More often than not, they’re alike
March 25th, 2008, 1:02 pm · Post a Comment · posted by Mark Heller
The differences between Arizona State and Florida will be plain to see during tonight’s NIT quarterfinals matchup at Wells Fargo Arena (6 p.m. on ESPN).
The Herb Sendek-Billy Donovan connection explains some of the similarities. Both coaches were partially raised and groomed under/around similar people (mostly through Rick Pitino).
But the styles vary, mostly because of new personnel.
The Gators reach their 78 points per game average by running and transitioning off mistakes. The Sun Devils reach their 67 points per game by grinding out games and defending.
For Florida, it’s been a transition year. After two consecutive national championships, the Gators are re-developing with one junior among their top eight players (Walter Hodge, who played at Florida Air Academy with ASU’s Rihards Kuksiks).
Still, a fast start led to a fizzling finish for the Gators. Unhappy about this, and, master motivator Donovan is, he banned his team from their upscale locker room, practice gym and training facilities. Knowing they wouldn’t be invited, the Gators practiced during Selection Sunday.
To date, Florida has steamrolled through the NIT.
“After watching two games in the NIT, it’s obvious to me if they were in the NCAA tournament they’d make a deep run,” Sendek said.
Sendek has one junior among his regular player rotations. While the Gators are trying to re-build, the Sun Devils are trying to build.
It adds up to two teams coached by friends of one another with opposite paths.
(Incidentally, how difficult a feat is consecutive championships in this era of national parity in college basketball, where most talented kids leave school early?).
“It’s not going to be some exhibition,” ASU forward Jeff Pendergraph said.
How dare we stray from the team vs. team matchup for five seconds, but Florida freshman Nick Calathes, and ASU freshman James Harden is the mini-matchup to watch.
At 6-foot-6, 195 pounds, Calathes (with ball) impressed ASU coach Herb Sendek throughout his high school days at Lake Powell, Fla.
Though not as physical as Harden, Calathes is no less the all-around player. The long, lanky Calathes averages a team-high 15.6 points, 5.1 rebounds and 6.1 assists per game.
He’s broken a number of school records, including single-season for assists (209) and his 15.6 points are the most for a freshman in coach Billy Donovan’s 12 years at Florida.
On Monday, Donovan pointed out Calathes and his youngens haven’t had anyone to show them the ropes in ways Pendergraph, Antwi Atuahene and Derek Glasser can do for Harden and the Sun Devils’ freshmen.
Still: “He averages 18 points per game, but it goes well beyond that,” Donovan said of Harden. “I love the way he plays. He’s a better version of (former N.C. State star) Julius Hodge. The impact each of them had is tremendous.”
He also noted his young team walking into a program which had been on top of the college basketball world left them naive, expecting another deep NCAA tournament run was a given.
Locking them out of the posh facilities was a reminder that wasn’t going to happen.
“It’s not their fault,” said Donovan, who’s first two seasons of building and reviving at Florida weren’t unlike Sendek’s first two at ASU. “They didn’t know any different.”
Meanwhile, after a few years of losing, the Sun Devils are learning there is, in fact, ‘different.’
About 7,000 fans are expected tonight to watch two teams still with something to play for.
Asked about Xavier and Stanford being in the NCAA Sweet Sixteen as possible validation the Sun Devils should have been in the Big Dance since they beat both teams during the season.
“It doesn’t hurt,” Sendek said in understated tone. “It doesn’t hurt the resume we were promoting.”
The NIT wasn’t the plan, but it’s reality, and more than one ASU player hasn’t been to New York City before.
“Playing at Madison Square Garden and a championship would be better,” Harden said. “We’re still playing for a ring.”
