March 3, 2004
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SUN DEVILS FINISH IN TUCSON: The Arizona State men's basketball team (10-16 and 4-13 in the Pac-10), finishes its season on Sunday, March 7, with a 2 p.m. contest against Arizona which will be broadcast by CBS (KPHO-5 in Phoenix), with Ian Eagle and Jim Spanarkel calling the action. UA leads the series against ASU 131-73, with ASU's last win an 88-72 victory over the 10th-ranked Wildcats on Jan. 23, 2002, its biggest margin of victory vs. UA since 1982. Only two current Sun Devils (Jason Braxton and Kenny Crandall) played in that game. The Sun Devils, with seven first-year players in the rotation, have been led all season by preseason All-American Ike Diogu, who is averaging a Pac-10 best 22.9 points and 36.9 minutes per game and is grabbing 8.7 rebounds per game (tied for second in the Pac-10). The sophomore has scored in double digits in all 58 career games, the best active streak in the nation. Diogu is averaging 11.3 free throw attempts per game on the year and already has broken the 40 year-old Pac-10 season record for free throws made with 240. He has 29 career 20-point games, 14 career double-doubles (seven this year) and 10 other games with nine rebounds. This season, he has five 30-point games, 17 20-point games and 45 blocks. The Garland, Texas, native is fourth in the league in offensive boards (3.19 per game), second in blocks (1.73) and fifth in free throw percentage at .816. He is averaging 37.6 minutes in the past 16 games and has led ASU in scoring in 12 of the past 13 contests.
DEVIL DATA: ASU enters this week fifth in the nation in free throw attempts at 28.1 per game...ASU's top three scorers (sophomore Ike Diogu, junior Stevie Moore and senior Jamal Hill) are shooting 378-of-464 (.815) from the free throw line...ASU shot 71.4 percent from three at USC (10-of-14) on Jan. 17, the fourth-best mark in school history...the Sun Devils have used 13 starting lineups this year...ASU is shooting 73.7 percent from the free throw line, currently the fifth-best mark in school history and fourth in the Pac-10...ASU went 19-of-20 (.950) from the free throw line against UCLA on Feb. 12, which set the school single-game mark for 20 attempts...redshirt freshman Kevin Kruger has provided a spark in the past eight games, averaging 28.4 minutes, 11.3 points and shooting 21-of-49 (.429) from the three-point stripe in that time. He is the team's third-leading scorer in those eight games...ASU played back-to-back overtimes games against UCLA (Feb. 12) and USC (Feb. 14) for the first time since the 1985-86 season...redshirt freshman Serge Angounou played his best game since his knee injury last year against Oregon on Feb. 21 with 12 points (5-of-11 shooting) and five boards in 32 minutes.
A MIXED BUNCH: Thirteen players getting a starting nod, 13 starting lineups, seven newcomers playing significant minutes, a player who has not played in 15 months notches 50 minutes in his first two games in early January and a starting freshman guard who was averaging 21.6 minutes per game breaking his nose and missing nine games has contributed to ASU's struggles. ASU lost 477 games of experience from last year when its six seniors graduated, as those players accounted for 117 minutes per game and Ike Diogu is the only returning starter from the NCAA win over Memphis. Tron Smith had started six of the first seven games but broke his nose in practice over the holiday break and had surgery on Jan. 6 and missed nine games recovering from surgery and then pneumonia. Serge Angounou, who missed all of last season with a knee injury, returned for his first game action on Jan. 8 vs. Stanford after rehabbing since his injury on Nov. 13, 2002, in an exhibition game.
A LOT OF GAMES LOST: Much has been said about ASU's newcomers this year, and that is because the Sun Devils lost 477 games of experience from last year's team. When breaking it down, ASU lost four of the top six experienced Sun Devils of all-time in terms of games played in Kyle Dodd, Shawn Redhage, Tommy Smith and Donnell Knight. A look at ASU career games played:
CAREER GAMES AT ASU Rk. Player, Years Games 1. Eddie House, 1996-2000 124 T-2. Kyle Dodd, 1999-2003 122 T-2. Shawn Redhage, 1999-2003 122 T-2. Tommy Smith, 1999-2003 122 T-2. Jeremy Veal, 1994-1998 122 T-6. Donnell Knight, 1999-2003 118 T-6. Chad Prewitt, 1998-2002 118 8. Paul Williams, 1979-83 117 9. Ron Riley, 1992-96 116 10. Stevin Smith, 1990-94 115
OLD SCHOOL THREES: Ike Diogu has been fouled when making a shot 58 times in his career and has made 41-of-58 (.707) of the free throws that followed.
