Men's Basketball

Dec. 4, 1997

Arizona State Plays Host to Portland State

• Arizona State (5-2) vs. Portland State (4-0)
• Sat., Dec. 6
• 3 p.m. MST
• Tempe, Ariz.
• KMVP 860 AM/No TV

DEVILS FACE VIKINGS: The Arizona State men's basketball team takes on the undefeated Portland State Vikings on Dec. 6, at 3 p.m. MST at the University Activity Center (14,198). ASU (5-2) is led by senior Jeremy Veal, who averaged 18.7 points per game last year en route to earning All-Pac-10 honors and is averaging 22.0 points per game this year. The Sun Devils have just eight healthy scholarship players available for the season, as 6-8 sophomore Okeme Oziwo is out for season with injuries suffered in an August car accident and 6-8 junior college transfer Maurice McCree left the program in the fall due to personal reasons.

Senior forward Urit Kelly. (File Photo)

ASU's only two losses were to ranked teams (No. 2 Kansas 90-88 in OT and No. 11 UConn 82-61, both in the NIT at Madison Square Garden). ASU is 4-0 on its home court this year.

ASU VS. THE VIKINGS: ASU is 1-1 against Portland State...ASU lost to the Vikings 95-78 in 1954-55 and topped the Vikings 115-92 in 1976-77...Don Newman is 1-1 vs. the Vikings, as Cal State Sacramento topped PSU 69-61 on Jan. 7 and then fell at Portland State 53-47 on Feb. 6.

SHOOTING THE BALL: ASU has shot at least 50 percent in six of its seven games this year. The beginning of the year marked the first time ASU has shot at least 50 percent in four straight games since November of 1994...ASU had shot 50 percent just eight times in the past two seasons entering 1997...ASU is shooting 113-of-150 (.753) from the FT line after shooting 66.5 percent last year...Veal is shooting 50 percent from the three-point arc (15-of-30) while sophomore Eddie House is at 51.9 percent (14-of-27)...Mike Batiste is 48-of-84 (.571) from the floor on the year, while Bobby Lazor is 54-of-86 (.628)...ASU's 61.3 percent shooting (38-of-62) vs. NAU on Dec. 3 was the best since ASU shot 62 percent at California on Jan. 14, 1995...ASU has scored at least 87 points in six of its seven games. Last year, ASU scored 87 points just three times, and two of those games were against non-Division I opponents.

SUN DEVIL QUICK NOTES: Jeremy Veal is averaging 5.1 boards per game on the year and had a career-high 10 boards vs. Northern Arizona. He has been ASU's leading rebounder in three of the past four games...Bobby Lazor already has 137 points this year (19.6 ppg) after scoring just 96 points in 43 games at Syracuse from 1994-1996...Ahlon Lewis has posted 63 assists on the year after posting just 63 last year. Lewis is averaging 32.1 minutes per game this year after averaging 16.4 last year. He set the school record on Dec. 3 vs. Northern Arizona with 16...ASU has now won 10 straight vs. NAU...the 123 points vs. Delaware State on Dec. 1 is the fourth-most points in ASU history, and the most since ASU topped DePauw 124-73 on Jan. 2, 1971...ASU's 39 assists vs. Delaware State was the most by any Sun Devil team in the 1990s...ASU has outrebounded just one opponent (Wagner) on the year...the last two times ASU has started the season 3-0, it has advanced to the NCAA Tournament (1990-91 and 1994-95), ASU's only NCAA appearances since 1980-81...this year also marked just the third time in the past 10 seasons ASU has started 3-0. The last time was in 1994-95, when ASU won the Maui Invitational and advanced the Sweet Sixteen and ended the season 24-9. ASU also was 3-0 in 1990-91, when it ended 20-10 overall, and lost to Arkansas in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. In 1987-88, ASU started 3-0 but ended the season 13-16...Bobby Lazor has posted five 20-point games to start the year...the Cincinnati win ended a 12-game road loss streak for ASU, with its last road win on Feb. 15, 1996 (69-66 at USC).

VEAL IN GOOD COMPANY: Jeremy Veal finished in the league's top five in both scoring (4th/18.7 ppg) and assists (T5th/4.7), becoming only the fourth Pac-10 player to accomplish the feat since 1983. The others are all NBA stars: Damon Stoudamire (1993-94 and 1994-95), Terrell Brandon (1990-91) and Gary Payton (1988-89 and 1989-90).

