Before the season began, most experts and fans were in complete agreement about ASU basketball: it was going to be a very mediocre campaign.
But here we are, 6 games into the schedule, and the Sun Devils are 5-1 after a resounding win over LSU in the 3rd place game of the NIT Preseason Tournament.
ASU is playing textbook basketball, led on the court by the experienced Derek Glasser, who is doing a great job finding open men near the basket. Glasser is responsible for the meteoric rise of Eric Boateng, who has contributed heavily to the successes of this squad.
The Sun Devils have blown out several mediocre teams at home this season. They rallied as a team to come back and beat TCU, which looked improbable at the time.
When tasked with the very talented Duke Blue Devils, ASU gave it their best shot and nearly came out of Madison Square Garden with the win. Instead of mailing in the consolation game, they came out after haltime and blasted LSU to the tune of 44-18 in second half scoring.
This is a team that knows what it takes to win, and has good leadership in Herb Sendek. They may run into some serious resistance once conference play begins, but for right now, this team deserves a little national recognition.
With 25 games left in the season before the Pac-10 tournament tips off, a little optimism about this team's capabilities is deserved. Realistically, this team can win 14-16 more games if they continue to play as hard as they have been.
With a 19-21 win season, ASU may be destined for another NCAA Tournament. At the very least, one thing is certain: Arizona State basketball is back in business, and it doesn't appear to be going away anytime soon.