I'm very optimistic about next year. We return almost the entire team, while the other Pac-10 powers are losing at least one, if not more of their stars. UA is losing Bayless and probably Budinger, Cal losing Anderson, Stanford losing the Lopez twins, USC losing Mayo, UCLA losing up to 4 of their best players, Oregon graduating 3 significant seniors, and WSU graduating 3 starters. A lot of our competition will depend on how good the new recruits are throughout the Pac.
I think we should finish in the top 3 of the conference, with an outside shot of actually winning the conference. I think the biggest x-factor will be the development of Eric Boateng. If he can provide significant minutes, play solid defense, rebound, and put in a few points, this team will really be a force. He came on strong as the season wore on, and showed a lot of promise. We need another solid big man alongside Pendergraph.
CBS Sportsline, ESPN, and Foxsports all have us in the Top 25 of their early 08-09 polls (and not a Rat to be found). Go Devils!!!
I don't think there's a legitimate chance for ASU to win the PAC 10 next season. There's no doubt that Harden is a very smart and skilled player, and Pendergraph will be one of the better big men in the conference, but they are still quite a few pieces away from having a team capable of winning the conference. Sendek has that team moving in the right direction, but USC, UCLA and Arizona will all have better collective talent than ASU next season despite their losses. On any given night ASU could beat any of those teams, but I don't think they can do it enough to finish on top of the standings.
I haven't seen any video of Rhode or Coy, so who knows what ASU is getting there. If they are going to surprise people and really compete for the championship, I think at least one of those freshmen, along with Boateng, are going to have to make big contributions for the frontcourt. The shooting could get a little better on the perimeter, but unless Pendergraph gets some help down low they'll be limited. That said, I do think they can finish as high as third, which is something I think ASU fans should be happy about for the time being.
Russ Pennell, a former assistant coach at Arizona State, was hired by the Arizona Wildcats as an assistant coach on Monday. He worked at ASU from 1998-2006 back when Rob Evans was the coach.
Preseason rankings do not mean anything. North Carolina State and Southern Illinois were ranked 21st and 24th in the preseason poll respectively, and look what happened to them.
Although it is good to be ranked at the start of the season, it doesn't mean a team is going to be good.
Preseason polls definitely mean something. They don't guarantee anything, or entitle you to anything, but being ranked across the board is definitely a good sign. Yes, there will be a few teams that disappoint and some that come out of nowhere, but the teams you are seeing ranked now are the ones that will generally make the Sweet 16 and be successful next year.
