Duke will take on a couple of familiar names when they journey to New York for a Wednesday night match up at Madison Square in the semifinals of the Dick's Sporting Goods Preaseason N.I.T. with Arizona State. The coach for Arizona State is Herb Sendek the former N.C. State coach who is in his fourth year in Tempe Arizona after 10 years with the Wolfpack. Also former Duke big man Eric Boateng transferred three years ago to ASU and now is enjoying his best year as a senior with the Sun Devils.
Arizona State is coming off a 25-10 record and a NCAA tournament berth. The Sun Devils lost their two best players to the NBA and a total of 34 points went with them. Sendek returns three starters with two of them Derek Glasser and Richard Kuksiks being two of the best three point shooters in the country.
Here are the starters and key reserves for the Sun Devils who like Duke are off to a 4-0 a start and have only been tested in one game a 52-49 win over TCU to advance to New York.
6-6 Sr. Richard Kuksiks 13.8 points, 3.5 rebounds and 4.3 assists (10.3, 2009)
6-10 Sr. Eric Boateng 12.5 points, 8.0 rebounds (1.8, 2009)
6-4 Fr. Trent Lockett 11.3 points, 7.3 rebounds
6-1 Sr. Derek Glasser 10.5 points, 4.5 assists (8.8 4.8 2009)
6-2 Jr. Jamelle McMillian 7.3 points (3.5, 4.8 2009)
6-3 Sr. Ty Abbott 10.0 points (7.1,4.0 assists, 2009)
6-2 Fr. Demetrius Walker 6.3 points
6-3 Sr. Jerren Ship 4.7 points
7-0 Fr. Ruslan Pateev 4.0 points
The Sun Devils are averaging 81.8 points and giving up 52.8. They are 53.6% from the field and allowing 33.9%. They are shooting 49.4% from three on 9.5 made per game and giving up 29.3% on 5.5 made. They hold a 6.0 rebound margin over their opponents and committing 13.3 turnovers and forcing 16.8. They hold wins over Western Illinois 87-35, Texas State 84-62, TCU 52-49 and San Francisco St. 104-65.
Notes: The game is scheduled for around 9:30 or 30 minutes after the conclusion of the LSU-Connecticut game and will be televised on ESPN2. Arizona State like Duke made 18 threes in their last game. Duke is 20-2 alltime in the preseason N.I.T. and won the championship in 1985,2000,2005. Dating back to the last game of last year Jon Scheyer has now gone 149 minutes without a turnover.
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