Sendek going for win against Huskies

January 04, 2010

The Arizona State's men's hoops team, in its fourth season under 318-game winner <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/sendek_herb00.html">He… Sendek</a> and coming off back-to-back 20-win seasons for the first time since 1980-81, host defending Pac-10 champion Washington Friday at 8:30 p.m. MT on FOX Sports Arizona and then takes on Washington State at 1:30 p.m. MT on Sunday, Jan. 19 (FOX Sports Net). ASU is 10-5 and 0-2 after two losses in Los Angeles last weekend, as after going 8-22 (.267) in Coach Sendek's first year (2006-2007), the Sun Devils are 56-28 (.667) since and giving up just 60.5 points per game in his 114 games. ASU has had to replace two NBA draft picks from last year in first-team consensus All-American <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/harden_james00.html">J… Harden</a> and first-team All-Pac-10 forward <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/pendergraph_jeff00.htm… Pendergraph</a>, but returns three starters from last year's team in senior point guard <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/glasser_derek00.html">… Glasser</a> (2009 Pac-10 All-Tournament Team), junior <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/kuksiks_rihards00.html… Kuksiks</a> (third-best returning three-point shooter in the nation according to NCAA minimums) and junior Ty Abbott (121 career threes and 65 starts entering this year). ASU has had eight players lead or share the team lead in scoring in its 13 games and has five players on its roster who have had a 20-point game in their career. The Sun Devils have held 10 of their first 15 opponents to under 40 percent field goal shooting, as 27 of its past 50 opponents have shot under 40 percent.<separator></separator>Herb vs. ranked teams Coach Sendek has 35 career wins against ranked foes, including 12 top-10 wins in his past 10 seasons. He notched his first at ASU on Feb. 18, 2007, as ASU topped No. 22 USC 68-58 and won his first attempt in 2007-08 with a 77-55 over No. 17 Xavier on Dec. 15 (largest win over a ranked team in ASU history)...the Jan. 17, 2009, win at ninth-ranked UCLA was ASU's first top-10 road win since its 90-87 OT win at No. 4 Stanford on Jan. 31, 1998...against seventh-ranked Stanford on Feb. 14, 2008, ASU earned its first win over a top-10 team since Jan. 23, 2002 (88-72 over No. 10 Arizona)...in the nine years prior (1998-99 to 2006-07), ASU went 1-24 against top-10 teams. In its past four games against top-10 teams under Herb Sendek, ASU is 2-2 (seventh-ranked Stanford in 2007-2008 and at ninth-ranked UCLA in 2008-2009)...from 1995-1996 until 2005-2006 (11 seasons), ASU went 5-66 against ranked foes (2-28 at home). Under <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/sendek_herb00.html">He… Sendek</a> ASU has six wins against ranked teams, three of them at home.  Coach Sendek's wins vs. ranked teams at ASU #23 ASU 75, #13 Washington 65/P10 Tourney (Mar. 13, 2009) #18 ASU 74, #11 UCLA 67 (Feb. 12, 2009) #16 ASU 61, @#9 UCLA 58 (OT), Jan. 17, 2009 ASU 72, #7 Stanford 68 (OT), Feb. 14, 2008 ASU 77, #17 Xavier 55, Dec. 15, 2007 (largest win over ranked team in ASU history) ASU 68, #22 USC 58, Feb. 18, 2007<separator></separator>Coach Sendek's 35 wins against ranked teams overall Mar. 13, 2009 ~ Arizona State 75, #13 Washington 65 (Pac-10 Tournament at Los Angeles) Feb. 12, 2009 ~ Arizona State 74, #11 UCLA 67 Jan. 17, 2009 ~ Arizona State 61, @#9 UCLA 59 (OT) Feb. 14, 2008 ~ Arizona State 72, #7 Stanford 68 (OT) Dec. 15, 2007 ~ Arizona State 77, #17 Xavier 55 Feb. 18, 2007 ~ Arizona State 68, #22 USC 58 Jan. 10, 2006 ~ NC State 78, @#15 Boston College 60 Dec. 30, 2005 ~NC State 79, #12 George Washington 58 Mar. 20, 2005 ~ NC State 65, #13 UCONN 62 (NCAA Tournament at Worcester, Mass.) Mar. 11, 2005 ~ NC State 81, #3 Wake Forest 65 (ACC Tournament