Arizona State guard James Harden has a lot to learn about being an elite college basketball player. For one thing, he doesn’t have any tattoos.  And he doesn’t answer to a catchy nickname. Folks around ASU just call him James.

After a freshman season in which he averaged 17.8 points per game, led the Pac-10 with 73 steals and was named first-team all-conference, the 6'4" Harden decided to stay in school for his sophomore year rather than go to the NBA, where he likely would have been a mid-first round pick. Athlon Sports caught up with Harden recently to talk about his freshman year, his future and his lack of body art.

Athlon Sports: Every major program in the country wanted you. But you picked ASU. Why?

James Harden: There were a couple of reasons. (ASU assistant Scott Pera) was my high school coach and guided me throughout my career. He basically brought me to the point I am now. Plus, I wanted to play again with (ASU point guard) Derek Glasser. I felt comfortable with him. We got that connection. And the system they play, Coach (Herb) Sendek coming here, it was just a good fit for me.

ASU’s program has struggled for a long time. You had to have some faith it would turn around.

I felt it was my time to step up. I had a pretty good junior, senior year in high school. I took on that role of being the leader, being that go-to guy. I wanted to build on that, see what my game was like in college.

Was that appealing to you, coming to a place where you felt you could turn the program around?

Yeah, as opposed to going someplace like UCLA, where they already have guys there who have had an impact on their program.

Was your freshman year what you expected?

I knew it was going to be much harder competition, bigger guys, stronger guys, guys who are much hungrier because the next level is the NBA.

It looked like you knew you could take over a game when you wanted, but you deferred to your teammates a lot early in games and in the first part of the season. Were you just testing the waters?

I wouldn’t say that. Growing up, I wasn’t that go-to guy like other big names like O.J. Mayo or Jerryd Bayless. I was more in the role of that passive guy. My freshman and sophomore year I was just a guy who was role player. My junior, senior year, that’s when I got in position of being that go-to guy, making buckets and key plays. So I came here and tried to continue that role. Whenever they needed a bucket they put the ball in my hands.

There were games where you seemed to say to yourself, ‘It’s time to take over this game.’

Yeah. I’d give my teammates a chance to score because I don’t want to be that selfish guy in the headlines. So I gave my teammates a chance to score and prove they could play basketball, too. When coach said it’s time, I did what I could.

How much better are you now than you were coming in?

A lot better. I’ve learned a lot, experienced a lot through college basketball and college in general. I’m just a better player, a better person. I’m just more mature. On the court I can read defenses a little bit more because in the Pac-10 you see each team twice and they have different schemes to try to stop you. I can pick my poison on offense, find the openings based on what I see them doing defensively.

Have you discovered any deficiencies in your game?

Yeah, people were telling me I had a good freshman year, this and that, but as I watched tape I saw I was either going all the way to the basket or taking a 3-pointer. There wasn’t any mid-range game or nothing in-between. That’s what I needed to work on. It’s another reason I’m still in college. Those two things aren’t good enough (to play in the NBA). That’s what I’ve been working on.

How disappointed were you not to make the NCAA Tournament?

I was pretty bummed. Just to see those teams we beat — and we had a better record than them — get in the tournament before us, it was like, ‘What are we supposed to do?’ That motivates us for next year, just to come back hard.

Did it especially bother you that Arizona got in when you beat them twice and finished higher in the Pac-10 than they did?

Yeah, what was that about? I guess they had a tougher non-conference schedule, but if you’re losing your non-conference games, what’s the point? We can schedule North Carolina, Kansas, Memphis, but if we lose, so what? We just have to put it in our hands and not in their (the Selection Committee’s) hands next year.

You’re an L.A. kid. What was it like playing UCLA in Pauley Pavilion?

The outcome wasn’t good, but the whole experience of being home, having all my family and friends at the game was great.

Who was the best player you played against?

There’s a couple. O.J. Mayo, Jerryd Bayless played pretty well against us. There were a variety of guys. I was surprised by (California’s) Ryan Anderson. I had never played against him or seen him play. He was big, strong, could really shoot the ball. He impressed me a lot.

You never considered leaving for the NBA after your freshman year. Why?

Because I knew I needed to work on certain things in my game. I needed to work on my right hand, make that that much stronger so it’s equal to my left hand and my mid-range game. Also, being able to help my teammates out much more than last year. I was learning as I went last year.

I noticed you don’t have any tattoos. Why?

My body is too pure (laughs). I’m going to wait until I get a decent job. Hopefully if I make it to the NBA I’ll get one of my grandma. But right now there’s no point in me having one. What is a  tattoo going to do for me?

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