POWER STRUGGLE ON I-10

For the past 24 years, the battle for Arizona basketball supremacy has almost been as one-sided as the feud between the Harlem Globetrotters and the Washington Generals.

Since Lute Olson took over the Wildcats’ basketball program in 1984, Arizona has won 43 of 49 contests against its rivals from Arizona State—including 12 in a row, dating back to Jan. 23, 2002.

During that stretch, Arizona has captured 11 regular-season Pac-10 titles—along with four tournament championships—and appeared in 23 consecutive NCAA Tournaments.

Arizona State, on the other hand, has yet to wear the Pac-10 crown and has made only three trips to the Big Dance.

In addition, Arizona has had 22 players selected in the NBA draft. Arizona State? Six.

However, this year’s edition of the Sun Devils has little in common with the perennial cellar dwellers of the past two decades.

Arizona State convinced respected N.C. State coach Herb Sendek to lead its basketball restoration project prior to the start of the 2006 season. The school has seen immediate dividends.

Sendek turned the Wolfpack into a proven winner in the ACC, leading his squad to five consecutive tournament appearances.

Despite a brutal 8-22 campaign in his first year on the job—including a 2-16 mark in league play—Sendek had already started to build the foundation for what would turn out to be one of the early surprises of the 2007-08 Pac-10 season.

Sendek’s squad is out to a hot start, winning 12 of its first 14 contests, along with a pair of home wins against the Oregon schools.

Meanwhile, the Wildcats (10-4, 1-1 Pac-10) are reeling after an 84-74 loss to the Oregon Ducks at McKale Center.

Tonight, the interstate rivalry heats up yet again, with the Wildcats traveling to Tempe in hopes of re-asserting themselves as the true Arizona basketball power.

“Winning on the road against anyone is a hard thing to pull off,” said interim head coach Kevin O’Neill. “Especially against a team as tough and well-coached as Arizona State.”

The Sun Devils are riding the momentum of an eight-game winning streak into tonight’s contest, with a suffocating match-up zone defense leading the way.

Arizona State’s defensive sets don’t resemble typical zone-oriented teams. Instead of waiting for their opponent to set up its offense while clogging the interior and jumping passing lanes, the Sun Devils will hound ball handlers well beyond the three-point line and keep teams guessing about each player’s specific defensive assignment.

“Their players will point and talk a lot, with a lot of switching going on at the top of the zone,” said point guard Nic Wise. “They like to keep teams off balance.”

This approach seems to be working, as the Sun Devils have kept their opponents to a meager 56.5 points per game this season on 38.8 percent shooting.

On offense, Arizona State relies on a patient, deliberate attack that isn’t shy about milking every second of the 35-second clock to find the best possible shot.

This approach has led to a team shooting percentage of 50.3—eighth-best in the nation.

“People tend to confuse efficient with methodical,” O’Neill said. “The Sun Devils know what works best for them and they run their game plan exceptionally well.”

Arizona State has proven adept at forcing teams to play its style of basketball. Last Thursday, the free-wheeling Ducks came to Tempe averaging more than 84 points per game, but managed only 54 points against Arizona State.

Leading the Sun Devils’ resurgence has been smooth freshman swingman James Harden—perhaps the most heralded first-year player Tempe has seen since Ike Diogu.

The 6-foot-5 Harden leads the team with 17.6 points per contest, and adds 5.4 rebounds and 2.5 assists to his nightly stat line.

It will be up to senior defensive stopper Jawann McClellan to slow down Harden—the reigning Pac-10 Player of the Week.

“What has been impressive about Harden is how he gets his points within the flow of the offense,” McClellan said. “He’s a team-oriented guy.”

On the interior, junior forward Jeff Pendergraph continues to build his reputation as one of the conference’s steadiest performers.

At 13.7 points and 7.1 rebounds per game, his statistics are nearly identical to Arizona’s own talented big man, Jordan Hill.

O’Neill said Hill needs to stay out of foul trouble and remain on the floor if the Wildcats hope to contain Pendergraph.

“It’s no secret that we’re really average up front without Jordan in there,” O’Neill said. “We need him in there not only for his scoring, but for his rebounding and shot blocking, as well.”

Hill isn’t the only player the Wildcats hope to keep on the floor tonight.

Jerryd Bayless has missed the last three games due to a sprained right knee. His status for tonight’s game remains a game-time decision.

Bayless has spent the past three days shooting and participating in light exercises in practice, but has yet to see significant game action since his 15-point effort against San Diego State on Dec. 22.

“I really want to be out there for my teammates, but the coaches don’t want to risk it,” Bayless said. “I can move laterally and I feel like I’m ready to go, but I don’t know my status as of yet.”

During Bayless’ absence, Chase Budinger has stepped up his production in the scoring column, averaging 23.3 points in each of the past three games.

However, if Arizona is to maintain its stranglehold on this rivalry, it will need a balanced effort and a quick start. The Wildcats fell behind by 19 to Oregon on Saturday and didn’t have the depth or stamina to dig themselves out of that hole.

“We need a much better defensive effort than the one we gave against Oregon,” O’Neill said. “We’re not going to win too many games in this conference if we give up that many open shots.”

Will a Sun Devil win tonight bring Arizona State up to Arizona’s level? Not by a long shot. Arizona has a 24-year head start. But a win tonight snaps a six-year winless streak and brings the Sun Devils one step closer to Pac-10 relevance.

“Arizona State might have the better record, but we still feel like we’re the more talented team,” Wise said. “Now it’s time to show people how we’re truly capable of playing.”

Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m., with television coverage provided by FSN-AZ.

nprevenas@gvnews.com | 547-9747

Game details

Arizona at Arizona State

7:30 p.m. in Tempe

TV: FSN-AZ (Cox, channel 26)

Radio: Wildcat Radio Network, 107.5 FM, 1290 AM