2005 Arizona State Sun Devils Basketball Preview

2005 Arizona State Sun Devils Team Preview

In seven years as the Sun Devils head coach Rob Evans has a winning record of 108-103. That “winning record” doesn’t have enough wins in it to please boosters, fans, or administration, which means job security is a fleeting concept for Coach Evans. Last season the sun Devils PAC-10 record was 7-11, enough to grab sixth place in the conference and an NIT bid where the team was eliminated in the first round by UNLV.

None of this is good news for Evans who has managed to recruit and coach underachieving teams. What’s worse is the Sun Devils are without key center and All-American Ike Diogu and his 22.6 PPG and 9.8 RPG. Diogu surprised Evans by deciding late in the game to not come back for his senior year. However, the coach does have some solid elements on the 2005-06 club.

At the guard positions are two good 3-point men—Bryson Krueger and Kevin Kruger. Krueger and Kruger, both juniors, offer capable play creating a sound backcourt foundation. Junior forward Serge Angounou brought down 6.5 rebounds per game and knocked in 8.1 points per contest last season. He’s back and rested after dealing with a nagging knee problem—Arizona State could certainly use more output and consistency from him.

None of the returning players are going to turn this team around, however Evans has done a good job with the new recruits. Point guard Sylvester Seay creates offensive opportunities with quick and accurate passes and with the constant threat of a devastating 3-point shot. He’s likely to be asked to contribute immediately. First year forward Jeff Pendergraph can mix it up under the basket and grab rebounds, and newly recruited guard Seketoure Henry has range and accuracy as a shooter.

The Sun Devils seem to have a good base of players with some potential for help off the bench, but that’s probably not enough to jump start this idling basketball program. Nor will it help improve Rob Evans’ tenuous job situation.

For more info on the 2005 Sun Devils check out the official Arizona State athletic site.