North Carolina State University Athletics
Arizona State Makes Another "House Call" to the ESA
3/20/2000 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
By Tony Haynes
After watching his team beat Arizona State 79-68 on January 29, NC State basketball coach Herb Sendek thought he had seen the last of the Sun Devils and their explosive guard Eddie House.
Sendek thought wrong.
House, who was named PAC-10 Player of the Year after averaging 22.7 points per game this season, will lead Arizona State back to the Entertainment and Sports Arena for another meeting with NC State in the second round of the National Invitation Tournament on Tuesday night.
As the Pack found out in its first meeting with the Sun Devils, playing solid defense on House isn't always enough. Despite being harassed by Justin Gainey most of the game, the 6'1 senior still managed to hit for 31 points on an 11-24 shooting touch.
"We literally held him to 31 points," Sendek said. "As I watched the tape, it wasn't like he had wide open shots. He is truly a great player. He's that special guy who, on a given night, it doesn't matter who they're playing; he can put their team on his back and win the game. As a result, I think his teammates benefit tremendously. Not only does he shoot and score himself, but also he has a lot of assists. You're forced to help a great deal and that opens up avenues for the other guys on the team."
This season alone, House has seven games in which he has scored 30-points or more. And on January 8, he equaled the PAC-10 single game scoring record held by former UCLA great Lew Alcindor when he erupted for 61 against California.
"He's outrageous," said Sendek. "I thought we saw the last of him when we played them last time. He's really good."
Arizona State has won eight of the twelve games it has played since its late January stop off in Raleigh. Two of those four losses were to Arizona and Stanford, who were given No. 1 seeds in the NCAA Tournament. The Sun Devils advanced to the second round of the NIT by rallying from 17-points down in the second half to defeat New Mexico State 83-77.
"Arizona State is playing outstanding basketball," Sendek said. "Since we played them in late January, they only have four losses. They have some very impressive wins during that stretch including a 29-point win over UCLA."
That's the same UCLA that blasted Maryland over the weekend to earn a trip to the NCAA Tournament's 'sweet 16'.
NC State has had a week off since posting its opening round NIT win over Tulane. Despite the absence of starting forward Damon Thornton, the Wolfpack was able to hold off the Green Wave 64-60.
Thornton, who sprained his ankle in the ACC Tournament, didn't return to the practice floor until Sunday.
"All things considered, he responded very well," Sendek said. "He's gradually working his way back. A big thing for Damon is staying as upbeat and positive as possible. Although this has been perhaps his most injury free season, his latest injury in the ACC Tournament comes on the heels of his breaking the bone in his pinky finger. The last third of the season for him has been as much a mental challenge as it has a physical challenge."
With a win on Tuesday night, the Wolfpack will break a streak of second round losses in the NIT. NC State, which is making its fourth straight appearance in the NIT, has been eliminated in the second round in each of the last three years.