at Greensboro) Feb. 16, 2005 ~ NC State 82, #22 Maryland 63 Jan. 16, 2005 ~ NC State 76, #8 Georgia Tech 68 Mar. 6, 2004 ~ NC State 81, @#11 Wake Forest 70 Feb. 25, 2004 ~ NC State 79, @#18 Georgia Tech 69 Feb. 15, 2004 ~ NC State 78, #1 Duke 74 Feb. 4, 2004 ~ NC State 73, #16 Wake Forest 68 Jan. 24, 2004 ~ NC State 76, #11 Georgia Tech 72 Mar. 15, 2003 ~ NC State 87, #9 Wake Forest 83 (ACC Tournament at Greensboro) Jan. 22, 2003 ~ NC State 80, #3 Duke 71 Mar. 9, 2002 ~ NC State 86, #2 Maryland 82 (ACC Tournament at Charlotte) Feb. 6, 2002 ~ NC State 85, #8 Virginia 68 Jan. 5, 2002 ~ NC State 81, @#4 Virginia 74 Dec. 8, 2001 ~ NC State 82, @#9 Syracuse 68 Feb. 7, 2001 ~ NC State 90, #6 Virginia 80 Jan. 6, 2000 ~ NC State 68, #12 Maryland 66 Dec. 1, 1999 ~ NC State 61, @#19 Purdue 59 Dec. 23, 1998 ~ NC State 62, #23 Oklahoma 58 (San Juan, P.R.) Feb. 21, 1998 ~ NC State 86, @#1 North Carolina 72 Dec. 4, 1997 ~ NC State 71, @#22 Georgia Tech 69 (OT) Nov. 11, 1997 ~ NC State 47, #19 Georgia 45 (Meadowlands) Mar. 8, 1997 ~ NC State 65, #22 Maryland 58 (ACC Tournament at Greensboro) Mar. 7, 1997 ~ NC State 66, #7 Duke 60 (ACC Tournament at Greensboro) Feb. 17, 1997 ~ NC State 60, @#4 Wake Forest 59 (OT) Feb. 1, 1997 ~ NC State 58, #7 Clemson 54 Mar. 16, 1995 ~ Miami (Ohio) 71, #15 Arizona 62 (NCAA Tournament @Dayton)<separator></separator>The wins you notice ASU has notched a double-digit win over a ranked team in each of Herb Sendek¹s three seasons. It beat No. 22 USC 68-58 on Feb. 18, 2007, beat No. 17 Xavier 77-55 on Dec. 15, 2007 (largest win over a ranked team in school history), and then topped No. 13 Washington 75-65 on March 13, 2009, in Los Angeles at the Pac-10 Tournament. In the prior 16 seasons of ASU, the Sun Devils had posted three double-digit wins over ranked teams.<separator></separator>THE POINT GUARD Senior <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/glasser_derek00.html">… Glasser</a> is averaging 11.1 points and is shooting 89.1 percent from the free throw line (49-of-55) this year, third-best in the league. He ranks second in the Pac-10 in assists per game (5.2) and third in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.5 with 78 assists and 31 turnovers)...sixth in the league in three-point shooting at 44.9 percent (22-of-48)...already is the ASU career assist record holder with 471, topping the mark held by the late Bobby Thompson, who had 454 from 1983-87, and his 231-of-276 (.837) shooting from the free throw line currently is the best in school history...has played 19 turnover free games in his 113-game career...posted a career-high 24 points in the Nov. 27 win over LSU...earned 2009 Pac-10 All-Tournament honors by averaging 13.7 points in the three games. He shot 16-of-31 (.516) from the field, made 5-of-11 (.455) from the three-point stripe and had 12 assists and just four turnovers while averaging 37.3 minutes per game.<separator></separator>At home ASU is 36-9 (.800) 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 21-4 (.840) the past two seasons at home, including 9-1 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.<separator></separator>Leading the way The Sun Devils lead the Pac-10 in scoring margin (+12.9 points per game) and three-pointers made per game (8.4 with 116 made in 15 games). They are second in the Pac-10 in scoring defense (55.2 points per game), assist-to-turnover ratio (1.2), field goal percentage defense (.391) and turnover margin (+3.5)...ASU is third in field goal percentage (.466) and three-point shooting (.384)...Rihards Kuksiks eight three-pointers vs. UCSB on Dec. 21 is tied for the most made by a Pac-10 player this year with WSU's Klay Thompson. He is third in the league at 2.6 three-pointers made per game...Eric Boateng leads the Pac-10 in field goal percentage at 65.7 percent, while <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/mcmillan_jamelle00.htm… McMillan</a> is tied for ninth at .500...ASU gave up just 34 points to Delaware State (Dec. 12) and 35 to Western Illinois (Nov. 13), the best defensive marks in the Pac-10 this year...ASU's 104 points vs. San Francisco (Nov. 20) is the second-highest by a Pac-10 team this year...ASU's 29 assists and 18 three-pointers in that game are the most by a league team this year, as are its 17 steals vs. Texas State...Jamelle McMillan is fifth in the league in three-point percentage at .451 and leads the league in assist-to-turnover ration at 2.7 (46 assists and 17 turnovers).