Nobody ever said being a leader was easy. But it doesn't faze Kevin Kruger.
It's been a painful year for Kruger in more ways than one. He has experienced the growing pains of a young team and has played through the season with pain in his body.
But there doesn't seem to be much that could keep the 6-foot-2-inch junior shooting guard off the floor or curb his competitive spirit. A season-long foot injury hasn't. Neither could an infected wisdom tooth that prevented him from eating solid food for a week.
Kruger ranks second in the nation in playing time, with nearly 39 minutes per game.
"I love being out there," he said. "When you're out there as much as I am, there's nowhere else to put the blame. When things go wrong I have something to do with it, and when things go right I feel I have something to do with that, too. That's the way I want it and I wouldn't ask for anything else."
Kruger, the Sun Devils' most consistent offensive threat this season, has tallied double figures in scoring in 23 of 27 games and leads the team in scoring at nearly 15 points per game. Monday the league named him All-Pac-10 honorable mention.
But it isn't just Kruger's play on the court that commands attention and respect. ASU coach Rob Evans said he is the pulse of the team and a steadying influence on a young squad with only one senior.
"They listen to Kevin Kruger," Evans said. "He's done a great job with this group of kids — keeping them competing every basketball game — so I'm extremely pleased with what he has done with this team."
Equally impressive, and a testament to Kruger's character on the court, was the resilience he showed after a poor performance in a humiliating 68-47 loss to UA in Tucson on Feb. 25.
Usually calm and collected, Kruger went 1-for-10 from the field with seven turnovers. Evans said it was probably the worst game of his team captain's career. Kruger called it the low point of his season.
"Still when people bring it up I don't like to hear about it, and I don't like to talk about it," Kruger said. "Even when my sister brings it up, I just sit there in silence."
But like any great team leader, Kruger rebounded. He had 23 points the next game in a loss to NCAA Tournament probable Washington on Thursday night. Kruger played with determination and a sense of urgency, scoring 19 points in the first half and carrying the Sun Devils to a halftime lead.
Kruger also had 20 points and four steals in Saturday's victory over Washington State.
"He wants to win and he doesn't accept mediocrity," Evans said. "When he doesn't play well he doesn't blame anybody else, and when you do that you have to get better."
Kruger leads ASU (11-16, 5-13) into Los Angeles tonight for a first-round Pac-10 Tournament game against Oregon State. The Sun Devils swept the season series with the Beavers.
Should ASU get by Oregon State, it will play top-seed UCLA in the quarterfinals Thursday. With four victories at Staples Center, the Sun Devils would earn a berth in the NCAA Tournament.
It may seem like an improbable run, but if Kruger has rubbed off on his teammates, then the Sun Devils still have a lot of fight left in them.
"One thing I pride myself on is I'll never quit," Kruger said. "My heart is going to have to stop beating before I stop playing."
Pendergraph honored
ASU freshman center Jeff Pendergraph was named to the Pac-10 All Freshman Team on Monday. He ranked second among Pac-10 freshmen with 11.1 points per game, and third in rebounding at a 6.2-per-game clip.
Pendergraph jumped into the spotlight in the race for Pac-10 Freshman of the Year by leading ASU in scoring, with 15.6 points, and rebounding, with 8.6 per game, the last eight games.
UCLA forward Luc Richard Mbah a Moute won the honor this year by averaging 8.8 points and leading all conference freshmen in rebounding with 8.4 per game.
Tournament time
For the first time, all conference teams play in the Pac-10 Tournament this year, causing a change in the format.
The top six seeds are automatically in the quarterfinals, while the bottom four must play into the next round against each other. Top-seeded UCLA plays the winner of the ASU-Oregon State game, while second-seed Washington awaits the winner of the game between No. 7 Oregon and No. 10 Washington State.
UA, the fourth seed, and No. 5 Stanford are already slated for a quarterfinal match-up against one another Thursday, and so are No. 3 California and No. 6 USC.
Reach the reporter at derrik.miller@asu.edu.
