Sun Devils Hotter Than a House Afire

Eddie House is the big reason Arizona State, which plays USC on Thursday, is off to an 11-4 start and is 3-1 in the Pacific 10 Conference.

However, the 6-foot-1 senior scoring machine is not the only reason the Sun Devils come into Los Angeles this week brimming with confidence and riding a three-game winning streak.

Arizona State forward Shawn Redhage is another of the excellent freshmen in the conference. The 6-7 Nebraska native has averaged 17.7 points and seven rebounds in the last three games. He is second on the team in assists with 42, and leads in blocked shots with 17.

Also drawing attention is sophomore Chad Prewitt, a 6-9 forward-center who is averaging 14.1 points in his first varsity season. He had 18 points and 10 rebounds in a loss to Stanford.

But the Sun Devils are heading west with something to prove. They want to show they can win away from their home arena, where they are 9-0. And USC has owned them recently, winning five of the last six meetings. In fact, Arizona State has been swept in Los Angeles by USC and UCLA the last three seasons. The Sun Devils last won here in the 1995-96 season, a 69-66 victory over USC.

Particularly galling to Arizona State was last year’s 72-70 defeat. The Sun Devils squandered an 18-point first-half lead.