GET TO 50 PERCENT: ASU is 17-0 in the past two seasons when it shoots 50 percent from the field (4-0 this season).
PAC-10 RECORD HOLDER: Ike Diogu's 240 made free throws this year already is a Pac-10 record. Diogu broke the previous Pac-10 record of 237 set by Mel Counts of Oregon State in 1963-64.
PAC-10 SEASON FREE THROWS MADE 1. 240 - Ike Diogu, 2003-04 2. 237 - Mel Counts, 1963-64 3. 232 - Harold Miner, 1991-92 4. 211 - Khalid Reeves, 1993-94
LOGGING THE MINUTES: Ike Diogu enters this week as the Pac-10 leader in minutes per game at 36.9. Here's a look at the Pac-10 leaders as of March 2:
PAC-10 MINUTES PER GAME 1. 36.9 - Ike Diogu, Arizona State 2. 35.0 - Desmon Farmer, USC 3. 34.5 - Luke Jackson, Oregon 4. 34.4 - Lamar Hurd, Oregon State 5. 34.1 - Cedric Bozeman, UCLA T6. 33.4 - Marcus Moore, Wash. State T6. 33.4 - Dijon Thompson, UCLA 8. 32.6 - J.S. Nash, Oregon State 9. 32.5 - Thomas Kelati, Wash. State 10. 32.0 - Chris Stephens, Oregon State
VS. WASHINGTON STATE: ASU had just 22 rebounds, its fewest since March 4, 1995, and shot just 7-of-21 (.333) from the field in the second half in an 83-70 loss in Tempe on Feb. 26 to Washington State. The Sun Devils led 41-37 at the half, but WSU outscored ASU 46-29 in the second stanza. Ike Diogu led ASU with 28 points, including a 10-of-14 effort from the field. Jamal Hill added 14 while Stevie Moore added 10 off the bench.
FREE THROWS: ASU is making free throws at a 73.7 percent rate, the currently the fifth-best mark in school history and the second-best in the past 17 seasons. A look at the best free throw shooting teams in Sun Devil history.
ASU TOP SEASON FREE THROW PERCENTAGE 1. 75.6 - 1978 2. 75.4 - 1955 3. 74.6 - 1998 - 1987 5. 73.7 - 2004 6. 73.0 - 1957 7. 72.9 - 2000 8. 72.1 - 1989 9. 72.0 - 1982 10. 70.7 - 1959
VS. WASHINGTON: Washington jumped out to a 44-29 halftime lead in winning in Tempe for just the second time in 17 tries and for the first time since 1997 on Feb. 28, as it topped ASU 96-72, as the Sun Devils gave up a season-high 96 points. Ike Diogu led ASU with 27 points while Jamal Hill added 14. ASU was just 8-of-21 (.381) from the field in the first half and shot just 24-of-39 (.615) from the free throw line, its worst outing since Dec. 29.
ASU CAREER SCORING CHART 1. 2,044 - Eddie House, 1996-2000 16. 1,268 - Arthur Thomas, 1984-88 17. 1,220 - Dennis Dairman, 1962-65 18. 1,203 - Ike Diogu, 2003-2004 19. 1,177 - Chad Prewitt, 1998-2002ASU CAREER BLOCKS CHART 1. 191 - Mario Bennett, 1991-95 T-6. 83 - Mike Batiste, 1996-99 83 - Sam Williams, 1978-81 T-8. 76 - Ike Diogu, 2002-2004 76 - Shawn Redhage, 1999-2003 76 - Jim Deines, 1982-85
ASU SEASON BLOCKS CHART 1. 115 - Mario Bennett, 1994-95 T-7. 49 - Alton Lister, 1980-81 49 - Kurt Nimphius, 1979-80 9. 47 - Rodger Farrington, 1995-96 10. 45 - Ike Diogu, 2002-2004
A BUILDER: When Rob Evans arrived in the spring of 1998, many talked about his final two years at Ole Miss when he went 42-16 (.724) and won two SEC West titles with a program that had been to just one NCAA Tournament. Before those seasons, Evans took a program many called "below ground" and had a 44-65 (.403) mark in his first four years. At ASU, Evans was 60-60 in his first four years before going 20-12 last year. Evans is 104-125 (.454) in his first four years of building a program and is now 72-44 (.621) after the rebuilding process.
