Blogging with the Devils

Not much news to report from Arizona State camp on Friday. The group is relatively healthy and took it easy following the physical pounding and emotional strain of Thursday’s overtime win against seventh-ranked Stanford.

As for the Derek Glasser shaved skull, he said he just needed a change, and heard “pretty boy” references a few too many times.

As for James Harden, who scored the first eight points in overtime for ASU: “He’s our horse,” Glasser said. “We’re going to ride our horse.  It’s fun to watch, especially because we won.”

Speaking of freshman, according to Glasser, a struggling (shooting-wise) Ty Abbott spent most of Wednesday night shooting in the empty gym, came back the next day and said, “It’s back.”

Unfortunately, he made one field in seven attempts Thursday, but that one was a big 3-pointer to pull ASU withing 58-56 in the final 30 seconds of regulation.

He had six rebounds and three assists, while counterparts Lawrence Hill and Anthony Goods (though playing injured) were non-factors. 

“He’s been huge as a defender and rebounder,” ASU coach Herb Sendek said of Ty Abbott (middle). “We don’t win the last two games if he isn’t.” (Lisa Olson/Tribune)

Jeff Pendergraph limped a little late in regulation and it looked like he tweaked a muscle in his leg.

Then again, he’s Jeff Pendergraph.

“I’m all right,” he said. “I’m never hurt.”

A few more nuggets of randomness:

Sendek spoke of California’s explosiveness on offense (especially 3-point shooting and free throw frequency), but while the Bears are second in the Pac-10 in scoring (78.3), they’re last in defense (73 points allowed). Arizona scored in some fashion on 15 consecutive possessions against California during the Wildcats win Thursday night.

Stanford was the highest-ranked team that ASU has beaten since they topped the No. 4 Cardinal in January 1998.

The Sun Devils join Duke, Purdue, Texas and Connecticut as the only Division I teams to have four wins against the RPI top 25.

According to Nielsen Media Research, ASU’s television ratings on FSN Arizona are up 197 percent over the average rating for last season. The eight Sun Devil games on TV are averaging a 1.5 rating in the Phoenix market, or an average of 27,039 households. Last year’s average was 0.5, or roughly 9,000 households. 

Expected to be seen at Wells Fargo Arena on Saturday: 

Ike Diogu (he was in the front row, beneath the basket, on Thursday).

Eddie House (Cal coach Ben Braun may need to be restrained from going after him after House scored a Pac-10 record 61 points against the Bears in the doulble-overtime win in 2000.

Nate McMillan (Portland Trail Blazers coach and Jamelle McMillan’s papa).

First and foremost, he’s the 6-foot-4 Arizona State freshman guard who scored 10 of his career-high 15 points after halftime in Thursday’s overtime win against No. 7 Stanford. He hit a couple big 3-pointers, and, until he fouled out at the end of regulation, tried to battle 7-foot, 250-pound Brook Lopez inside.

“It’s hard to get around them,” Kuksiks said. 

The highlight, however, was his dunk-and-foul on Robin Lopez with five minutes left in regulation, part of the Sun Devils’ wild 14-point deficit they erased in the final seven minutes of regulation, then five more in overtime.

“We put our heart on the floor,” he said.

Rihards Kuksik saved Thursday night in many ways for ASU, and needed the ice packs on his knees Friday after banging with a 7-foot Brook Lopez. 

Kuksiks went from Latvia to the Florida Air Academy, where his outside shooting impressed ASU.

He, like most freshman in college basketball, didn’t play much this season, but the Sun Devils are searching for another shooter, and he’s worked his way into the rotation extensively in the past few games.

“Once you start to play more and more you get your confidence,” he said of adjusting to the college game. “You learn what you have to do.” 

A quiet guy in nature, his English has improved, and is the only one in his family who speaks it. His family remains in Latvia, where they can keep track of his basketball ventures in their native language via  www.esports.lv  (sorry, no English).

Workouts and a diet heavy on chicken and vegetables dropped his weight from 225 pounds when he arrived in Tempe, down to 210.

“I can’t eat barbeque ribs much anymore,” he said.

