The last few years in Tempe have been rough on the basketball program, but there have been signs of improvement in recent weeks. For the Arizona State Sun Devils, a freshman point guard has led to their resurgence on offense, as well as a 5-1 record.

House of Sparky, SB Nation's ASU blog, recently spoke with guard Jahii Carson. After sitting out last season due to eligibility issues, Carson is averaging 19 points, 5.5 assists and a little more than three rebounds a game. While the Devils' early success might've surprised some around the country, Carson and his teammates knew what they were capable of.

The 5-1 Sun Devils enjoy the benefits of playing their next six games at home. If they manage to hold off the likes of DePaul and Dartmouth and avoid a major slip-up along the way, Arizona State could travel to Texas Tech with a record of 10-1.

"We came into the season with high individual goals and high team goals. We expected to come out and be 4-1 or 5-0, so I don't think anything has changed," Carson said.

Arizona State's schedule is a favorable one, and given that the Pac-12 is relatively week once again this year, there's a chance for the team to pick up quite a few wins along the way. It won't be easy, but if Carson and his teammates can continue to gel on both ends of the floor, there's a chance ASU could finish in the middle of the conference. Given their struggles in recent years, that seems like a great stepping stone for coach Herb Sendek's program.