May 9, 2007
Click here for more information on NCAA Leadership Conference, May 27-31, in Orlando, Fla.
Men's basketball player Jeff Pendergraph has been chosen to represent Arizona State at the NCAA National Leadership Conference May 27-31 in Orlando, Fla. He is majoring in economics and will be one of the 24 men's basketball players among the more than 300 student attendees.
Pendergraph, who will be a junior on Coach Herb Sendek's squad next year and is majoring in economics, led ASU in scoring (12.1 points per game) and rebounding (9.1) last year, as his rebounding average matched the second-best by a Sun Devil in the past 26 seasons. He has 13 career double-doubles and finished second in the Pac-10 in field goal percentage (.553), rebounding (8.9), offensive rebounding (3.33) and was fourth in minutes per game (35.50) in the 18 league games. The Etiwanda, Calif., native was an honorable mention All-Pac-10 selection last year and earned Pac-10 All-Freshmen honors in 2005-06.
The NCAA National Leadership Conference provides NCAA student-athletes with a forum to openly discuss issues that may affect them on their campuses and in their communities, while also providing them with the opportunity to enhance their leadership, communication, decision-making and problem-solving skills. The leadership conference also promotes better communication among student-athletes, coaches, administrators, faculty and communities. The five-day leadership conference consists of daily exercises and activities to help the student-athletes develop as individuals and as contributing members to a group.
The conference is an outreach of the successful CHAMPS/Life Skills Program and involves close to 325 student-athletes each year who compete in fall, winter and spring sports in Divisions I, II and III. Many of the student-athletes who participate are members of their conference and campus Student-Athlete Advisory Committees (SAACs). Each NCAA member institution that has a CHAMPS/Life Skills Program is encouraged to nominate student-athletes from their campus for the annual leadership conference.
Pendergraph garnered official team awards for Most Blocks (22), Most Charges Drawn (19), Best Rebounder (9.1 per game), Best Field Goal Percentage (.551), Best Offensive Rebounder (3.93 per game) and Best Defender at the team's postseason banquet on April 25. He also earned the Most Deflections Award, an award instituted by Coach Sendek and his staff for various hustle plays such as blocks, steals, defensive deflections, tips from behind and rebounding tips, which keep the play alive. Pendergraph had 234 on the year.
ASU is expected to return five of its top six scorers from last year and will have six lettermen returning in 2007-08.
Arizona State NCAA Leadership Seminar Attendees 2007: Jeff Pendergraph (men's basketball) 2006: Roxanne Clarke (women's tennis) 2005: Ryan McBride (men's tennis) 2004: Curtis Ray (wrestling) 2003: Erin Tone (women's golf) 2002: Mike Aguirre (football) and Robin Kimbrell (water polo) 2001: Mike Aguirre (football) and Rainy Crisp (women's basketball) 2000: Mike Aguirre (football), Daniel Hyman (wrestling) and Jennifer Langenhuizen (softball) 1999: Casey Murphy (swimming) 1998: Kerrie Kulak (soccer) 1997: Kathy Ponce (softball) 1997: Damien Richardson (football)