<separator></separator>Sun Devils shoot threes ASU set the school record for three-pointers made (288) and attempted (778) in 2008-2009. ASU's top three returning scorers had combined to make 392 three-pointers in their careers and all three are in the ASU career top-10 list already, as Rik Kuksiks has 168 (sixth), Ty Abbott 143 (eighth) and <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/glasser_derek00.html">… Glasser</a> 129 (tenth). So far this season, ASU is shooting 126-of-328 (.384) from the arc, with nine Sun Devils hitting three pointers.<separator></separator>Best tree in the land <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/sendek_herb00.html">He… Sendek</a> has eight former assistants who are D-I coaches, the best mark of any coach in the nation, ahead of Mike Montgomery and Rick Pitino (seven each). Twelve-year sidekick <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/phelps_mark00.html">Ma… Phelps</a> earned the Drake spot in the spring of 2008 after serving for 10 years on the staff at NC State and for two years at ASU. Former NC State sidekick John Groce also earned the Ohio University position in the spring of 2008. The others are Jim Christian at TCU (Miami assistant in 1995-96), Charlie Coles at Miami of Ohio (Miami assistant from 1994-96), Larry Hunter at Western Carolina (NC State assistant from 2001-05), Ron Hunter of IUPUI (Miami assistant from 1993-94), Ohio State's Thad Matta (Miami assistant in 1994-95) and Arizona's Sean Miller (assistant at both Miami from 1993-95 and at NC State from 1996-2000).<separator></separator>Boat <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/boateng_eric00.html">E… Boateng</a> already has his degree in Global Studies, speaks a little bit of Chinese and an African dialect called ³Twi² and is taking advantage of the 24-hour access for ASU¹s new practice facility (Weatherup Center). He is averaging 8.0 points and 6.2 boards while shooting 65.7 percent from the field (46-of-70), as he has scored 120 points after scoring 57 all of last year. Also, he was 28-of-74 (.378) from the free throw line in his first two years at ASU, he is 28-of-45 (.622) this year.<separator></separator>Player quick notes <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/shipp_jerren00.html">J… Shipp</a> is shooting 17-of-35 (.486) from the field on the year...sophomore <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/rohde_taylor00.html">T… Rohde</a> has already played more minutes (151) than he did all of last year (73). In the past seven games he is averaging 12.9 minutes and 4.6 points while shooting 12-of-22 (.545) from the floor...junior <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/mcmillan_jamelle00.htm… McMillan</a> has been all over the stat sheet the past five games. In that time he is averaging a team-best 35.6 minutes, 12.2 points, 4.4 rebounds, 4.0 assists and has nine steals. He is shooting 22-of-46 (.478) from the floor in that time and 11-of-26 (.423) from the three-point stripe...Ty Abbott also has been active the past five games, averaging 10.8 points.