Coach Herb Sendek calls out to a referee as a foul is called on the Sun Devils at their first home game this season in Tempe. ASU faces Miami (Ohio) this season, Sendek's former team. (Photo by Dominic Valente)Herb Sendek was all smiles when he was asked to reminisce about his coaching days at Miami (Ohio).
“I had hair back then,” Sendek said with a laugh. “I learned more than anything else how much I didn’t know. It was my first head coaching job. I probably should’ve apologized to all of those young guys.”
Sendek was previously an assistant to legendary coach Rick Pitino at Kentucky before taking the Miami (Ohio) gig at age 30 in 1994. Pitino had recommended Sendek to take the job, and that’s where his head coaching career began.
“I’m thinking to myself, 'What did I just do? Am I out of my mind?'” Sendek said. “(It was) arguably having one of the very best jobs in college basketball. As a very inexperienced coach taking over there, it couldn’t have worked out any better. Those three years at Miami were among our very best, and we have great memories from that.”
Now coaching at ASU, Sendek will face his former team for the first time Tuesday, Nov. 12, 18 years after he left the program.
The Sun Devils (1-0) are coming off a 96-61 win in their season opener against Maryland-Baltimore County. Sendek said he liked how focused and intense ASU played, even when the game was out of reach in the end. Twelve different Sun Devils played, which is much more than Sendek’s baseline of eight per game.
“I can easily see our rotation including 10 players," Sendek said. "There just isn’t that much separation, and I think it’s good for our mojo and good for our team chemistry."
The RedHawks (0-1) lost their season opener at No. 21 Notre Dame 74-62 Friday, Nov. 8.
Despite outrebounding the Fighting Irish 30-27, Miami (Ohio) only shot 43.8 percent from the field and gave up 12 turnovers.
Like ASU, the RedHawks get most of their production from their point guard and their wings under coach John Cooper’s up-tempo offense.
Sophomore guard Reggie Johnson, who will most likely matchup against ASU redshirt sophomore Jahii Carson at point guard, scored a career-high 22 points against the Fighting Irish. Senior forward Will Felder and sophomore guard Geovonie McKnight each pitched in 13 points in the RedHawks’ loss.
“It’s a different kind of opponent,” Sendek said. “Going back to our scheduling, we had teams like Miami in an effort to make our schedule competitive and to give us the highest possible RPI. Miami has a great basketball tradition. They’re from an excellent league. They return an older team. They’re going to start three seniors and a junior, and it’s going to be a high level game that we’re going to have to play our best in.”
Additional notes:
- Sendek said ASU will honor Charlie Coles, who was 71 when he passed away in June. Coles was Sendek’s assistant at Miami (Ohio) who succeeded him when Sendek left for North Carolina State and later became the program’s all-time leader in victories with 218. Sendek said the ticket stubs for Tuesday’s game already have an image of Coles.
- Despite a strong showing from freshman Chance Murray in Friday’s game, Sendek said he is still leaning toward redshirt freshman Calaen Robinson as Carson’s primary backup at point guard.
Reach the reporter at jnacion@asu.edu or follow him on Twitter @Josh_Nacion