FRESHMEN: When Tron Smith and Keith Wooden started the opener vs. Arkansas-Litte Rock, it marked the first time two Sun Devil freshmen had started an opener in the past 13 seasons. The last time ASU had two freshmen in the opening day lineup was Nov. 23, 1990 (Jamal Faulkner and Stevin Smith). It marked only the third and fourth time a freshman had started in the past 11 openers at ASU. Prior to Ike Diogu (2002-2003), Donnell Knight (1999-2000), Smith and Wooden, the last freshman to start an opener was Ron Riley in 1992-93.
IKE IN 2002-2003: Ike Diogu, the Pac-10 Freshman of the Year and the only freshman to earn All-Pac-10, averaged 19.9 points and 9.6 rebounds in the final 14 games last year. Diogu was the only player who ranked in the Pac-10's top five in scoring (19.0 ppg./third) and rebounding (7.8 rpg./fifth). The Garland, Texas, native set ASU freshman records for starts (32), points (607), field goals made (209), rebounds (249) and minutes (1,030) and set school records for free throws made (180) and attempted (245). He shot 60.8 percent from the field (209-of-344), tied for first in the Pac-10, and finished at 63.8 percent (120-of-188) in the 18 Pac-10 games, first in the league. Diogu's 60.8 percent field goal shooting was the eighth-best mark in the nation.
IKE'S UPGRADES: Ike Diogu has posted some better numbers from last year in a few of the overlooked statistics. He is 14-of-37 (.378) from the three-point stripe this year after going 9-of-24 (.375) last year. He is shooting 81.6 percent from the free throw line after shooting 73.5 percent in 2002-2003. His rebounding numbers are up (7.8 per game to 8.7), and he surpassed last year's blocks total with 45 (31 last year) and assists total with 43 (26 last year).
Rob Evans: Rob Evans (176-169/.510) is in his sixth season at Arizona State (12th overall) after being hired on April 7, 1998. The 1997 SEC Coach of the Year spent six seasons at Ole Miss, compiling an 86-81 (.515) record. He led the Rebels to a 42-16 record in his final two seasons after going 44-65 (.403) in his first four, winning two SEC West titles, and led Ole Miss to back-to-back 20-win seasons for the first time since 1937-38. The 57-year old Evans is a 1968 graduate of New Mexico State, where he captained two NCAA Tournament teams, is a 1989 inductee of the Athletic Hall of Fame and was named to the school's All-Time team. He is 90-88 (.506) at ASU. Evans' Ole Miss squads were known as tough man-to-man teams which ranked 13th in the nation in 1997-98 in rebounding at +6.6. Ole Miss held opponents to just 30 percent from the three-point stripe, best in the SEC, and to just 40.6 percent from the field. He is 133-100 (.571) in the past seven seasons.
PLAYER QUICK NOTES
#0 Allen Morill: Averaged 25 minutes on the Washington road trip...posted nine boards in season-high 26 minutes at Washington on Jan. 31...eight points in 24 minutes at Washington State on Jan. 29...nine points in 19 minutes vs. Oregon State on Jan. 24...played sparingly at USC on Jan. 17 due to an ankle strain suffered in Jan. 15 UCLA game...an eight-game starter...averaged 20 minutes in the five games against Nebraska, Temple, Northwestern, San Diego and Western Michigan...played just three minutes due to illness against McNeese State...25-of-37 (.676) from the free throw line...seven points vs. Western Michigan on Dec. 20...six points and five boards at Northwestern on Dec. 17...eight points and eight boards vs. Temple on Dec. 9...one of three Texans on scholarship...five boards in 16 minutes at Nebraska on Dec. 3.