But he’s quickly become a true American teenager: He enjoys the Flava Flav reality show.

Welcome to America, Rihards. I promise we don’t all wear clocks around our necks (though given our rush-rush-rush ways, maybe we should).

The 6-foot-10, 240-pounder not in a uniform Saturday for the Arizona State-California game at Wells Fargo Arena will probably be Renardo Sidney.

Sidney is expected to pay ASU a visit this weekend. The high school junior is ranked as the No. 1 nationally for the class of 2009 by Rivals, No. 2 according to Scout.

Fairfax (Calif.) junior Renardo Sidney has already drawn comparisons to Kevin Garnett and Chris Webber.  NBAdraft.net photo) 

Sidney is originally from Mississippi, but his family moved to California during high school. He played and won a state title last year at Artesia HS with current ASU freshman James Harden. Sidney moved to Fairfax High School before this school year and currently averages 23.7 points and 14 rebounds per game. 

UCLA and USC are also in the sweepstakes for Sidney, who’s not expected to last long in college before jumping to the NBA. Numerous published reports have said Sidney would prefer to stay in California, but the Harden connection and familiarity with former Artesia coach and current ASU assistant Scott Pera, gives the Sun Devils a legitimate chance.

The mood was festive and easygoing around Arizona State during Tuesday’s media availability, so here are a few nuggets to pass along:

James Harden’s bout with illness is improving but he was still stuffed up. He was wearing all his practice attire while chatting, and he’s expected to get some court time in before Thursday’s game (unlike last week before the Arizona game, when he said he couldn’t get out of bed).

Sendek got a congratulatory call from former ASU coach Bill Frieder during Sunday’s bus ride back from Tucson after the program’s first win down south since 1995.

“He reminded me that he’d done it,” Sendek said with a smile.

Adoration abounded for ASU’s next opponent — Stanford — but the Sun Devils seem to have a quiet confidence about their upset chances. When the two teams played in Palo Alto in mid-January, the Sun Devils arguably played their best half of basketball all season, and took a 10-point lead at intermission.

A big reason: Ty Abbott and Jerren Shipp were hitting outside shots.

Then Jeff Pendergraph sat for most of the second half with foul trouble, Harden injured his groin and the swoon was fast and furious.

Sendek rattled off all the ways in which Stanford has ascended itself to this No. 7 ranking, most of which involve a pair of 7-footers, defense and rebounding. The Cardinal are plus-11 in rebounding and allow teams 38 percent shooting (best in the Pac-10). Ad the 56.9 points surrendered is second-best behind Washington State.

Brook (left) and Robin Lopez. If you can somehow handle one, you’ll have to deal with the other.

Last time, the Cardinal had nearly as many offensive rebounds (16) as ASU had defensive rebounds (18).

“They absolutely annihilated us on the boards,” Sendek said Tuesday.

Lastly, here’s one national college basketball writer’s take on the freshmen so far.

Exactly 24 hours later, it’s still hard to figure out how Arizona State beat Arizona on Sunday in Tucson – with James Harden (ill) scoring 13 points fewer than his season average, two starters (Derek Glasser, Ty Abbott) fouling out in the final three minutes, and UA’s Jerryd Bayless going hog wild.

It goes beyond the box score, but the sheet does reveal a few hints:

1. Chase Budinger (1-for-12 Sunday, 5-for-25 with eight rebounds in two games against the Sun Devils). To his credit, the sophomore stood up and answered questions afterward, and while he couldn’t hit an outside shot, he unexpectedly missed key free throws.

Still, the sophomore dropped out of the NBA Draft projections. He remains a really good player (24.5 points per game the final two weeks in January), but his disinterest in taking the ball to the basket or rebounding was confounding.

2. The benches. Without Wise and Bret Brielmaier for Arizona, the Wildcats had even less depth than the none they had previously. It’s why Bayless played all 40 minutes, Budinger had to play 39, Daniel Dillon 38 and Jawann McClellan 36.

The Wildcats’ non-starting five attempted one shot and had one rebound.

ASU’s bench hasn’t been real productive lately, and it’s also skewed a bit because Harden didn’t check in until after the first TV timeout.

