Ready or not, Harden Heads for NBA Draft

ASU’s Pac-10 player of the year, James Harden is expected to officially declare himself eligible for the NBA draft on Wednesday.

Harden, a sophomore, averaged 20.1 points, 5.6 boards, and 4.2 dimes this season, leading ASU to their first NCAA tournament appearance since 2003.

Unfortunately for the Devils, and Harden, he struggled mightily down the stretch, scoring just 10 points in ASU’s loss to USC in the Pac 10 Tournament’s championship game.

Harden’s hard luck shooting continued into the NCAA tournament, as he scored just 9 points on 1-9 shooting in ASU’s first round victory over Temple. He shot 2-10 from the field while scoring 10 in the Devils’ eliminating loss to Syracuse.

A few weeks back I argued that Harden wasn’t ready for the NBA; lacking the jump shot and aggressiveness I feel he will need to be an impact player in the world’s premier basketball league.

Even Harden seemed unsure himself after his poor performance saying, “I haven’t thought about it, but why wouldn’t I come back? We have something here at Arizona State that’s great. We have great culture, great players. Obviously, we lose a key point with Jeff (Pendergraph) leaving, but there’s some great pieces here.”

Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim called Harden “passive,” saying he “did nothing” in the Devils’ victory over Temple.

Harden likely hurt his draft value with his tournament play, perhaps dropping out of the top five. Even so, Harden was still a great college player and will still be a lottery pick in this year’s draft.

No matter what type of player Harden turns out to be NBA, he will never be forgotten here in the Valley. He will be credited, along with coach Sendek, for turning around an embarrassing ASU program, and most importantly leading the Devils to five straight wins over the hated Wildcats.

So maybe he won’t be the superstar he was at ASU, but Harden is a smart guy. He is mature and professional, especially for a 19 year old, qualities that should take him a long way in the NBA.

Sound off: Where do you think James Harden will be picked in the 2009 NBA Draft?