Next up: Sun Devils and Wildcats

The Cardinal wraps up the first half of the Pac-10 season with a home stand against the Arizona schools.

Remember to WEAR RED FOR HAITI on Saturday

Arizona State Sun Devils

The Sun Devils are a new team this season, one that is definitely a work in progress. Charli Turner Thorne is coaching the youngest, least experienced team she's had in a long time.

Six seniors graduated, and leading scorer Dymond Simon is out for the season. There are seven new players – five freshmen and two JC transfers – who are still adjusting to the Sun Devils' distinctive style of play.

The Sun Devils were the preseason pick for second place in the Pac-10 in spite of their inexperience. They started the season well with an 8-3 record. The three losses were against ranked teams Xavier, Texas A&M and Baylor. They were ranked nationally as high as #14/#7 in the early weeks of the season. Then they lost their first three Pac-10 games and dropped out of the Top 25.

They've won four games since then and now rank somewhere in the middle in most of the Pac-10 statistical categories. They are playing good defense, although nowhere near what they've been noted for in the past. They are doing less well on offense. They've not replaced the 26 points per game that Brianne January and Dymond Simon contributed last season and make the seventh-most points per game and the fewest three-pointers of any team in the Pac-10.

The Sun Devils' starting five are:

• 5'9" senior guard Danielle Orsillo is the Sun Devils' top scorer (14.1 points per game) and their best three-point shooter (1.2 per game at a rate of 30.9%). She also has almost two steals per game.

• 6'5" junior forward Becca Tobin is very slender, but stronger than she looks. She has the most rebounds (6.9) and the most blocks (1.4) per game. She is also a good shooter. She makes 11.1 points per game and has the second-best field goal percentage in the Pac-10 ( 54.3%)

• 6'2" senior forward/center Kayli Murphy averages 8.2 points and 6.2 rebounds per game.

• 5'9" junior guard Tenaya Watson is a JC transfer in her first year with the Sun Devils. She averages 7.5 points and 3.1 rebounds per game. She has the most assists (3.05 per game), but almost as many turnovers (2.94).

• 6'2" sophomore guard/forward Kimberly Brandon averages 4.1 points and 3.8 rebounds per game. She is the sister of Cal freshman Gennifer Brandon

Although the Sun Devils are short on experience this season, Turner Thorne still uses her whole bench and rotates players frequently. These six play at least ten minutes per game:

• 6'5" redshirt sophomore forward/center Kali Bennett transferred from UW last season. This is her first season playing as a Sun Devil. She averages 6.5 points and 5.9 rebounds per game.

• 5'10" sophomore guard Alex Earl is the only Sun Devil besides Orsillo who attempts more than one three-pointer a game. She averages 0.8 three-pointers, 4.3 points and 1.0 rebound per game.

• 6'3" redshirt freshman forward Janae Fulcher averages 3.9 points and 2.7 rebounds per game.

• 5'7" freshman guard Deja Mann averages 2.6 points and 1.4 rebounds per game.

• 5'5" freshman guard Sabrina McKinney averages 2.0 points and 0.6 rebounds per game.

• 5'11" senior guard Gabby Fage averages 0.8 points and 1.2 rebounds per game.

The remaining Sun Devils are:

• 6'5" freshman forward/center Joy Burke suffered a knee injury last season and has played only about five minutes per game this season.

• 5'5" redshirt freshman guard Haley Parsons redshirted last season, was cleared to play in early December and has since played in only three games .

• 5'5" senior guard Dymond Simon is out for the season rehabbing the ACL tear she suffered in the last 2009 regular season game.
• 5'9" junior guard Markisha Patterson, a JC transfer, is out for the season with a knee injury.

Arizona State's win-loss record (12-6 overall, 4-3 conference) places them 4th in the Pac-10, their RPI (60) places them 4th, and their strength of schedule (47) places them 8th.

Here are their 2009-10 statistics and their roster.

University of Arizona Wildcats

The Wildcats are also largely a new team this season. After her first season as head coach, Niya Butts released four of the five freshmen. That and three graduating seniors left the Wildcats with five players. Butts added four JC transfers, a freshman and a transfer from Arkansas (who is not eligible to play this season).

The change has been all for the good. Although the Wildcats have a very short bench and no center, they are doing better than predicted. They were the preseason pick for ninth place in the Pac-10, but they are currently in seventh place, just over .500. Ify Ibekwe continues to be one of the top players in the Pac-10, and Davellyn Whyte, the freshman, is outstanding.

The starters for Arizona are:

• 6'2" junior forward Ify Ibekwe is Arizona's standout player on both defense and offense. She averages 12.1 rebounds per game, which leads the Pac-10 and is #3 in the nation. She averages 1.4 blocks, 2.4 steals and 3.1 assists per game. She is the Wildcat's second-best scorer with 14.4 points per game. Like Nneka, she is extending her shooting range and has recently made three of five from beyond the arc. She's had 11 double-doubles this season and shares 6th place in this category with several other players in the nation.

• 5'10" freshman guard Davellyn Whyte is Arizona's freshman phenom. She averages 17.9 points per game (#2 in the Pac-10) and makes 2.65 three-pointers per game (#3 in the Pac-10) at a rate of 40.5%.

• 6'1" junior forward Soana Lucet transferred from the College of Southern Idaho. She is Arizona's third-best scorer (12.8 points per game) and second-best rebounder (6.9 per game).

• 5'8" sophomore guard Brooke Jackson transferred from Mesa Community College. She averages 8.8 points, 1.4 three-pointers and 3.5 rebounds per game.

• 5'6" senior guard Ashley Frazier averages 3.2 points and 1.6 rebounds per game.

The Wildcats have only three reserves:

• 5'8" sophomore guard Reiko Thomas has the best free throw percentage in the Pac-10 (92.1%). She averages 6.5 points and 3.2 rebounds.

• 5'10" redshirt sophomore guard Tasha Dickey plays only about nine minutes per game and averages 2.2 points and 1.0 rebound.

• 6'3" junior forward/centerAmanda Pierson transferred from Seward County Community College. She also plays about nine minutes and averages 2.1 points and 1.2 rebounds.

Not available are:

• 5'5" junior guard Shanita Arnold, who transferred from Arkansas, is not eligible to play this season.

• 6'4" junior center Jennifer Kioa, who transferred from Foothill City College, was declared academically ineligible early in January.

• 5'5" junior guard Faihza Hill left the team early in the season.

Arizona's win-loss record (9-8 overall, 3-4 conference) places them 7th in the Pac-10, their RPI (105) places them 7th, and their strength of schedule (44) places them 7th.

Here are their 2009-10 statistics and their roster.