2011 Arizona State Basketball Preview
Written by Jack Jones - Google +
2010-11 Results
Overall: 12-19
Conference: 4-14 (10th)
Roster
Juniors
Carrick Felix
Chris Colvin
Evan Gordon
Ruslan Pateev
Trent Lockett
Sophomores
Bo Barnes
Kyle Cain
Jordan Bachynski
Chanse Creekmur
Keala King
Dave Whitmore
Freshmen
Jahii Carson
Max Heller
Pierre Newton
Jonathan Gilling
Head Coach
Herb Sendek
Key Losses
The Arizona State 2010-11 Men’s hoops team saw the careers of seniors Ty Abbott, Rihards Kuksiks and Jamelle McMillan come to an end. The trio produced 80 wins, the most by any players in ASU history. Also departed are Brandon Dunson and Corey Hawkins.
2011-12 Preview
The transfer of four players left a weakened roster before the start of 2010-11 and the Sun Devils were blighted by injury during last season. They dropped from second place to last, losing nine in a row during the heart of the Pac-10 season and only salvaging a bit of pride in the final weekend of play by beating Oregon and a weakened Oregon State team.
In all, the ASU had a full complement of players available for only 10-of-18 conference games. The Sun Devils have often been one of the most difficult teams in the Pac-10 to predict, and that doesn’t look like changing in the Pac-12.
If they can avoid the frequent injuries of last season, they will cause problems with their athleticism, shooting and size. But, without a single senior on the roster and relying heavily on new players, they could struggle in a transition season.
In 5-10 freshman Jahii Carson (32.2 ppg, 6.6 apg.), the Sun Devils have an explosive, springy point guard who loves to attack. He provides Sendek with a guard who can freelance and also has the skills to run an effective half-court game. Carson will probably have the ball in his hands as long as he can stand it, though Sendek has a pair of combo guards on hand to take over when required. Junior Chris Colvin (13.0 ppg) is likely to help at both guard spots, with the ability to create opportunities for himself and others.
Versatile 6-4 sophomore Keala King (3.7 ppg, 2.6 rpg) can also help at point guard, having played everything from point guard to power forward as a freshman. King hit just 1-of-18 three-pointers last season but he was effective everywhere else on the floor. He’s aggressive, a good passer, solid in defense and knows where to be on the floor.
The Sun Devils also have some versatility in wings Carrick Felix (4.6 ppg, 1.6 rpg), a 6-6 junior, plus a cornerstone in Trent Lockett (13.4 ppg, 5.3 rpg), a 6-4 junior who led ASU in scoring last season. Combined with the presence of 7-footers Ruslan Pateev (3.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg) and Jordan Bachynski (2.8 ppg, 2.3 rpg), the Sun Devils have the ability to create many different looks.
Lockett became a second-team All-Pac-10 pick last season by being more aggressive, playing solid defense and adding a strong mid-range game to his driving ability. His 15-footer, in particular, has become almost automatic. Lockett added 6.7 points to his scoring average as a sophomore and shot 51.6 percent from the field, 32.3 percent from three-point range and 66.2 percent from the free-throw line.
Felix had a hard time adjusting to Division I last season. He did improve into the midseason, with his athleticism and driving ability putting him on the floor for an average 23 minutes over five games after Christmas. But he then missed a game in late January through illness and was never quite the same player.
Another challenge facing Sendek is to see what he can get out his two big inexperienced big men, Bachynski and Pateev. Both barely managed double-figure minutes last season although they did begin to make an impact. Pateev blocked 24 shots and scored 90 points over 30 games, while Bachynski had 20 blocks and made 49 percent of his field goals. For a young man of 7-2, Bachynski actually has pretty good athleticism, too, when he’s healthy.
6-5 sophomore Chanse Creekmur (3.1 ppg, 1.3 rpg) is a strong shooter who has the potential to replace some of Rihards Kuksiks’ scoring from the perimeter. He was indispensable in ASU’s 73-72 win over Washington State on Feb. 19, scoring 18 points while making 5-of-8 threes in his first start.
The Sun Devils also will have shooting help from another big wing, 6-7 freshman Jonathan Gilling (15.2 ppg). Already as a freshman last season, 6-7 sophomore Kyle Cain (5.4 ppg, 5.5 rpg) became the Sun Devils’ leading rebounder. He will be called upon to anchor the power forward spot this year and may play center at times when one of the 7-footers can’t.
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