Back on Jan. 15, ASU had just lost to Utah 76-59 to drop to 8-9 overall and 0-4 in the league. Freshman point guard Tra Holder was averaging 4.2 points (tied for eighth on the team), had not played in two games, had made 15 shots and was averaging under 20 minutes per game.
Nearly two months later, he has earned Pac-12 All-Freshman honors. After not making a shot in his first four Pac-12 games, he averaged double digits in final 14. He posted a career-best 16 points vs. Oregon on Jan. 30, and and set career-best with eight assists (and 15 points) vs. #6 Arizona on Feb. 7 in the 81-78 win going against arguably the nation's best point guard in T.J. McConnell.
How good was his 15 points and eight assists vs. Arizona on Feb. 7? Jahii Carson was one of the best freshmen point guards in the Pac-12 the past decade. He did that in a Pac-12 game once in his freshman year (21/8 vs. USC on Jan. 24, 2013). Derek Glasser, a four-year starter at point guard who is the Sun Devil career record holder for games played (131), assists (551) and free throw percentage (.838) and is the only Sun Devil with 1,000 career points and 500 assists, never had eight assists in a game in his freshman season (2006-07) and scored 15 points twice all season.
TRA HOLDER COMPARSIONS FIRST FOUR PAC-12 GAMES/FINAL 14
POINTS PER GAME: 1.5/10.1
MINUTES PER GAME: 20.5/33.4
FIELD GOALS MADE: 0/35
THREE-POINTERS MADE: 0/10
FREE THROWS: 6-10 (.600)/62-82 (.756)
ASSIST-TURNOVER: 8-9/68-41
TRA HOLDER TOP SCORING GAMES
16 vs. Oregon (1/30/15)
15 vs. Stanford (3/5/15)
15 vs. #6 Arizona (2/7/15)
15 vs. Pepperdine (12/13/14)
14 at Colorado (3/1/15)
14 at Washington State (2/13/15)
14 at Texas A&M (12/6/14)
13 vs. UCLA (2/18/15)
SUN DEVIL PAC-10/12 ALL-FRESHMAN SELECTIONS
UNDER HERB SENDEK
Tra Holder, 2014-15
Jahii Carson (co-Freshman of the Year), 2012-13
Trent Lockett, 2009-10
James Harden, 2007-08
UNDER ROB EVANS
Jeff Pendergraph, 2005-06
Ike Diogu (Freshman of the Year), 2002-03
UNDER BILL FRIEDER
Eddie House, 1996-97
Ron Riley, 1992-93
Mario Bennett, 1991-92
Dwayne Fontana, 1990-91
Jamal Faulkner (Freshman of the Year), 1990-91
UNDER BOB WEINHAUER
Chris Sandle, 1984-85
Steve Beck, 1983-84
UNDER NED WULK
Byron Scott (Freshman of the Year), 1979-80
NOT BAD COMPANY: Here is a look at how Tra Holder's freshman season compares to Derek Glasser (2006-10), a four-year starter at point guard who is the Sun Devil career record holder for games played (131), assists (551) and free throw percentage (.838) and is the only Sun Devil with 1,000 career points and 500 assists.
DEREK GLASSER (2006-07)/TRA HOLDER (2014-15)
MPG: 27.9/26.2
FT PCT: .778/.710
ASSISTS: 97/105
PPG: 6.3/7.1
DOUBLE DIGIT SCORING GAMES IN PAC-12: 6/9
2014-15 PAC-12 ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM
Jordan Bell, Oregon
Dillon Brooks, Oregon
Tra Holder, Arizona State
Stanley Johnson, Arizona
Kevon Looney, UCLA
Jordan McLaughlin, USC
Jakob Poeltl, Utah