The Pac-12 is hardly a basketball powerhouse and neither is charter member, Arizona State. However, the one team that happens to make national noise in an otherwise watered down conference, is the Sun Devils’ arch-enemy.
In-state rival Arizona is as consistent of a program as they come. Arizona State, meanwhile, is quite mediocre.
Former ASU coach Herb Sendek was relieved of his duties on Tuesday after nine seasons leading the men’s basketball program. Over that span, Sendek had a record of 159-137. During those years, Arizona was busy racking up a record of 222-91, with eight NCAA tournament appearances. Plus, that was under three head coaches.
After the legendary Lute Olsen retired in 2007, Arizona hired Kevin O’Neill, who went 19-15 in just one season. Next, Russ Pennell was brought in to replace O’Neill. Pennell went 20-11 in just one season, as well.
The next year, the Wildcats hard their home run hire.
Former Xavier head coach Sean Miller, a Pittsburgh native, traveled out west and has lead Arizona to a similar status to what Olsen had built over two decades. The Wildcats are still in the process of claiming their first national title since 1997 and that feat can be completed this year.
The Sun Devils still need that first championship, and Final Four berth, and conference crown.
Those can be obtained with a home run hire of a coach, as well.
Sendek, like Miller, had moved out west after a successful stint as a leader on the east coach. Sendek spent 10 seasons at North Carolina State before eventually being named the conference coach of the year midway through his career with the Sun Devils.
His time had run its course and Arizona State is desperate for a change and a chance to keep up in the arms race of hardwood competition with the neighbors in Tucson.
Early reports indicate that Duke assistant Jeff Capel has been offered the job at ASU, just hours after Sendek was let go. It seems that the Sun Devils have got their man and he’s the right fit for the job.
Capel will also be an eastern transplant, coming from Durham, N.C. He played at Duke, led teams at VCU and Oklahoma, and is now searching for another title with the Blue Devils. There’s no better mentor in college basketball than Mike Krzyzewski and Capel not only played under the man, but he’s now learning intricate ins and outs of the coaching world.
Though he has already had two stints as a head coach (going 79-41 from 2002 to 2006 at VCU and 175-110 at Oklahoma from 2006 to 2011). In those positions, Capel teams went to the NCAA tournament three times, going no further than the Elite Eight. He was forced out with the Sooners after a dismal 14-18 campaign in which five of his top players were suspended.
Capel latched on back home with the Dukes and is eager to get started with his own team again.
While Miller inherited a bigger legacy and greater expectations when he arrived in Tempe than Capel will see with the Sun Devils, it’s a great opportunity to take a relatively unknown program to new heights.
Sun Devils fans have waited for a winner long enough and Capel has used his head man sabbatical to prove he can win again.
The Pac-12 still won’t be the best conference, but a budding rivalry in the Grand Canyon State would heat things up like never before.