Poor shooting continues to stymie slumping Sun Devils

LOS ANGELES - The faces again were filled with frustration. Sophomore Derek Glasser had a glazed look in his eyes following Arizona State's most-lopsided loss since 1998 - an 84-51 thrashing at UCLA Thursday night.

Based purely on the box score, Glasser had one of his better shooting nights (5 of 10) and a season-high 13 points, but it rang hollow because he remembered the pair of wide-open 3-pointers and the layup he missed early while the game was still within reach.

All three could have turned the deficit into something manageable.

Glasser knows he's struggling. So, too, does Ty Abbott, the team's best outside shooter. So, too, are Jerren Shipp and Jamelle McMillan. The Sun Devils were jerked around defensively by No. 5 UCLA, but the string of rough nights offensively went another game longer.

The Sun Devils were efficient on offense on the Pac-10's opening weekend against the Oregon schools, then again at California. That's it.

"We've missed a lot of open shots," Glasser said.

In four of the first eight Pac-10 games, ASU has shot less than 40 percent.

It's grown worse the farther away they shoot. The Sun Devils have shot less than 30 percent from the 3-point arc five times in those eight games.

"We need to have it better," ASU coach Herb Sendek said.

The opponents in those four aforementioned games - UCLA, Arizona, Stanford, Washington State - are the best defensive teams in the league statistically, as is tonight's foe USC, but don't tell that to the players.

The Sun Devils know they don't have the dynamic offensive threats of UCLA, Arizona and Oregon, but they know they should be better, given the additions of James Harden and Abbott, plus a year of experience from Glasser and Shipp.

Harden is expected to play tonight after he slightly aggravated a pulled groin muscle Thursday. His quick elevations and Jeff Pendergraph's efficiency have been taken away by the opposition.

Washington State and UCLA dared guys other than Pendergraph and Harden to score, and quickly double-teamed Pendergraph whenever he touched the ball. It resulted in better passes out of trouble and fewer turnovers by Pendergraph, but only 6 of 13 shooting and zero free throws the past two games from the team's best inside player.

"Ty and those guys hitting shots is a function of how me and James get our offense going," Pendergraph said. "If teams are stopping us and me and James are being taken out of everything, it affects everybody. Even the guys who come into the game, it's off for them. They've had to create the energy when that's what the starting five has to do."

Against the Cougars, those not named Harden made 11 field goals. Against the Bruins, Glasser (5 of 10) and McMillan (2 of 3) were the only players to make at least half their shots."It's got to come from somewhere else," McMillan said.

So far it's come primarily from Abbott, a fellow freshman, but following his brilliant performance in a double-overtime win against California, he's hit a minislump (8 of 26 shooting, 3-for-17 from outside the past three games).

Abbott and Harden are the only Sun Devils who average more than 35 minutes per game in the Pac-10, so "hitting a wall" seems possible. Players, however, dismissed the fatigue theory, even though the team has cut a few minutes off its pregame workouts and shootarounds and has its strength and conditioning coach travel with the team, a move Sendek implemented upon his arrival at ASU.

"There's no question it's a tremendous mental and physical marathon," he said. "It can be a grind. That's part of the process, the endurance aspect of this whole thing. Not just for young guys, even old guys like me. It's day-in, day-out, it's two games this week, three games the next week, if you play on a Sunday. They keep coming."

After tonight's game with the Trojans (13-7, 4-4), the Sun Devils have a week off before playing in Tucson. A win might elicit a smile or two from these frowning faces.

So, too, would a few days off for slumping shooters to rest lethargic legs and sore shoulders.

"Sometimes it is what it is," Sendek said. "We talked about it. At the end of the day, it's still basketball and as analytical as you want to get or break things down, you have to put the ball in the basket."

Arizona State at USC

Where: Galen Center, Los Angeles

TV/Radio: FSNAZ/KTAR (620 AM)

Records: Arizona State 14-6, 4-4 Pac-10, USC 13-7, 4-4

Outlook: Arizona State — This team needs a win more than anyone in the Pac-10, and this might be its best chance with Arizona and Stanford coming up. Except for the loss to UCLA, the Sun Devils have been in the thick of it through this four-game slide, so the big question is whether a team already in a fragile psychological state can physically recover from Thursday night’s disaster, which was the worst defeat since a 117-71 loss at USC in 1998.

USC — In what was a crucial game for Arizona, the Wildcats beat the Trojans at USC on Thursday night behind Chase Budinger’s 18 second-half points (29 overall) and Jawann McClellan’s career-high 23 points. The Trojans’ big three (freshmen O.J. Mayo and Davon Jefferson, and sophomore Taj Gibson) combined for 59 points. Starting sophomore guard Daniel Hackett left the game early with a hip pointer after diving for a loose ball, but his status improved Friday and he might be able to play. USC starts four underclassmen and is in the NCAA tournament discussion following a recent four-game winning streak and brutal nonconference schedule.