But Jerren Shipp had his best game in weeks, and that was all the Sun Devils got (and needed). Good thing, too, because Eric Boateng played 12 seconds, was called for traveling and that was it for the day, which forced Jeff Pendergraph to play 39 minutes.

Jerren Shipp was the biggest reason behind the 16-0 ASU scoring advantage off the bench. The Sun Devils held a 30-6 scoring domination in the paint (Lisa Olson/Tribune).

3. Interior defense. Speaking of Pendergraph, who is Pac-10 Player of the Week, the Sun Devils got Jordan Hill into two quick fouls, which didn’t seem like a big deal given what Bayless was doing to them, but it paid off.

Arizona had a dearth of big men, but, starting with the Washington State game, Pendergraph was quickly and thoroughly double-teamed nearly every time he touched the ball.

He was good about passing the ball out of the traps, but the Sun Devils never made opponents pay for it by hitting outside shots.

Arizona never sent extra guys after Pendergraph. At times it was hard given where he was on the floor, and the back-door plays and pick-and-roll worked well for ASU.

The Sun Devils continued to struggle from behind the arc (2-of-9), but the Wildcats inexplicably never forced Pendergraph to give up the ball.

Dunks and layups were aplenty for Pendergraph on Sunday afternoon. Now that’s how you run a motion offense (Lisa Olson/Tribune).

A few extra bits of randomness:

It’s the first time since the 1981-82 academic year that ASU has won both basketball games and the football game’s Territorial Cup.

ASU is 6-1 in games decided by fewer than 10 points this season (wins against LSU, Montana State, Oregon, Arizona twice and Cal). Last year, the Sun Devils were 4-17. 

The regular-season sweep was the sixth time in 30 years of Pac-10 play that ASU has doubled up Arizona.

Pendergraph’s 29 points were the most by a Sun Devils against UA since Mario Bennett had 34 against them in 1995, also the last time ASU won down south.

It’s the first time since 1962-63 the Sun Devils held Arizona below 60 points in both regular-season meetings. Arizona averaged 86.8 points per game from 1987-2006.

ASU is now 6-24 (.200) all-time in Tucson, barely ahead of its record at UCLA (5-26) since 1978.

Fernley (Nev.) High School offensive lineman Kevin Hart picks up a California hat to signify the college football choice he never really had.

The sordid saga of Kevin Hart, the Fernley, Nev., offensive lineman who fabricated his recruitment — replete with announcing his “choice” of California over Oregon at a school assembly last week — continues. And if the latest twist materializes, he could play against Arizona State in 2010.

A Portland television station has reported that Portland State recently contacted Fernley High to request footage of Hart, a 6-foot-5, 290-pounder who apparently was not recruited by anybody.

Portland State, coached by flamboyant Jerry Glanville, is a Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA) school that is part of the Big Sky Conference.

If Hart winds up at PSU, a Sept. 4, 2010, contest at ASU would be the first game of his sophomore season if he sits out this fall. With reports indicating that he needs to get much stronger to compete at the Division I level, he would probably redshirt in 2008.

Some commentators have used the Hart case as Exhibit A of the orgy of excess that the college recruitment process has become. Many of the announcements — think Jimmy Clausen’s pledge to Notre Dame at the College Football Hall of Fame, replete with a Hummer stretch limousine arrival — are a bit much, as I subscribe to the just-fax-your-letter-of-intent-and-be-done-with-it philosophy.

However, I work for a newspaper that devotes as much time and space to high school sports as any out there, and I believe that coverage is a great service to our readers. If high school athletes command that much attention for what they do on the field, it is unrealistic to expect that the best of the best reveal where they will continue their playing careers with no fanfare.

Which brings us back to Hart’s announcement, which many wondered why he went through with. After all, what was he planning to say when he was not included on California’s list of signed letters of intent?

Hart had no interest from Division I schools. He apparently does now. David Irons, a former NFL player who owns a training facility near Atlanta, has offered to work with Hart for free and guarantees that “he’ll get a Division I scholarship when I’m done with him.”

Nobody knows if bringing such attention to himself was one of Hart’s motivations, because he not not spoken publicly since admitting to the sham.

