Sun Devils complete incredible season


March 23, 2009

The most successful season in recent history for the ASU men's basketball team came to a close in the second round of the NCAA tournament.

No. 6 seeded ASU fell to No. 3 Syracuse 78-67 in a second round NCAA Tournament game March 22.

Despite the loss, ASU's season went down as one of the most successful in years, with a series of "first evers" and "first since" accomplishments.

Among the accomplishments:

• ASU made the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2003. The Sun Devils made it into the second round after defeating Temple Temple 66-57 March 20.

• ASU made it into the finals of the Pac-10 conference tournament for the first time and got out of the first round for the first time since 1990 for the Sun Devils to win a game in the conference tournament. (The tournament was not held from 1991 to 2001 and resumed in 2002.) ASU finished second in the conference tournament with a 66-63 loss to USC.

• ASU finished the season at 25-10, the first time ASU has posted 25 wins for the first time since the 1974-75 team led by Lionel Hollins went 25-4. ASU's school record for wins is 26 set in 1962-63 (26-3).

• ASU finished at 11-7 in the Pac-10 and tied for third, its best Pac-10 finish since the 1994-95 Sweet Sixteen team.

• The Sun Devils have clinched back-to-back 20-win seasons for the first time since the 1979-80 team went 22-7 and the 1980-81 team went 24-4.

• The last time ASU had back-to-back winning seasons was when the 1993-94 team went 15-13 and the 1994-95 team went 24-9.

• After going 8-22 (.267) in Coach Sendek's first year (2006-2007), the Sun Devils are 46-22 (.676) since and are second in Pac-10 in points allowed this year at 60.0 per game, second-best by a Sun Devil team since 1948-49 (47.6).

• ASU sophomore guard James Harden was named the 2008-09 Pacific-10 Men's Basketball Player of the Year, becoming the third Sun Devil to win the honor. Harden joined Eddie House (2000) and Ike Diogu (2005).

• Senior Jeff Pendergraph was named to the 10-man first-team. He earned all-thefreshman honors in 2005-2006, honorable mention in 2006-2007, third-team in 2007-2008 and first-team this season.

Gary Campbell

Media Relations and Marketing Manager , Fulton Schools of Engineering

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Fellowships awarded to graduate students in diverse research


March 23, 2009

From Arizona socio-economic conditions as seen through the camera lens to special needs education in Africa, this year's recipients of graduate Completion Fellowships are engaging in diverse research that can have an impact both locally and globally.

The Graduate College awarded 17 fellowships to students who will be completing their doctoral and master's degrees this year. Download Full Image

Aydin Bal, a Ph.D. candidate in the Division of Curriculum and Instruction, seeks to help educators identify the needs, strengths, and challenges of global refugee adolescents as they adapt to American urban schools. Dena Davis Freed, a doctoral candidate in the ASU Theatre for Youth, hopes that her study of the interactive Forum Theater will expand the use of drama practices as teaching techniques in religious education. The Development and Implementation of Policy for Special Needs Education in the Republic of South Africa is the dissertation subject of Josephine Polk-Matthews of the Division of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies. At age 78, she is acquiring her Ph.D. after a stint in the Peace Corps in her early seventies.

"These fellowships reward graduate students for their outstanding research and academic excellence," says Andrew Webber, Associate Vice Provost. "The fellowship allows doctoral or master's degree students a semester of full-time effort to complete a dissertation or project so they can graduate."

Christine Vassett, a doctoral candidate in English, says the fellowship has allowed her to focus her full attention on research and writing. "I am grateful for the opportunity to experience this at least once in my education."

The GC Completion Fellows are:
• Quaylan Allen, Division of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies
• Aydin Bal, Division of Curriculum and Instruction
• Francine Banner, School of Justice & Social Inquiry
• Sharon Chappell, Division of Curriculum & Instruction
• Claudio Dicochea, School of Art
• Dena Freed, School of Theatre and Film
• Richard Karam, Department of English
• Lars Krutak, School of Human Evolution & Social Change
• Josephine Polk-Matthews, Division of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies
• Marco Rosichelli, School of Art
• Joao Salm, School of Justice & Social Inquiry
• Halit Mustafa Tagma, Department of Political Science
• Megan Todd, School of Theatre and Film
• Joe Trevino, School of Art
• Christine Vassett, Department of English
• Elizabeth Shannon Wheatley, Department of Political Science
• Byeong Keun You, Division of Curriculum and Instruction

Editor Associate, University Provost