#1 Jason Braxton: Has played in all 87 games in career and started in 69...averaging 28.8 minutes per game this year after averaging 21.5 his first two seasons...23-of-37 (.621) from the free throw line in the past 13 games after shooting 45.2 percent in his first two years...14 points, eight rebounds and seven assists vs. USC on Feb. 14...10 points at Washington State on Jan. 29...13 points, eight boards, five assists and four steals vs. Oregon on Jan. 22...12 points and six assists vs. Oregon State on Jan. 24...12 points and career-high 12 assists (tied for ninth-best in school history) at USC on Jan. 17...13 points in 34 minutes at UCLA on Jan. 15...13 points, all of them in the second half, vs. fourth-ranked Stanford on Jan. 8...seven assists vs. fourth-ranked Arizona on Jan. 3...15 points and 10 assists vs. San Diego on Dec. 29...10 points, seven assists and six boards vs. Arkansas-Little Rock in season opener on Nov. 22.
#2 Keith Wooden: Had 12 points and seven boards vs. Oregon State on Jan. 24...13 points on 6-of-9 shooting in 25 minutes at USC on Jan. 17 in first start since Nov. 24...20-of-32 (.625) from the field in his past 12 games...a nine-game starter...one of four Sun Devil freshmen to start the season opener in the past 11 years, joining classmate Tron Smith (2003-04), Ike Diogu (2002-03) and Donnell Knight (1999-2000)...six points in 17 minutes vs. San Diego on Dec. 29...six points vs. McNeese State on Dec. 22...six points and six boards in 17 minutes in vs. UA-LR on Nov. 22.
#5 Ike Diogu: Already the ASU career record holder with 420 free throws made...one of 20 finalists for the 2003-2004 Naismith Player of the Year and one of 16 finalists for the Rupp All-American Team...has already set school season records this year with 240 made free throws and 294 attempts...240 made free throws is a Pac-10 record...tied for eighth on ASU career list with 76 blocks...has led ASU in scoring in 12 of the past 13 games...a 2004 Associated Press Preseason All-American, the first in Sun Devil history and just the 11th in Pac-10 history...averaging 37.6 minutes in the past 16 games...23 points and 12 boards at Oregon on Feb. 21...27 points and 13 rebounds vs. UCLA on Feb. 12...33 points at California on Feb. 7...31 points and 13 boards vs. California on Jan. 10...13 points, six boards and a career-high six assists vs. Stanford on Jan. 8...matched school records with 18 made free throws and 23 attempts vs. Western Michigan on Dec. 30...17 20-point games on the year...2003 Pac-10 Freshman of the Year and an All-Pac-10 selection...has scored in double digits in all 58 career games, the best current mark in the nation...29 20-point games and 14 career double-doubles...five 30-point games on the year...Pac-10 Tournament record 18 rebounds vs. Oregon on March 13, 2003.
#12 Kenny Crandall: Has made 33-of-38 (.868) of his free throws in Pac-10 games in his career and is 53-of-69 (.768) overall...averaged 7.5 minutes in his final 13 games last year...played 20 minutes at top-ranked Arizona on Jan. 22, 2003, and made 4-of-7 three-pointers and had season-high 12 points...17-of-20 (.850) free throws last year...broke right fibula on April 17, 2002, in a dirt-bike accident and played through pain all of 2002-2003.
#13 Kevin Kruger: Averaging 28.4 minutes, 11.3 points and shooting 21-of-49 (.429) from the three-point stripe in the past eight games...has started three of the past four games...17 points in 40 minutes at Oregon on Feb. 21...20 points in first career start at Oregon State on Feb. 19...16 points vs. USC on Feb. 14...12 points at California on Feb. 7 and made four three-pointers...33-of-42 (.786) from the free throw line...increased his minutes in each of the first six games...six points and five assists vs. fourth-ranked Arizona in 17 minutes...27 minutes at Northwestern on Dec. 17 and had four assists...played 14 second-half minutes vs. Temple on Dec. 9 and had six points, two assists, zero turnovers and had a steal with under a minute to which led to game-winning shot.