That said, everyone deserves a second chance, and if Hart wants to play again, I hope things work out for him. A part of me hopes that he takes the Sun Devil Stadium field with Portland State in 2010 because, of course, that would make a heck of a story.

After a stunt like this, though, just going back to high school — let alone trying to command respect from college teammates — has got to be a daunting task.

Arizona coach Kevin O’Neill is a “tweak” (pun intended) away from issuing such a mandate to his players. 

Now, forward Jamelle Horne is suffering from knee swelling and had an MRI done. The results were negative and he could still play on Sunday, but it’s getting dicier by the day down south.

ASU coach Herb Sendek, on Jordan Hill, who had 18 points and 14 rebounds in the season’s first meeting: ”I think he’s one of the most improved players in the conference, if not the most improved looking back a year ago.”

Freshman Rihards Kuksiks found his way into the rotation against the L.A. schools last weekend. He played a season-high 20 minutes against UCLA and 16 more minutes against USC. The Sun Devils could use his outside shot (or anyone’s outside shot) to help free up Jeff Pendergraph and James Harden, and during this five-game losing skis, the coaches are looking for anyone who can score, which Kuksiks can if he gets into a rhythm.

Here’s another nugget about James Harden.  He’s shooting 44.1 percent from beyond the arc, which is currently the fifth-best in ASU history. Here are ASU’s top-five single-season 3-point shooters (Harden is the only freshman):

1988-89 Matt Anderson: .513 (41 of 80)

1987-88 Terence Wheeler: .453 (59 of 128)

1986-87 Bobby Thompson: .449 (31 of 69)

1996-97 Jeremy Veal: .443 (58 of 131)

2007-08 James Harden:  .441 (26 of 59)

That was Byron Scott on the New Orleans Hornets sideline at US Airways Center on Wednesday night.

It’s been an interesting journey for Scott, the former Arizona State star for three seasons. He became a constant in the ASU record books, the fourth overall pick in the 1983 NBA Draft by San Diego, and then was traded to the Lakers. He played on three NBA championship teams during “Showtime,” and was an all-rookie performer. In 10 years, he averaged 14 points per game but was never an All-Star.

He played a year in Greece, then was an assistant with success in Sacramento for a couple seasons in the late 1990s.

Then.

Now.  He hasn’t changed much.

Twice he took the New Jersey Nets to the NBA Finals (2002, 2003), but a rumored rift with Jason Kidd began a slow trek to being fired after a 22-20 start in 2004, days after new ownership took over in East Rutherford.

He was hired in New Orleans, where the Hornets are in the midst of being among the biggest surprises in the NBA this season. And since Suns coach Mike D’Antoni coached the Western Conference All-Star game last season, Scott earned the honor this year after the Hornets had the second-best record in the West through Feb. 3.

As a player, Scott should have been an All-Star at least twice in his career, which would have put him and Lenny Wilkens as the only men to play in an All-Star game and coach one for each conference.

He’s also the first to coach an All-Star game in the host city since the showcase came to Phoenix in 1995, and Paul Westphal was running the Suns.

Before Wednesday night’s game against Phoenix, Hornets players talked of their enjoyment playing for Scott, who’s always shown a quiet demeanor on the sidelines but has never shied away from speaking his mind to his teams or the media.

It worked in New Jersey and after three years, it’s working in The Big Easy.

There was a lot of information that could not fit into my story on Arizona State’s football recruiting class in Thursday’s edition of the Tribune. I will get to the extras in a moment, but this blog entry begs to be led with mention of the coach at ASU’s rival school, who on Wednesday continued his rapid descent to cartoon-character status:

As if Mike Stoops’ sixth grade-level sideline behavior during Arizona’s loss at Arizona State in December were not embarrassing enough for the school, he managed to top himself with yet another open-mouth, insert-foot statement on Wednesday. Asked a general question on how graduation rates affect how a school compiles a recruiting class, Stoops said this:

“Each school has to recruit to their school and what kind of requirements they (have). Arizona State has turned into a junior college, and we’re a four-year college. According to all the players, they say it’s easier to go to school there.”

