Men's Hoops Opens Friday At 6 p.m. Vs. UMBC

NOTE: UPDATED GAME NOTES IN PDF WILL BE POSTED HERE LATER THIS WEEK...

SUN DEVIL DIGITS: The Sun Devil men's hoops team (22-13; 9-9/tied for sixth in Pac-12) opens its 2013-14 season on Friday, Nov. 8, vs. Maryland-Baltimore County in the earliest start date in school history (6 p.m./Pac-12 Network/860 AM). The Sun Devils, under eighth-year head coach Herb Sendek, notched their fourth 20-win season under Coach Sendek in his seven years in 2012-13, something that ASU did just three times in the prior 25 seasons to his arrival in spring of 2006. The Sun Devils went 4-5 against the top five teams in the Pac-12, with a sweep of Colorado and single wins over UCLA (1-2) and California (1-0), despite being picked for 11th in the preseason media poll. The Sun Devils have a roster that includes five lettermen, three one-year transfer seniors, a mid-year transfer and in those returners the 2012-13 Pac-12 co-Freshman of the Year and the top-single season shot blocker in Pac-12 annals.

GREAT NOTE TO GET YOU STARTED: Jahii Carson averaged 18.5 points and 5.1 assists last season, the first freshman to do that since Chris McGuthrie of Mount St. Mary's notched the feat in 1992-93 (19.8/.5.1).

HEY, DON'T BLAME US: Scoring in D-I men's basketball was at its lowest point since 1951-52 last year as teams averaged 67.5 ppg. Meanwhile in Tempe, ASU went from averaging 61.0 ppg. in 2011-12 to 71.8 ppg. in 2012-13.

THE FIVE RETURNERS: They say a huge key in college hoops for any team is to have a great point guard and solid big man, so safe to say ASU has that part covered. How good was JAHII CARSON at the end of the season in 2010-13? In the final six games he had heads turning with these numbers: 22.5 ppg., 6.0 rpg., 5.0 apg., .551 from the field, .500 from the three-point stripe and .800 from the free throw line. Jahii is one of only three All-Pac-12 first-team players returning this season, joining Dwight Powell of Stanford and Spencer Dinwiddie of Colorado)...JORDAN BACHYNSKI set the Pac-12 and Sun Devil season record with 120 last year and enters this year needing just 98 blocks to break the Pac-12 career mark set by Anthony Cook of Arizona from 1985-89. After averaging 4.6 points in his first two season, Bachynski averaged 9.8 points last year...No Pac-12 player made more three-pointers than JON GILLING last year, as he pumped in 84, fourth-most by a Sun Devil in school history. The junior averaged 9.7 points per game last year in his sophomore season...sophomore ERIC JACOBSEN played in 32 games last year and is weighing a solid 250 now...junior BO BARNES played in 28 games last year and made 57 three-pointers at Hawaii in 2010-11 before sitting out in 2011-12. The 57 three-pointers is a Hawaii freshman record.

PAC-12 CAREER BLOCKED SHOTS
1. 278 – Anthony Cook (Arizona), ’85-89
2. 253 – Taj Gibson (USC), ’06-09
3. 258 – Channing Frey (Arizona), ’01-05
4. 207 – Michael Stewart (California), ’93-97
5. 196 – Sam Clancy (USC), ’98-02
6. 191 – Mario Bennett (Arizona State), ’91-95
7. 188 – Jelani McCoy (UCLA), ’95-98
8. 186 – Chris Welp (Washington), ’83-87
8. 196 – Loren Woods (Arizona), ’99-00
10. 185 – Dan Gadzuric (UCLA), ’98-02

181 – Jordan Bachynski (Arizona State), ’10-present

MARSHALL, MARSHALL, MARSHALL: Arizona State welcomes a proven scorer in 2013-14, as JERMAINE MARSHALL joined the program in August as a graduate transfer after playing three solid years at Penn State. Last year Marshall averaged 15.3 points per game (sixth in Big Ten) and shot .759 from the free throw line (107-of-141) to go along with 4.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists. Marshall enters the 2013-14 season with 880 career points, 108 three pointers and has knocked down 186-of-250 (.744) free throws. He posted nine 20-point games at PSU, and his top three scoring scoring games were against ranked teams.

