 home wins in the two seasons prior to this year (2007-2008 and 2008-2009) were against teams that would play in the NCAA Tournament that same season.
Against Oregon State recap
Derek Glasser had 16 points while Jerren Shipp added 11 off the bench in the 56-46 win over OSU Thursday...Ty Abbott and Eric Boateng each had nine boards...ASU has now put together a modest six-game win streak against the Beavers, as Herb Sendek is 6-2 against OSU...ASU has averaged 64.8 points in that time and allowed the Beavers just 49.3 per game...OSU leads the overall series 38-37...ASU swept the regular season series from the Beavers for the third straight year and for the tenth time since joining the Pac-10...ASU has shot .481 from the field (130-of-270) in the past six games against OSU and held the Beavers to 105-of-310 (.338) from the field...Eric Boateng is 14-of-18 (.778) from the field in six career games against OSU...Derek Glasser had 12 assists and just two turnovers in 75 minutes this year vs. the Beavers.
About the points allowed vs. WSU and OSU
Quietly the Jan. 10 71-46 win over Washington State and the 56-46 win over Oregon State on Feb. 13 are two of the best in terms of points allowed by ASU in its Pac-10 history, as they tie for the eighth-fewest points allowed in ASU's 570 Pac-10 regular-season contests.
Fewest points allowed in a Pac-10 game
ASU 48, @Oregon State 38 (Feb. 7, 2009/Herb Sendek)
ASU 69, Oregon State 38 (Jan. 8, 2009/Herb Sendek)
ASU 42, @Cal 41 (March 3, 2008/Herb Sendek)
ASU 53, Washington 41 (Jan. 31, 1991/Bill Frieder)
ASU 67, @Washington State 41 (Feb. 11, 1984/Bob Weinhauer)
ASU 82, Oregon State 44 (Feb. 25, 1995/Bill Frieder)
ASU 96, WSU 45 (Feb. 7, 2002/Rob Evans)
ASU 56, Oregon State 46 (Feb. 11, 2010/Herb Sendek)
ASU 71, Washington State 46 (Jan. 10, 2010/Herb Sendek)
Minute man
Derek Glasser continues to climb up the ASU career minutes list. Eddie House has the career mark, playing in 124 games from 1996-2000 while notching 4,164 minutes (33.6 minutes per game). Glasser also has a chance to become just the seventh Sun Devil to start in 100 games. ASU CAREER MINUTES
1. Eddie House (1999-2000)--4,164/124 games/33.6
2. Jeremy Veal (1994-98)--3,980/122 games/32.5
3. Jeff Pendergraph (2005-09)--3,801/126 games/30.2
4. Derek Glasser (2006-10)--3,670/123 games/29.8
ASU career starts
1. Jeff Pendergraph, 2005-09, 120
2. Eddie House, 1996-2000, 114
3. Ron Riley, 1992-96, 109
4. Jason Braxton, 2001-2005, 102
5. Alex Austin, 1986-90, 100
6. Steve Beck, 1983-87, 96
7. Derek Glasser, 2006-10, 95
Sun Devils lowest shooting percentage in ASU win under coach Sendek
ASU 53 (16-56/.286), @Arizona 47 (14-47/.298)--Jan. 21, 2009
ASU 56 (16-45/.356), Oregon State 46 (14-57/.246)--Feb. 11, 2010
ASU 55 (18-49/.367), San Diego State 52 (18-44/.409)--Dec. 19, 2009
ASU 68 (15-40/.375), #24 Washington 51 (18-50/.360)-Jan. 8, 2010