<separator></separator>Team quick notes In the past three years, ASU has played 39 of its 84 games away from its campus, and has gone 20-19 overall and 10-13 in true road games...ASU held Delaware State to 34 points on Dec. 12 in a 76-34 win, the fewest since it won 47-34 over Washington of Saint Louis in the 1949-50 season...ASU made a school-record 18 three-pointers and shot 61.3 percent from the field en route to a 104-65 win vs. San Francisco on Nov. 20. It marked the most points by ASU since a 108-78 win vs. USC on Feb. 13, 2003, as ASU led 58-23 at the half. ASU¹s 29 assists were the most since it had 29 vs. Long Island on Dec. 29, 2004. Eight Sun Devils registered an assist as ASU notched an assist on its first 12 baskets. <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/kuksiks_rihards00.html… Kuksiks</a> had a career-high eight dimes...ASU topped Texas State 84-62 in the NIT opener on Nov. 16, and then came back with a gut-check win vs. TCU 52-49 the next night. ASU was down 48-40 with 3:46 mark when <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/sendek_herb00.html">He… Sendek</a> called a 30-second timeout. <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/kuksiks_rihards00.html… Kuksiks</a> hit a three that sparked a 12-1 run to send ASU to NYC...ASU opened the season Nov. 13 with an 87-35 win over Western Illinois as 11 players scored and the 52-point margin was the biggest since 1996-97.<separator></separator>Abbott update <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/abbott_ty00.html">Ty Abbott</a> missed just one game after having arthroscopic surgery on his right knee in mid-October and seems to be getting back in shape, averaging 7.9 points and going 22-55 (.400) from three. Abbott has played in 83 games in his three-year career and started in 72. He set ASU freshman records for starts (34) and three-pointers made (76) in his first season of 2007-08, as the 76 three-pointers is fourth-best by a freshman in Pac-10 history. He averaged 29.9 minutes while playing all 35 games and starting in 31 last year and was second on team with 16 blocks and 33 steals. He posted 13 games of double-digits, and ASU was 11-2 in those contests, and scored a season-high 20 points against No. 13 Syracuse in NCAA Tournament on 6-of-10 three-point shooting. Abbott also averaged 11.7 points in the Pac-10 Tournament, going 13-of-23 (.565) from the field and 8-of-15 (.533) from the three-point stripe as ASU advanced to the Pac-10 title game for the first time in history. Entering this season he was one three current Pac-10 players who could claim a 30-point night (30-points in his freshman season vs. Cal on Feb. 16, 2008). Tajuan Porter did the trick with 33 at Washington on Feb. 14, 2009 while Jerome Randle had 31 at Arizona on March 5, 2009. When Abbott scores in double digits, ASU is 28-7 (.800), including 16-3 (.842) the past two seasons.<separator></separator>Remember this about the defense Just how good has the Sun Devil defense been since <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/sendek_herb00.html">He… Sendek</a> took over? ASU has given up less than 62 points per game in each of the past three seasons , the best three-season span since the middle of the past century. In the 18 Pac-10 games last year, no team defended shooters better than ASU, as it led the league in field goal percentage defense (.421) and three-point defense (.310). Those that followed Coach Sendek's career at NC State won't find it a big shocker. In his 10 seasons in Raleigh, NC State led the ACC in scoring defense four times and held opponents to just 54.7 points per game in 1996-97, an ACC record. Last year's 60.5 points per game allowed was the lowest by a Sun Devil team since the 1949-50 team gave up 59.8. ASU is currently giving up 55.2 points per contest.<separator></separator>ASU lowest defensive ppg. 1. 46.5 1948 2. 47.6 1949 ***55.2 2010*** 3. 59.8 1950 4. 60.5 2009 5. 61.8 2007 6. 