BIG TEN TOP SCORERS IN 2012-13

DeShaun Thomas, Ohio State, 19.8

Trey Burke, Michigan, 18.6

Brandon Paul, Illinois, 16.6

Cody Zeller, Indiana, 16.5

DJ Newbill, Penn State, 16.3

Jermaine Marshall, Penn State, 15.3

 

JERMAINE MARSHALL'S NINE 20-POINT GAMES

29 vs. #18 Michigan State (1/16/13)

27 vs. #13 Michigan (3/4/12)

25 vs. #4 Michigan (2/27/13)

25 vs. Boston College (11/28/12)

23 vs. #22 Wisconsin (3/10/13)

22 at Boston College (11/30/11)

20 at Illinois (2/21/13)

20 vs. #12 Indiana (1/8/12)

20 vs. Lafayette (12/7/11)

 

COACH SENDEK ON JERMAINE: "To bring in a proven player from a major conference says a lot about our current players and staff and Jermaine understanding what was the best fit for him," says Coach Sendek, "Jermaine is athletic, a proven scorer, knocks down his free throws and gets to the basket. He is a great fit for our team and program."

 

SO WHERE WOULD 15.3 PPG STAND IN THE PAC-12?: How big of an addition is Jermaine Marshall from a statistical point of view? Well, he would be tied for the fifth-leading returning scorer in the Pac-12. Take a peek at the top "returning" scorers in the Pac-12 this coming season:

TOP "RETURNING" SCORERS IN PAC-12 THIS YEAR

Jahii Carson, Arizona State, 18.5

Joseph Young, UO/Houston

Roberto Nelson, OSU, 17.8

C.J. Wilcox, UW, 16.8

Jermaine Marshall, ASU/Penn State, 15.3

 

Jordan Adams, UCLA, 15.3

Spencer Dinwiddie, Colorado, 15.3

 

COACH OF YEAR: The Pac-12 in 2013-14 will have five current coaches who have earned Pac-10/12 Coach of the Year. Herb Sendek earned it in 2009-10, while Dana Altman (2012-13), Sean Miller (2010-11) and Lorenzo Romar (2011-12, 2008-09 and 2004-05) earned kudos at their school. Mike Montgomery did it four times at Stanford (2003-04, 2002-03, 1999-2000 and 1998-99).

GILLING AND ABLE: As a sophomore JON GILLING had 213 rebounds (6.1 pg) in 2012-13 after posting 54 in his freshman season. He posted a career high 22 points at UW on Feb. 2 (including a career-best six threes). Gilling also had 18 points at UCLA on Feb. 27 (including six three-pointers) and at Texas Tech on Dec. 22. He has three double-doubles with 13/11/6 vs. USC on Jan. 24, 12/10 against CU on Jan. 6 and 13/15 vs. Florida A&M on Nov. 18. He led the Pac-12 at 2.40 three-pointers made per game (81 in 34 games).

SUN DEVIL SEASON THREE-POINTERS MADE

1. 113 – Stevin Smith, 1993

2. 96 – Stevin Smith, 1994

3. 93 – Rihards Kuksiks, 2009

4. 84 – Jonathan Gilling, 2013

 IT IS EARLY: ASU will open its season on Friday, Nov. 8 vs. Maryland-Baltimore Country. How much has college hoops scheduling timeline changed in the past two decades? Nov. 8 marks Coach Sendek's earliest opener as well as ASU's. As a point of reference, ASU's first game 20 seasons ago in 1982-83 was Nov. 26 and in the year it joined the Pac-10 (1978-79) it was Nov. 24. Herb’s first game as a head coach in his first season at Miami of Ohio? A 108-68 win over Mt. Vernon Nazarene on Nov. 27, 1993. Coach Sendek is now 17-3 in season openers in his career and 4-3 at ASU.

EARLIEST SEASON OPENERS IN SUN DEVIL HISTORY

Nov. 8, 2013--Maryland-Baltimore County @ASU

Nov. 10, 2012--ASU 79, Central Arkansas 64

Nov. 10, 2000--Tulsa 69, ASU 67 (Raleigh, N.C.)

 

COACH SENDEK’S EARLIEST SEASON OPENERS

Nov. 8, 2013--Maryland-Baltimore County @ASU

Nov. 10, 2012--ASU 79, Central Arkansas 64

Nov. 11, 2011--ASU 78, Montana State 72

Nov. 11, 1997--NC State 47, #19 Georgia 45 (East Rutherford, N.J.)

MARRIOTT POINTS: Jahii Carson averaged 21.9 points in the 15 games away from home in 2012-13, as ASU played 11 road games and four neutral site games. He averaged 38.5 minutes in those games and shot .523 from the field (124-of-237). The Mesa, Ariz., native had ten 20+ point games away from home, including three of the top Sun Devil freshman scoring games in history with 34 vs. Stanford in the Pac-12 Tournament (Mar. 13), 32 at Washington (Feb. 2) and 30 vs. No. 14 Creighton in Las Vegas (Nov. 24).

