Wulk has as much talent in his backcourt as any coach in the conference.  Seniors Freddie Lewis and Royce Youree were set to rotate at point but sophomore Lafayette ‘Fat’ Lever broke up their party and took over the stage.  Not that Lewis and Youree are not fine point guards they are.  Both can drive and dish and both can score.  Each knows how to win and are fine leaders and both will play defense.  So why did Wulk go with Lever?  Fat Lever may be as talented of a point guard, all-around as anybody in the country.  He has the complete package.  He can score a little but is a great passer and is terrific on the boards even if he only goes at six three.  He also plays solid defense and has that charisma that you need in your point guard.  Wulk did everything he could to get these three playing time and it did not hurt that all three could play the two spot but the Sun Devils had just as much depth there so Wulk was kind of stuck trying to divide the minutes. With this much depth and talent at the point this team should have been better.  Right? 

Wulk had the same problem at shooting guard.  He was all set to go with Sophomore phenom Byron Scott again but the rumors are that Wulk has dipped into Los Angeles again to grab another terrific perimeter player.   We shall see if this LA kid can beat out the dynamic Scott who hails from Laker land in Inglewood.  Scott is a great two guard.  He can flat fill it up from outside.  He is one of the best shooters in the country and can finish on the break.  He has great athleticism but is also smart.  He knows how to play on a big stage and does not mind being the second fiddle as long as his team is winning.  He actually took fellow first year guy Steve Beck under his wing even though the Detroit native was stealing minutes from him.  Scott just flat knows how to play.  Whether it is knocking down treys or slithering through the defense to get to the hoop he knows how to score and has point guard skills though on this team he hardly gets to use them.  Scott has also got the look and personality that the kids in Tempe have fallen in love with.  He is already the most popular player on the team.  Wulk could not keep him on the bench in his first year and he produced when he played.  Beck did not play much but this kid who easily could play cornerback for the Wolverines was hell in practice and on the JV team.  He is as physically strong as any guard in the conference and is developing quite a complete game.  If that weren’t enough senior Seabern Hill was stuck behind these two but may be a better long-distance shooter then either of them.  He puts up crazy numbers two years ago but fell behind the great Scott this year.  The Sun Devils might have the best combination of catch and shoot athletic wings as there is in the country and with Lever and company driving and getting the ball and kicking it to these great shooters the treys were falling in the Valley of the Sun.  When you rely that much on outside shooting you better be on all of the time and not everybody can shoot like Gail Goodrich?  But these guys were damn close!  And let us not forget the fastest Sun Devil.  Senior Larry Armstrong may only be 5’9 but he can dribble faster than anyone else on the team can run.  He is a one-man fast break who takes any outlet he gets and tries to go the distance.  He is not a point guard and played well with Scott who can guard quicker players at 6’3.  Armstrong will be instant offense once again off the bench as he lost his starting job to Scott but he did not sulk and likes his new role and boy do the fans in the Activity Center love this cat.  Wulk ended up playing three (or four) guards at a time to get his talent on the court.  Good thing Lever can board a little because this team was most definitely lacking board men. 

The Sun Devils also have a very gifted wing man in Joe Caldwell.  A great scorer who can go inside or out, Caldwell really shined in his third year in Tempe.  Caldwell was the perfect small forward as he is big enough for the inside but can run and shoot as well.  Some claim he might have a better (and higher) jump shot than even Scott?  Jumpin Joe is also a tremendous defensive player who uses his tremendous athleticism to shut down the other team’s best player on the wing.  If he played for a national power he might get the recognition that he deserves.  ‘Pogo’ can jump through the roof and will only get better like many of these Sun Devils when they go to the next level and do not have to split time with other great players.  Well maybe some of them will.  Heck, Wulk had to play Caldwell at the four at times to get his most talented team on the floor and Joe played well there in spurts.  Caldwell is a man who knows how good his talent is and is wants to get reimbursed for his time at the next level.  He is already taking a stand against the colleges about the way they compensate players (or lack thereof) and that could be dangerous for his career.  He is right though.  The players are not slaves.  But taking on the man is not easy.  Joe Caldwell is a brave man.  We will see how that works out for him in his last year in the Valley of the Sun. 

The biggest weakness of the team was no real go to guy in the paint.  They had muscle and rebounding and athleticism and took up space but the offense just wasn’t there.  The closest thing to a go to guy entering the year is senior Al Nealey.  Nealey, who is only six four but can post up and board and like Caldwell can jump out of the Gym only played 15 games however.   This opened the door for some bigger kids to get a look and might leave Nealey wanting as he tries to regain his starting job this year.  6’4 power forwards are not exactly the trend in the Pac-10 so Nealey will probably have to move to win which makes the front line even less athletic.  Fellow Junior Tony Zeno can also fly but he barely got on the court with Wulk needing more bulk than athleticism down low.  Senior Art Becker was okay down low but missed some games and is really too svelte for the post even though he does compete.  He should be a three and got some minutes there.  Another Senior, Tony Cerkvenik started the year getting some serious minutes but is way too short as he goes 6’4 as well.  This ex-marine is tough as nails and man can he board and will have some role on this team this year once again. Sophomore Alton Lister is a fine defensive center who blocks shots and rebounds but his offense is limited to put backs and flushes.  He is solid though and got the most minutes of the revolving door up front. The Sun Devils had to have his presence on the court as he is a true seven footer who can really defend.  He was as essential to the success of this team as anyone as he was the only guy who had a chance guarding an Alcindor or a Walton!  If he develops a little more offense (and he is working on a baby hook) then the sky is the limit for this dominant defensive big man!  Senior Bob Edwardds is almost a seven footer (6’11) but this ongoing project is way too skinny at 215 and has never really produced anywhere near the high expectations when they got him out of Fontana (California, not Montana).  Junior Scott Lloyd showed what a spaceeater is.  He boards all day long and can defend and was productive in limited minutes and really sets a tone with his aggressive style.  As a matter of fact his altercation with Edwards in the tournament game got the big man kicked out and may have been the reason the Sun Devils moved on though their season ended the next game against the Bruins in a much close game than anticipated as the Sun Devils really pressed the Westwood Wonders!   Fellow junior Kurt Nimphius is from the same cloth as Lloyd though not quite as big but he is consistent. 

The Arizona State Sun Devils have a solid program that just happens to be stuck in the same State as the new next great program on the block.  Their rivalry with the Wildcats took a bad turn this year not only in some ugly games but in the fact the Wildcats are now National poster boys and the Sun Devils were battling to stay above five hundred.  They actually took a back step when the joined the Pac-10 from the lower leagues of the WAC and especially the Border Conference where they were the dominant program for years. Ironically the Sun Devils have about the same amount of talent as the Wildcats and an exciting team.  They just seem to figure out a way to lose games they should win while the Wildcats are beating teams on National television on late threes.  Something has got to give.  The talent is here.  Ned Wulk is a good coach and the fans are plentiful and passionate.  Maybe this is the year the Sun Devils get to put on a nice dress and some glass slippers and go cut up a rug.  Only time will tell but the potential is there for these Desert Dwellers to finally explode onto the National Map!