Arizona State basketball has lived up to expectations, says Jahii Carson

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.