MOST POINTS BY A SUN DEVIL FRESHMAN

35, Mario Bennett vs. #5 Arizona, Feb. 20, 1992

34, Jahii Carson vs. Stanford (Pac-12 Tournament), Mar. 13, 2013

32, Jahii Carson at Washington, Feb. 2, 2013

31, Byron Scott vs. #18 Arizona, Feb. 23, 1980

30, Jahii Carson vs. #14 Creighton @Las Vegas, Nov. 24, 2012

30, Ty Abbott vs. California, Feb. 16, 2008

 

 

ASSISTS: Jahii Carson posted 177 assists, as only five Pac-12 freshmen notched more.

TOP PAC-12 FRESHMEN ASSISTS TOTALS/POINTS PER GAME

1. 229, Gary Payton, Oregon State, 1986-87; 7.6 apg/12.5 ppg.

2. 222, Jason Kidd, California, 1992-93; 7.7 apg./13.0 ppg.

3. 197, Russell Brown, Arizona, 1977-78; 7.6 apg/5.8 ppg.

4. 179, Pooh Richardson, UCLA, 1985-86; 6.2 apg/10.6 ppg.

5. 178, Mike Bibby, Arizona, 1996-97; 5.2 apg/13.5 ppg.

6. 177, Jahii Carson, Arizona State, 2012-13; 5.1 apg./18.5 ppg.

 

SUN DEVIL SINGLE SEASON ASSISTS

1. 294 – Ahlon Lewis, 1998

2. 233 – Marcell Capers, 1995

3. 200 – Marcell Capers, 1993

4. 185 – Mike Redhair, 1990

T5. 177– Jahii Carson, 2013

T5. 177 – Lynn Collins, 1992

 

BLOCK PARTY: ASU had a Pac-12 and ASU record 211 blocks last season (6.02 pg), topping UCLA's 2010-11 Pac-12 record of 199. In Coach Sendek's first six seasons (197 games) at ASU, the Sun Devils had nine blocks four times. It has had at least nine blocks nine times last season. An overlooked statistic for Pac-12 blocks record holder Jordan Bachynski is keeping it in play. Of his Pac-12 record 120 blocks last year, 75 resulted in possession for ASU. Jordan has 180 career blocks and the Sun Devil career record is 191, held by Mario Bennett from 1991-95. The Pac-12 career record is 278 held by Arizona's Anthony Cook from 1986-89.

PAC-12 FRESHMAN SCORING LIST

1. Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Cal, 1995-96, 21.1

2. O.J. Mayo, USC, 2007-08, 20.7

3. Harold Miner, USC, 1989-90, 20.6

4. Jerryd Bayless, Arizona, 2007-08, 19.7

5. Ike Diogu, Arizona State, 2002-03, 19.0

6. Don MacLean, UCLA, 1988-89, 18.6

7. Jahii Carson, Arizona State, 2012-13, 18.4

7. Cliff Robinson, USC, 1977-78, 18.4

9. Shabazz Muhammad, UCLA, 2012-13, 17.8

9. James Harden, Arizona State, 2007-08, 17.8 

YOUNG COACHES: Herb Sendek earned the Miami of Ohio job in the spring of 1993 at age 30. Three years later he took over the NC State program at age 33. Some 20 years later he ranks near the top of the youngest coaches with at least 350 career Division I wins, as he turned 50 on Feb. 22, 2013. Next up on the list: Greg Marshall at Wichita State (329 wins and born Feb. 27, 1963) and Ron Hunter at Georgia State (311 wins and born on March 7, 1964).

YOUNGEST COACHES WITH 350 D-I WINS (NUMBERS AS OF 2013-14 SEASON)

Thad Matta, Ohio State, 352 (July 11, 1967)

Billy Donovan, Florida, 450 (May 30, 1965)

Steve Alford, New Mexico, 385 (Nov. 23, 1964)

Herb Sendek, Arizona State, 374 (Feb. 22, 1963)

Bill Self, Kansas, 507 (Dec. 27, 1962)

Mark Few, Gonzaga, 374 (Dec. 27, 1962)

Jay Wright, Villanova, 379 (Dec. 24, 1961)

Kevin Stallings, Vanderbilt, 400 (Oct. 1, 1960)

Jeff Jones, Old Dominion, 357 (June 29, 1960)