Eric Jacobsen last season established himself as one of the Pac-12's top defensive big men. This season, the Arizona State senior center is playing even better.
"I think he's one of the better interior defensive players in the country," ASU assistant coach Levi Watkins said Monday.
Problem is, most big men are judged defensively by the shots they block. Even though he has 12 rejections in 11 games, that's not Jacobsen's strength. Instead, he excels with positioning. Last year, the 6-foot-10 big man led the Sun Devils in charges taken, and this season he's on pace to do so again.