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July 27th,
2006
By Joel
Welser
Broadcast Basketball
Arizona
State Sun Devils
Overall Rank:
#109
Conference
Rank: #8 Pac-10
2005-06:
11-17, 5-13, 8th (t)
2005-06
postseason: none
 With Herb Sendek
taking over the head coaching job and six of the top seven
scorers returning, Arizona State fans have good reason to be
optimistic. Bryson Krueger will once again lead the way and big
things are expected from him as a senior.
Who’s Out:
Kevin Kruger opted to take advantage of a new transfer rule and
play for his father at UNLV this season. The unexpected
departure of the teams leading scorer leaves some concern in the
backcourt. The next six highest scorers return, but the eight,
nine and ten guys are gone. Guard Tyrone Jackson started 13
games, averaging 4.3 points and 2.5 assists. The frontcourt
will spend the season without Craig Austin and Chad Goldstein.
Each player has opted to transfer and scored 2.8 points and
grabbed nearly two rebounds per contest.
Who’s In:
The group of
four newcomers will solidify Arizona State’s depth. Combo guard
Christian Polk is a solid ballhandler and a tenacious defender.
Small forward Jerren Shipp averaged 18.5 points per game last
year at Fairfax High School in California. Being the brother of
UCLA Josh Shipp should provide some interesting family rivalries
in the Pac-10. Derek Glasser won’t wow Sun Devil fans, but the
incoming freshman point guard is a heady player who can run a
team. George Odufuwa, a 6-7 power forward, needs to bulk up a
bit, but will be a contributor for Coach Sendek’s squad.
Who to Watch:
Haven’t heard of Jeff Pendergraph yet? You will soon. As a
freshman, the 6-10 forward averaged 10.9 points and a team high
6.1 rebounds, and that was after missing some early practices
and conditioning due to a benign tumor being removed from his
left femur. With a full offseason of conditioning and a year of
experience under his belt, Pendergraph will become a major
presence under the basket in the Pac-10. He’s not alone up
front either with Serge Angounou by his side. The Cameroon
native averaged 7.3 points and 5.1 boards last year and, if past
injuries are behind him, has the potential for a surprising
senior season. When Pendergraph and Angounou need a rest, Allen
Morill and Sylvester Seay are quality options off the bench.
Morill started two games last year before suffering an injury.
After receiving a medical redshirt, Morill is back to provide
experienced depth to the forward spots. Seay started 11 games
as a freshman and is best suited as a long 6-9 wing player, but
can handle the four as well.
Final
Projection:
ASU had a
problem finishing games last year. It is hoped the regime
change will solve that problem. With the departure of Kruger,
the newcomers, especially Polk and Shipp, will be asked to
contribute quite a bit. If one of those two can start hitting
from the outside, it will help ease the pain of the loss of
Kruger. Point guard Antwi Atuahene needs to keep his turnovers
down. He turned the ball over 3.0 times per game his first
season with the Sun Devils after spending one season at the
junior college level. If those numbers don’t improve, the
rebuilding process will take a little longer than Arizona State
hopes.
Projected
Post-season Tournament:
none
Projected
Starting Five:
Antwi Atuahene,
Junior, Guard, 7.1 points per game
Bryson Krueger,
Senior, Guard, 12.3 points per game
Sylvester Seay,
Sophomore, Forward, 4.7 points per game
Serge Angounou,
Senior, Forward, 7.3 points per game
Jeff Pendergraph,
Sophomore, Forward, 10.9 points per game
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