BEEN THERE, DONE THAT: Since the NCAA Tournament field expanded to 64 teams in 1984-85, only five Pac-10 teams have reached the Sweet Sixteen. Arizona (1988, 1989, 1991, 1994, 1996, 1997), UCLA (1990, 1992, 1995, 1997), California (1993, 1997), Stanford (1997) and Arizona State (1995).

PAC-10 MEDIA POLL: ASU was picked to finish tenth by the Pac-10 Media in a preseason poll. The results, with first-place votes in parentheses:

1. Arizona (22)     6. USC
2. UCLA (5)         7. Oregon State
3. Stanford         8. Oregon
4. Washington       9. Washington State
5. California      10. Arizona State

BAD LUCK: Since 1990, 23 of 24 Pac-10 teams who have won 11 conference games have been selected to the NCAA Tourney. The exception? ASU in 1992-93, when it was 11-7 and tied for third. Also, 27 of 28 teams since 1990 who have posted 18 overall wins and 10 Pac-10 wins have qualified for the NCAA. Again, the odd team out was ASU in 1992-93.

BATISTE NOTES: Last season at this time, junior college transfer Mike Batiste was not even on the ASU roster, as the 6-8 forward transferred in December and played in 22 games despite have knee surgery the previous March...shooting 57.1 percent (48-of-84) from the floor on the year...posted 12 points, six boards and four blocks in win at UC...had career highs with 36 points and 20 rebounds vs. Wagner on Nov. 19...posted six blocks in opener vs. Northridge...made the Pac-10 All-Newcomer team last year and showed signs of becoming a dominant player...posted three 20-point games in 1996-97...turned 20 years old on Nov. 21...an excellent FT shooter (75 percent in 1997-98).

GOOD HOUSEKEEPING NOTES: Mike Bibby and ASU's Eddie House were the only Pac-10 players to notch at least 50 three-pointers, 50 steals and 100 assists in 1996-97. House posted 59 steals, an ASU freshman record, and also hit 57 three-pointers and dished out 108 assists, the second-best amount for a freshman in ASU history...House already has 19 steals and 30 assists through seven games this year...was 5-of-8 (.625) from the floor with two three-pointers in UC win...had 22 points vs. No. 2 Kansas on Nov. 26...has 138 assists and 49 turnovers through 37 games in his career, a 2.8-to-1 ratio.

LEAGUE'S BEST SHOOTER???: Jeremy Veal also is the only player in the Pac-10 returning this year who finished in the league's top 10 in both 3-point shooting percentage and FT percentage. Veal finished third in 3-point percentage (.443/58-of-131) and 10th in FT percentage (.774/106-of-137). Others on the list include then-seniors Isaac Fontaine, Brevin Knight and Kenya Wilkins...Veal is shooting 78.8 percent (241-306) from the FT line in his career...posted 32 points against Cal State Northridge and 25 at Cincinnati...needs 363 points to become ASU's career leader...seventh on the ASU career scoring list and needs just 43 points to pass Joe Caldwell (1961-64) to move into sixth...only the second player in ASU history to notch 1,400 points and 300 assists.

DOUBLE-O: Okeme Oziwo, a 6-8 sophomore who played the 1995-96 season as a true freshman and redshirted last year with stress fractures, will miss the entire 1997-98 season after suffering numerous injuries in a car accident in late August. Oziwo suffered a broken tibia and fibula and several other injuries. He earned honorable mention All-Pac-10 Freshman honors in 1995-96 and had gained 30 pounds since his freshman year in preparation for this year.

GETTING TO KNOW DON NEWMAN: Named ASU's 11th head coach on Sept. 22, 1997...turned 40 on Nov. 22...born in New Orleans...played at LSU and Idaho...has coached at Cal-State Sacramento, Washington State, Moscow High School and Lewiston High School, both of them in Idaho...played for numerous professional teams, including: Seattle Seahawks, Boston Celtics, Montana Golden Nuggets, New York Jets, Saskatchewan Roughriders, Edmonton Eskimos and Hamilton Tiger Cats...coached at Montana by George Karl...went 20-114 at Cal State Sacramento while taking team from Division I to Division II status...CSS traveled to almost half the country (22 states) in his five-year career.

