Back on Track: Can ASU Lock Up a Tourney Bid with Another Big Weekend?
In our weekly update on the Arizona State men’s hoops team, we find the team back on track after a sweep through Oregon. The biggest weekend of the year awaits–and an NCAA Tournament berth could be waiting at the end.
Last Week (2-0, 18-5 overall, 7-4 Pac-10): 66-57 W vs. Oregon, 49-38 W vs. Oregon St.
What Did We Learn: We learned that the Oregon schools are good medicine after getting swept at home. ASU is now 5-2 on the road in the Pac-10 with just a visit to the Washington schools left. Going 6-3 on the road in the Pac-10 would be quite an accomplishment, and a 7-2 road finish is a real possibility. To be honest, we’re not sure ASU has ever had a winning road record in Pac-10 play. The team was 4-5 on the road when it went to the tourney in 2003.
We also learned that the Pac-10 standings are getting awfully tight. After a 2-5 start, the team down south has won its past four conference games and is only a game behind ASU. Only 2.5 games separate the top six teams in the Pac-10. We may see six Pac-10 teams in the Big Dance, but maybe only four — which would be a shockingly low number.
Star of the Week: We can’t limit it to just one this week. James Harden absolutely dominated vs Oregon with 36 points and 5-for-10 on three pointers. He was just 5-for-26 from long range in the six games before he found the stroke against Oregon. Harden also sank two free throws after the Oregon Duck mascot purposely bumped the basketball standard and the hoop was visibly swaying back and forth.
Our other star of the week is Jamelle McMillan for his breakout game against Oregon State. Starting for the injured Derek Glasser, McMillan played 39 minutes, scored 14 points and carried the Sun Devils in the first half. He also played stellar defense, highlighted by five steals. ASU can sure use more of that down the stretch.
Want to read more about McMillan? The Seattle Post-Intelligencer had a nice feature on Jamelle McMillan and father Nate McMillan two weeks ago.
What’s Next: The biggest game of the season takes place Thursday night at Wells Fargo Area. The Sun Devils will take on the UCLA Bruins at 7 p.m. with a chance to pull within just one game of the Pac-10 lead.
A personal plea from all of us at Echo from the Buttes: Can we please get a sellout?! If you or your friends haven’t seen the Sun Devils (or Harden, for that matter) this is the game to go see. After the UCLA game, you’ll have to wait until Sunday night for ASU to take on USC.
Yes, it’s wishful thinking, but a home sweep means the Sun Devils will surely be dancing in March.
Enjoy this article? Buy us a beer for just $4. (Credit Card / Paypal)More Sun Devil News, Less HassleDon’t fool around with bookmarks or the refresh button. We’ve made it easier to subscribe, so you can have Sun Devil news delivered FREE straight to your inbox.
We’re not messing around here — let’s pack Wells Fargo! It gets awfully loud in there when it’s full, and you know Pendergraph’s chest-pounds are directly proportional to the roar of the crowd.