ASU basketball players James Harden and Briann January are featured on a regional cover of the Sports Illustrated released Wednesday.
The issue of the magazine has six regional covers that showcase some of the top overall basketball programs in the nation by highlighting one men’s and one women’s player from the same school.
“That just speaks volumes for [ASU],” January said. “Past teams have worked so hard just to put both of our programs in this position. It reflects our school here really well.”
Harden burst onto the college basketball scene as a freshman last season and was a First-Team All-Pac-10 selection after averaging 17.8 points per game.
January was a Second-Team All-Pac-10 selection last season, as well as the first-ever recipient of the Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year award.
The men’s team is ranked No. 16 by the magazine, while the women’s team is ranked No. 15.
Other players on the cover include Rashanda McCants and Tyler Hansbrough of North Carolina, Ashley Barlow and Kyle McAlarney of Notre Dame, Courtney Paris and Blake Griffin of Oklahoma, Shavonte Zellous and DeJuan Blair of Pittsburgh and Maya Moore and Hasheem Thabeet of Connecticut.
—Gina Mizell
