Diogu, who averages 19.2 points and 7.8 rebounds a game — roughly the same numbers as Kansas University’s Nick Collison — was voted the Pac-10 Conference Freshman of the Year, but his fame has been limited mostly to the West Coast.

KU coach Roy Williams knows all about him, though, and he really likes Ike.

“I’d have a tough time picking out nine or 10 freshmen who had a better year than he did,” Williams said Friday.

So would Arizona State coach Rob Evans, who will count heavily on Diogu tonight in the Sun Devils’ NCAA West Regional clash with the Jayhawks at the Ford Center.

Evans had his foot in the Diogu door in Garland, Texas — a Dallas suburb — when the now-250-pounder was a mere stripling.

“When I saw him I thought if he continued to work he could be a tremendous player,” Evans said. “We were in on him as a sophomore, and then with the world coming in on him, we were fortunate to get him.”

Count Williams among the global seekers of Diogu’s services. Williams visited the Diogu home — both his parents are teachers — but that was about it. Although Diogu participated in a summer tournament at Allen Fieldhouse, Williams couldn’t secure a date mutually agreeable for an official campus visit.

But Diogu probably had made up his mind already.

“Coach Evans was one of the first to recruit me, and I liked what he had to say,” Diogu said Friday after the Sun Devils’ practice session.

At the same time, Diogu knew Kansas was projected to have a front line composed of Drew Gooden, Nick Collison and Wayne Simien this season.

“I thought about Kansas for awhile,” Diogu said, “but I decided I wouldn’t get to play as much as I wanted to because of the personnel they had.”

As it turned out, Gooden turned pro and Simien has missed about half the season because of a shoulder injury.

Now, with the No. 10 seed Sun Devils on the brink of meeting No. 2 seed Kansas, Diogu’s adrenaline should be pumping like a black-gold gusher during tonight’s confrontation.

“I’m really excited,” Diogu said. “You always want to get a chance to play the best teams.”

The 56-year-old Evans, in his fifth year at the suburban Phoenix school after spending six seasons at Mississippi and numerous years before that as an assistant at Oklahoma State and other places, isn’t as excited as his precocious freshman.

“I know how good Kansas is,” Evans said. “I know they won the Big 12 and I know how good the Big 12 is.”

Arizona State earned the right to meet Kansas by spilling No. 7 seed Memphis, 84-71, a couple of hours before KU scrambled to squeeze Utah State, 64-61, in Thursday night’s first-round games.

“I know Kansas didn’t play as well as they’re capable to playing,” Evans said, “but we have to play better than we did, too.”

Arizona State, 20-11, has had an up-and-down season. However, the Sun Devils have won four of their last five after dropping three straight to Arizona, Stanford and California — all NCAA Tournament teams.