The Sun Devils are still playing.
It's not the NCAA tournament -- their postseason event of choice -- but the Devils won their first two games in the NIT and now stand one victory away from reaching the tournament's semifinals at Madison Square Garden .
Wins over Alabama State and Southern Illinois set up a quarterfinal match with two-time defending national champion Florida on Tuesday at home, with a trip to New York's Madison Square Garden on the line.
ASU (21-12), with its roster due to return virtually intact next season, is building invaluable momentum toward next season.
The Sun Devils felt ripped off when their name wasn't called on Selection Sunday. They believed their resume -- including a tie for fifth place in the Pac-10 and four wins over teams ranked in the RPI's top 25 -- earned them a spot in the NCAAs.
Their weak non-conference schedule torpedoed their chances, and now the Sun Devils feel they have something to prove.
Led by guard James Harden -- one of the Pac-10's few high-profile stars not considering a dash to the NBA -- ASU has the chance to accumulate the kind of postseason experience that can translate into big things a year from now.
SCOUTING REPORT
The Sun Devils continue to be driven by what they perceive as a major injustice -- their omission from the NCAA Tournament. They stuck to their season-long approach in their first two postseason games, allowing an average of just 52 points, and they continue to get dominating, all-around performances from underrated freshman guard James Harden.
GAME REVIEW
Arizona State 64, Alabama State 53
Arizona State 65, Southern Illinois 51
GAME PREVIEW
vs. Florida , Tuesday, March 25, NIT quarterfinals.
IN FOCUS
The Gators (23-11), two-time defending national champions, were locked out of their practice facility by coach Billy Donovan, who said they were too complacent. They responded with wins by 28 points over San Diego State and 24 over Creighton in their first two NIT outings. Freshman point guard Nick Calathes had just the second triple-double in Florida history -- 11 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists -- against Creighton and became the Gators' first player with 200 assists in a season. Sophomore big man Marreese Speight (14.5 ppg, 7.7 rpg) is scoring at an 18 ppg clip over the past six games.
ROSTER REPORT
--Freshman James Harden had 25 points and 13 rebounds against Alabama State, then did a bit of everything with 16 points, seven rebounds and six assists vs. Southern Illinois.
--Junior Jeff Pendergraph came within one block of equaling the NIT single-game record when he swatted eight shots -- seven of them in the second half -- against SIU. He also had 12 points and 10 rebounds against the Salukis.
--Freshman guard Ty Abbott shot 5-for-9 from 3-point range in the win over Alabama State, then cooled off to a 2-for-10 effort against SIU. He totaled 26 points in the two wins.
--ASU cranked up its defense to beat Southern Illinois. The Sun Devils blocked 11 shots, forced 11 turnovers and held the Salukis to 29-percent shooting.
--Football coach Dennis Erickson purchased 200 tickets to give to students who wanted to attend the second-round NIT game against Southern Illinois.
COACH
Herb Sendek, two years at school, six years in NCAA tournament.
HOW THEY GOT HERE
The Sun Devils comfortably beat Alabama State and Southern Illinois at home to move into the NIT quarterfinals. Freshman James Harden totaled 41 points, 20 rebounds and nine assists in the two wins and junior Jeff Pendergraph tied a school record with eight blocked shots to help spark the win over SIU.
THEY'LL ADVANCE IF ... Their defense can slow a Florida offense that is gaining momentum this postseason, averaging 77.5 points through two NIT games. The Sun Devils don't want to get into a shootout with any opponent, not the least the Gators, who can present a diverse scoring attack.
QUOTE TO NOTE
"We have a mission to accomplish. We want to prove people wrong. That's our goal." -- ASU freshman James Harden.