Laughing, Stoops added: “I thought we all had the same requirements.”

Put aside for a moment the fact that admissions standards for each of the three in-state public universities are virtually identical, which has been well-documented since Stoops’ assertion last year that ASU admitted some junior-college players that “we couldn’t get in.” For the coach whose program has taken a healthy dose of Academic Progress Rate scholarship losses the last two years, making fun of any other school’s scholastic reputation takes Schlitz beer-level gusto.

(ASU did not receive APR scholarship penalties in football last year. That is something that all but one of the 65 Bowl Championship Series conference schools can say.)

“I’m really not sure what he’s talking about,” Sun Devils coach Dennis Erickson said in response, a comment that can be made about many of Stoops’ delusional diatribes.

While many readers will find comedy gold in Stoops’ Wednesday comment, you can bet that his words will be in large type in the ASU locker room the week of the Arizona game. And Stoops, who is 1-3 against the Sun Devils, wasted no time in giving ASU’s 28 new players their first taste of the rivalry.

As Erickson described his recruiting class on Wednesday, the biggest themes were athleticism and versatility, two qualities important to a coach that frequently experiments with position switches.

For example, Gerell Robinson, Jarrell Barbour and Keelan Johnson can play receiver or safety. Clint Floyd is capable of lining up at receiver, cornerback or safety.

As a result, ASU was not hesitant to sign six wide receivers, a position that is already crowded. If a player is a good enough athlete, a place for him on the field can be found.

“With JC players, you are dealing with need,” Erickson said. “For freshmen, it’s what kind of athlete you’re getting. We had some need at positions, but we were going to take as many athletes as we could. And in Arizona, we were going to take as many guys as we could get.”

Internet message boards have been buzzing with fan concerns that such players as running back Ryan Bass, receiver Jarrell Barbour and defensive lineman Lawrence Guy might not academically qualify. Asked specifically about Bass, Erickson said that he is “close” to qualifying and spread that confidence across the entire class.

“(Bass) has got work to do, and some other guys do too,” Erickson said. “If he takes care of business like I know he will, he’ll make it.”

Last year, ASU’s 23-member recruiting class had one academic casualty, offensive lineman Po’u Palelei.

Ryan McFoy made eight starts at safety as a freshman in 2006 but moved to linebacker before last season. He struggled to to learn the assignments of the position, so his play was limited primarily to special teams.

Erickson indicated that McFoy has made progress at linebacker and will stay there. The athletic 6-foot-2, 201-pounder gives the coach the kind of speed he wants at the position.

“He came along the second half of last year,” Erickson said. “He’s the kind of guy you want at linebacker. You watch him in practice, and he didn’t know where he was going all the time, but he has that acceleration. Once he picks that up in the spring, he’ll be able to help us.”

Erickson, who has already moved defensive lineman Jon Hargis to offensive tackle and is contemplating returning Dane Guthrie to tight end, said that more position moves could be made before spring practice. Guthrie played defensive end last season.

Linebacker Morris Wooten, who was suspended for the Holiday Bowl for an unspecified team rules violation, has been reinstated and will take part in spring drills.

Sorry the blogging has been a little slow lately. Travel, Super Bowl, Shaq and not much news from Arizona State has slowed things a bit.

In addition to the Arizona football coach Stoop-ing to a new level of amateur-hour status, some other not-so-pretty news out of Tucson today, as guard Nic Wise is out at least a few weeks following knee surgery.

It’s a pretty big blow to the Wildcats, and not just because they host the Sun Devils on Sunday afternoon. The sophomore Wise filled in nicely for Jerryd Bayless at point guard while Bayless missed four games with injuries, and was among the better guards since Pac-10 play started. He leads the Pac-10 in steals and three-point shooting.

Nic Wise had a rare off-night shooting against ASU on Jan. 9, but still had eight points, five rebounds, five assists and three steals against the Sun Devils.

The ‘Cats are already without forward Bret Brielmaier because of a shoulder injury.

More to come in the next day or two, but one quick note about Arizona State: The Sun Devils’ strength of schedule was 263rd in the RPI after 12 nonconference games. Halfway through the Pac-10 season, it’s 110th.