HOUSE ON ALL-FROSH SQUAD: Eddie House made the Pac-10 All-Freshman Team, becoming the seventh Sun Devil to accomplish the feat. Others are: Steve Beck (1983-84), Chris Sandle (1984-85), Jamal Faulkner (1990-91 and also Pac-10 Freshman of the Year), Dwayne Fontana (1990-91), Mario Bennett (1991-92) and Ron Riley (1992-93).

ALL-LEAGUE HONORS: Jeremy Veal earned All-Pac-10 honors, becoming the 13th Sun Devil to earn the honor. The last Sun Devil to accomplish the feat was Mario Bennett in 1995. Veal will have a chance to earn the honor twice in his career, something accomplished by just three other Sun Devils: Mario Bennett (1993-94 and 1994-95), Lafayette "Fat" Lever (1980-81 and 1981-82) and Stevin Smith (1992-93 and 1993-94).

QUICK NOTES: ASU led the league in turnover margin (+5.2) for the fourth time in the past five years...Eddie House earned honorable mention Freshman All-America honors from Basketball Weekly. House also set the ASU freshman record for steals with 59 and became the first ASU freshman to notch 50 steals (59) and 100 assists (108). House started in 22 games and played in all 30...Mike Batiste earned Pac-10 All-Newcomer honors. Batiste joined the team in mid-year and played in 22 games and averaged 12.0 points and 6.7 rebounds. He shot 72.2 percent from the free throw line...Eddie House tied a Great Alaska Shootout Tournament record with seven three-pointers vs. Maine on Nov. 30.

MEDIA COVERAGE: KMVP 860 AM is the radio home of Sun Devil basketball. Tom Dillon, Arizona's Sportscaster of the Year 15 years running and the voice of Sun Devil athletics as well as the Arizona Cardinals handles the play-by-play duties. All games are on KMVP 860 AM, except those that conflict with other KMVP programming. Sun Devil games are then moved to KTAR 620 AM. Tim Healey and Gil Tyree handle the play-by-play and color commentary for KTVK-3. KTVK-3 will broadcast 14 Sun Devil games this year.

• Eddie House became the first freshman in ASU history to notch 50 steals (59) and 100 assists (108) in a season last year.
• The last time ASU was picked to finish tenth in the Pac-10 media poll (1992-93), ASU finished tied for third with an 18-8 overall and 11-7 Pac-10 mark.
• Jeremy Veal is the only current Sun Devil who has played at ASU for more than one year. His 18.7 ppg was 65th in the nation last year.
• ASU led the league in turnover margin for the fourth time in the past five years in 1996-97.

Arizona State Sun Devils (5-2 in 1997-98)
Pos  #  Name            Yr  Ht.   PPG  RPG  Notes
G   11  Ahlon Lewis     Sr. 6-0   4.9  9.0* 16 assts. vs. NAU (ASU record)
G   21  Jeremy Veal     Sr. 6-3  22.0  5.1  15-30 (50%) from 3-pt. stripe
G    5  Eddie House     So. 6-1  12.7  4.3* 14-27 (51.9%) from 3-pt. stripe
F    4  Bobby Lazor     Jr. 6-9  19.6  5.1  Syracuse transfer; 5 20-pts. games in '97
F   24  Mike Batiste    Jr. 6-8  16.9  7.3  36 pts., 20 rebs. vs. Wagner/24 bks on year
G    3  D'Angelo Jones  Fr. 5-10  1.0  0.0  Walkon from Scottsdale, Ariz.
G   13  Ron DuBois      Jr. 5-10  1.3  0.3  Walkon who has earned scholarship
G-F 22  Jason Patton    So. 6-4   6.8  2.7  21 pts. vs. Del. St./11.7 minutes per game
F-C 25  Okeme Oziwo     So. 6-8   2.9  5.2  Will miss season (car accident injuries)
F   32  Derek Smith     Fr. 6-5   0.7  1.0  Walkon from Grand Junction, Colo.
F   40  Urit Kelly      Sr. 6-6   4.9  2.7  80.7 pct. from FT line in career (42-52)
G   42  Reggie Hester   Jr. 6-2   6.6  1.6  12 pts. vs. Kansas; 5-5 FGs vs. NAU
* -- denotes assists per game.