61.9 2008<separator></separator>Glasser making run at ASU free throw mark Senior <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/glasser_derek00.html">… Glasser</a> not only set the school's career assist mark, he also is making a run at the school free throw percentage mark. Glasser is currently at 83.7 percent for his career (231-of-276), a shade better than Alex Austin¹s 81.5 percent from 1986-90. He also has a chance to become the first player in Sun Devil history with 1,000 points and 500 assists. He has 862 career points and 471 assists.<separator></separator>ASU career free throw percentage 1. <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/glasser_derek00.html">… Glasser</a>, 2006-10, 83.7 (231-of-276) 2. Alex Austin, 1986-90, 81.5 (255-of-313) 3. Rick Taylor, 1974-78, 81.4 (253-of-311) 4. Dennis Hamilton, 1963-66, 81.3 (261-of-321) 5. <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/kruger_kevin00.html">K… Kruger</a>, 2003-06, 81.2 (229-of-282)<separator></separator>The shooter Junior <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/kuksiks_rihards00.html… Kuksiks</a> is the third-best returning three-point shooter in the nation according to official NCAA statistics. Kuksiks was 93-of-210 from the arc last year, which was eighth in the nation. Only Jared Stohl of Portland (89-of-195 for .456) and Brandon Hazzard of Troy (83-of-185 for .449) were returners with better net swishing digits than the Latvian native. He shot .420 from the three-point stripe in the 16 games against NCAA Tournament teams last year and was 17-of-37 (.459) in the six games against ranked opponents. He also was clutch in close games, as ASU played four games of two points or less (and went 3-1), and Rik was 14-of-30 (.467) from three. He averaged 10.3 points (third-best on the team) and his 93 three-pointers is the third-best in school history, while the 44.3 percent shooting is tied for the fourth-best in school history. The junior has made 168-of-415 (.405) three-pointers in his three-year career and had career-highs in points (27), three-pointers (seven) and assists (eight) in the win over USF on Nov. 20. He also posted a then career-high 20 points in the NCAA Tournament second-round loss to Syracuse with six three-pointers.<separator></separator>The head coach <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/sendek_herb00.html">He… Sendek</a>, 64-50 (.561) at ASU, is in his 17th season as a head coach in 2009-2010 and has averaged 19.2 wins per season. He led the NC State Wolfpack to five straight NCAA appearances from 2002-06 and is now 318-208 (.604) in 17 seasons and was 191-132 (.591) at NC State. The 46-year-old (born Feb. 22, 1963) Pittsburgh, Pa., native remains the third-youngest coach in the Pac-10. Only Duke posted more ACC wins (regular season and ACC Tournament) than NC State's 53 victories from 2002-2006. Another overlooked note is his 10-year stay at NC State. To compare it to the Pac-10, since the league expanded to 10 teams in 1978-79, only five coaches have coached at their schools for at least 10 years: Lute Olson (24/Arizona), Ralph Miller (19/Oregon State), Mike Montgomery (18/Stanford), Ernie Kent (in his 13th at Oregon) and Ben Braun (12/California).<separator></separator>Winning tough ones ASU is 20-15 (.571) in the past three seasons in 10 points or less games after going 4-17 in <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/sendek_herb00.html">He… Sendek's</a> first year...ASU is 6-2 in its past eight overtime games...in ASU's first season under <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/sendek_herb00.html">He… Sendek</a>, it was 3-12 in two-possession games (six points or less), in the past three seasons it is 13-9 (7-5 past two seasons).<separator></separator>Games of 10 points or less, past three seasons (2007-08 through 2009-10) 1. UCLA, 22-12 (.647) 2. USC, 23-17 (.575) 3. ASU, 20-15 (.571) 4. Washington, 20-16 (.556) 5. Cal, 23-19 (.548) 6. Stanford, 20-17 (.541) 7. WSU, 19-18 (.514) 8. OSU, 19-22 (.463) 9. Arizona, 18-21 (.462) 10. Oregon, 16-21 (.432)