Arizona State player and coach reaction following 75-65 win over Washington:
JAMES HARDEN
"It was just a great competitive game. Washington’s a great and competitive as well. So it was just a great game. Guys were playing hard. I don’t know what happened but guys were just playing hard.
"Washington is a great team and we knew they were going to make a run and all we had to do is keep our composure and just settle down and get great shots on offense and do what we do on defense and I think we did a pretty good job of that.
Coach (Sendek) has a lot of course and he trusts in us a lot and we were short so we just had to play hard and do what we do. We’re in condition to play 40 minutes each games so guys stepped up late in the game and made big shots and big free throws and kept our composure and got it done.
He’s a great defender. He’s a guy you don’t want to play against. He’s a great person, a great defender. I have nothing but respect for him. He’s just one of those guys. You’ll be on the court with him and you’re kind of nervous about it. I have nothing but full respect for him and he’s a great player.
ON HIS DECISION TO COME BACK TO SCHOOL
"Like I said there’s great coaching, great players here so I wanted to stay here and not be one of those one-and-done guys who just got to the NBA. I needed a lot more to learn a lot more. I think I’ve matured a lot more in the past year and we’re doing some pretty good things at Arizona State and hopefully we can keep it up."
FORWARD JEFF PENDERGRAPH
"Right now, I don’t think we’re worried about the NCAA Tournament. We’re in a tournament and the goal right now is to win it. We’re not looking too far ahead. That’s not how you win championships. Right now we’re excited to be going to the championship tomorrow and does feel a lot better to know that after tomorrow we’re going to be comfortable on selection Sunday."
COACH HERB SENDEK
"I really didn’t make any adjustments (after Washington's rallies). We just talked about maintaining our poise and composure and giving great effort. We talked about the need to try to get some stops because it seemed like Washington was scoring every single time down the floor. We had the lead in large part at the half because of our defense and it had evaporated. And we talked about hunkering down on defense and maintaining our composure.
"I think it’s important for us to stay in the moment and enjoy what just happened and get our rest and just try to recover as much as we can."
JEFF PENDERGRAPH ON DEREK GLASSER
"Whenever things hit the fan and everybody is booing him, just hating on him and he uses that and it just boosts him through the roof. He starts getting stops. He takes care of the ball. He starts finding open people. He just steps it up and that’s a credit to being a big-time point guard."
ON PLAYING AGAINST JON BROCKMAN
"It’s been an adventure. Every year both of us get better and it’s a showdown every time. You can expect a big game from both of us, like a lot of hustle and a lot of hard work, guys playing hard and touch-guy stuff. Guys pushing each other and fouling and rebounding, just gritty, grimy stuff that coach Sendek likes. Typical sewer-rat ball."
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