Expectations rise for ASU’s hoops program

In a continuing journey toward crossing new thresholds with this Arizona State men’s basketball program, the Sun Devils are about to embark on their next adventure this winter. And, as they did so many times last winter, are headed where no ASU team has gone in five years:

Namely, into a world full of expectations.

They began as a surprise of 2007-2008. The Sun Devils wound up winning 21 games and a 9-9 Pac-10 record, an overall improvement of 13 wins (seven in-conference) from 2006-2007. Then, despite playing in one of the top two conferences (based on RPI) in the country, the Sun Devils were left out of the NCAA tournament and made a run through the National Invitation Tournament instead.

The noise was deafening at times during their NIT quarterfinal loss to Florida at Wells Fargo Arena, as the Sun Devils became a team college basketball followers sympathized over for being left out of March Madness, while the likes of Arizona and Oregon were chosen instead.

Some of that has changed. Furious last March from being left home, the Sun Devils insisted it’s ancient history.

This year’s NCAA tournament is their dream, but last year’s miss isn’t the reason why.

“We didn’t have a poster of the NCAA Selection Committee on our wall walking by, like, 'Dang you,’” senior Jeff Pendergraph said.

When Pendergraph and freshman James Harden quickly elected to return for another year of school, the Sun Devils return their top seven scorers — nine players overall from last year’s roster — and four of those nine were freshmen.

Graduations and early NBA defections have left space for an intact ASU squad to take another leap, and judging by Top 25 preseason rankings and individual preseason accolades for the likes of Harden and Pendergraph, the Sun Devils are expected to do so.

“We can’t be a sleeper team anymore,” Harden said Thursday, a day before ASU’s first full practice. “People know who we are now.”

Whether fair or not, October labels tend to stick until games begin to prove otherwise, and though it’s up to coach Herb Sendek and his players to mind the pressure, the Sun Devils aren’t about to run and hide from this.

As Pendergraph noted Thursday, during his turbulent freshman and sophomore years at ASU, there wasn’t a single soul around campus — let alone the Valley — who wanted to talk ASU basketball.

On Thursday, he told stories of having to leave an extra 10-15 minutes to reach his classes on account of people stopping him to talk hoops.

“I think expectations are a good thing,” Sendek said. “I’m glad people are talking positive about Arizona State basketball. I’m glad we’re in the discussion. I don’t want to shy away from that, we welcome it. It sure beats the alternative. If people expect you to do bad or don’t think highly of you, that’s a problem of a different sorts. I’d rather manage expectations, if you will, and have people thinking well of us than dealing with the alternative of, 'Boy we’re not that good.’ I like the challenge of the higher expectations much better.”

Aware of the bits and pieces of this preseason hype coming from the outside, players dismissed the so-called “pressure” or change in vibe, which often comes from an assumption they’ll do better.

There were no declarations, guarantees or outright goals insisted upon, but their words left little doubt they are confident improvement is coming.

It’s just going to take a few months to reveal itself.

“I think we’re definitely on the right path to becoming a recognized basketball school,” Pendergraph said.