Ridnour fits, but Suns must rise to occasion

No, that wasn't a Rob Evans nightmare being played out at America West Arena Thursday morning.

But Arizona State's basketball coach has probably awakened in a cold sweat more than once thinking about Oregon's Luke Ridnour and Nick Collison of Kansas.

It was Ridnour, the Pac-10 Player of the Year, who drove around the Sun Devils in the final seconds to knock them from the Pac-10 Tournament. Collison helped shut down ASU freshman star Ike Diogu as the Jayhawks drilled the Sun Devils 108-76 and ousted them from the NCAA Tournament.

Both are possible draft choices for the Suns, who have the 17th pick of the first round. The two, along with Marquis Daniels of Auburn and Marvin Stone of Louisville, were in town for predraft workouts Thursday.

Via Arizona Republic

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Suns look at Xavier star, ASU's Smith, Millage

The Suns evaluated draft prospects Tommy Smith and Curtis Millage of Arizona State, Xavier's David West and Stanford's Julius Barnes during workouts Sunday at America West Arena.

Of the group, the 6-foot-9 West is considered a likely first-round pick, although some people question whether he's big enough to play power forward, his position at Xavier.

"The best opportunity for success for me is at the power spot," said West, who averaged 20.1 points and 11.8 rebounds last season.

West is projected to be a late first-round pick. The Suns have the No. 17 pick, but Rookie of the Year Amare Stoudemire's development means that power forward might not be a priority. A backup for playmaker Stephon Marbury might be a greater need.

Via Arizona Republic

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Stoudemire was key to Suns' rise

In basketball, unlike in other big-league sports, the addition or subtraction of a single player can make or break a franchise. And so, Amare Stoudemire transformed the Suns this season. That single bold stroke — the decision to draft a high school kid who proved ready to go nearly from the start — gave them an inside presence for the first time since Charles Barkley's glory days.

Add in career seasons by Stephon Marbury and Shawn Marion, and the fact Frank Johnson proved to be a wise choice for coach, and the Suns' drop into the lottery tank last year appears to have been a surprisingly brief, one-year dip.

Their best years no longer are found merely in scrapbooks. No, good times appear on the road ahead, not in the rearview mirror.

Via East Valley Tribune

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