Jordan Bachynski earns first triple-double in Arizona State history

One day before Arizona State's 71-63 victory over Hartford, junior Jordan Bachynski received an envelope from head coach Herb Sendek with his name neatly transcribed on it.

With the timing of the delivery, Bachynski might have been expecting a Christmas card with some reassuring comments written inside. Instead what he was treated to was a note containing four bold words: "ten rebounds a game."

Four days later, Bachynski did Sendek one better: the first triple-double in the history of Arizona State basketball.

That's right, you read that correctly; Bachynski did what Fat Lever, Byron Scott, James Harden, Ike Diogu and Lionel Hollins never accomplished when he posted 13 points, 12 rebound and a school-record 12 blocks in ASU's 87-76 win over Cal State Northridge Saturday afternoon.

Entering the game averaging 10.6 points, 7.3 rebounds and 4.7 blocks per contest, Bachynski made Sun Devil history with 14 minutes left in the second half when his mini-sky-hook gave him the point total to round his exorbitant stat line. Quite an incredible achievement for a man who occasionally feeling trapped in his own head only one year earlier. Then again, it's not like you have to remind Bachynski how far he's come.

"It was a long road," Bachynski said post-game. "From my mission taking two years off, from last year coaches being patient with me, from my freshman year pretty much not playing at all; I just feel really fortunate to be in the position to be able to do that."

And as one of the many weapons on this surprising 8-1 Arizona State basketball team, it's very likely that Bachynski's breakout story is far from finished.