The Arizona State Sun Devils did not see much success last season. After their 12 non-conference games to begin the season, the Sun Devils were 4-8 overall. Their record got better after starting Pac-12 play, but not by much. Arizona State finished with an overall record of 10-21 and a conference record of 6-12 after they lost to Stanford in the first round of the Pac-12 conference tournament.
Earlier this week, ASU held their a media day at Wells Fargo Arena for the basketball team. There is a ton of enthusiasm heading into the season. According to Arizona State’s athletics website, head coach Herb Sendek said, “We have really great guys. We have guys that are easy to cheer for and easy to be proud of. I enjoy our time together. Our team has a good personality and a good a good chemistry.”
Jan 7, 2012; Anaheim, CA, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils guard Carrick Felix (0) attempts a shot against the UCLA Bruins during the second half at the Honda Center. The UCLA Bruins won 75-58. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-US PRESSWIRE
One player that will need to be more than just a “great personality” for the Sun Devils this year is Carrick Felix. Felix is a 6-foot-6 senior guard/forward from Goodyear, Arizona. Last season, he played in 29 games averaging 32.9 minutes per game, 10.5 points per game, 4.0 rebounds per game, and 1.3 assists per game.
Another ASU player that got attention at the school’s media day was Jahii Carson. Carson is a redshirt freshman guard out of Mesa, Arizona. His last recorded stats are from high school, Carson averaged 23.7 ppg. and 5.6 assists. He also led his team to a 21-6 record and an appearance in the Class 5A semifinals.
According to Arizona State’s athletics website, junior center Jordan Bachynski had this to say about Carson, “He’s dedicated, fast and he’s a great scorer. I think something he doesn’t get a lot of credit for is that he’s an amazing passer. He’s got great court vision and hits the open man when he needs to.”
Arizona State will play twelve non-conference games this season. The notable opponents on their non-conference slate include: Arkansas, DePaul, and Texas Tech. Arizona State will lose against all of those opponents and will most likely finish 4-8 in non-conference play again.
Just like most teams, the conference schedule is a completely different story. Now, the Sun Devils will be a different team than last year, but can they contend in the Pac-12? Most likely not. This season will be better for the Sun Devils, but it will be a work in progress.
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