#21 Stevie Moore: Junior college transfer has made 45 three-pointers, the most by a Sun Devil since Eddie House hit 73 in 1999-2000...is 66-of-79 (.835) from the free throw line in the past 21 games...averaged 17 points on Los Angeles road trip and was 15-of-18 (.833) from the free throw line...sixteen points vs. fourth-ranked Stanford on Jan. 8...had 20 second-half points at Nebraska on Dec. 3, including five three-pointers, the most by a Sun Devil since Chad Prewitt hit five at UCLA on Feb. 16, 2002, and ended with 22 points...led Sun Devils with 23 points vs. fourth-ranked Arizona on Jan. 3...three 20-point games...15 points and seven boards vs. Western Michigan on Dec. 30...16 points in 33 minutes on 6-of-8 shooting vs. UC Riverside on Nov. 29...14 points, nine boards and five assists in 30 minutes vs. Cal State Fullerton on Nov. 24...southpaw who posted 26 points in season opener vs. Arkansas-Little Rock on Nov. 22, the most points by a Sun Devil in a debut since Isaac Burton had 28 vs. BYU on Nov. 27, 1993...went 10-of-10 from the free throw line vs. Arkansas-Little Rock on Nov. 26.
#22 Jamal Hill: Averaging 30.9 minutes, 12.6 points and is 23-of-52 (.442) from the three-point stripe in the past 13 games...has made 42-of-60 (.840) free throws in past 24 games...had 18 points in win at Oregon on Feb. 21 and played 40 minutes...had 13 points in 34 minutes at Oregon State on Feb. 19...posted 17 points at California on Feb. 7...posted a career-high 21 points on 7-of-14 shooting at Washington on Jan. 31...17 points off the bench vs. Oregon State on Jan. 24...20 points on 7-of-10 shooting at USC on Jan. 17...double-digit scorer in 14 games in 2003-2004...15 points vs. fourth-ranked Arizona on Jan. 3...18 points vs. San Diego on Dec. 29...a four-game starter in 2002-2003...68-of-786 (.791) from the free throw line in his career...was in double figures in 10 games last year.
#23 Tron Smith: Freshman who has started 10 games and was averaging 21.6 minutes per game before breaking his nose in practice right after Christmas...missed nine games with the broken nose and pneumonia...played for the first time since Dec. 22 in Jan. 29 game at Washington State...had 10 points at Washington on Jan. 31...had surgery on nose on Jan. 6...posted eight points vs. McNeese State (Dec. 22), vs. Temple (Dec. 9) and vs. Cal State Fullerton (Nov. 24)...also had five boards vs. Temple.
#24 Justin Allen: Played season-high 25 minutes vs. USC on Feb. 14...had 11 points and five boards in 24 minutes vs. UCLA on Feb. 12...had five points and five boards in five minutes at USC on Jan. 17...started against both Stanford on Jan. 8 and vs. California on Jan. 10...five points and six rebounds in nine minutes vs. San Diego on Dec. 29...six points on two second-half three-pointers at Northwestern on Dec. 17...posted five points, six boards and 19 minutes, the most he has played since he learned he had Hodgkin's Disease in fall of 2000, vs. Cal State Fullerton on Nov. 24...redshirted 2000-2001 season with Hodgkin's Disease...recipient of the 2003 V Foundation Comeback Award, given annually to someone in all of college basketball who embodies the spirit and courage of Jimmy Valvano...has played in 94 games in four-year career.
#34 Wilfried Fameni: Averaging 13.4 minutes and 4.0 rebounds in past eight games...an 11-game starter...had six boards in eight minutes at Oregon on Feb. 21...posted 11 boards in 32 minutes at Nebraska on Dec. 3...yes, his first name is spelled with two "i's", that is not a typo...became just the third Sun Devil freshman in the past 12 seasons to register a double-double with his 16-point, 13-rebound performance vs. UC Riverside on Nov. 29...13 rebounds vs. UC Riverside is tied for the sixth-most by a freshman in ASU history...11 points vs. Cal State Fullerton on Nov. 24...opened year with 11 points and eight boards vs. Arkansas-Little Rock on Nov. 22 off the bench.
#45 Serge Angounou: Slowly working his way back into shape after missing all of last year with a knee injury suffered on Nov. 13, 2002...had 12 points at Oregon on Feb. 21 in fifth start of year and first start since Jan. 29 and played 32 minutes...eight points in 27 minutes vs. Washington State on Feb. 26...posted 10 points against Oregon on Jan. 22...first game back from injury was Jan. 8 against fourth-ranked Stanford...a six-game starter.