(Photo: Maya Diaz/WCSN)
PHOENIX – Arizona State men’s basketball was soaring high as senior guard Anthony “Pig” Johnson flew down the lane, threading the needle between Oklahoma defenders near the midpoint of the first half.
Johnson got his hands on the ball following a defensive rebound, turning it into quick offense.
The NAIA transfer left his feet, as he so often does, going up for a layup and maintaining fearlessness to the contact that he would end up drawing. He didn’t convert the shot, but went to the charity stripe, burying both attempts.
When the second free-throw swished through the net, Arizona State (7-2) had built its lead over Oklahoma (6-3) to 27-6 off the back of an incredibly impressive 27-2 run over 8:11 of game action. ASU would make the lead last, walking out of the Mortgage Matchup Center on Saturday night with an 86-70 win in the nightcap of the Jerry Colangelo Classic.
It was the Sun Devils’ aggressive play, getting to the basket, crashing the glass and forcing missed shots and turnovers, that propelled them to their impressive run and the victory that followed.
“It was really kind of a clinic on offense,” ASU head coach Bobby Hurley said. “Shot making, our execution, scoring in transition, it all started with our mentality and our mindset on defense to rebound and get stops. We did what we’re supposed to do.”
ASU recorded a season-high 31 defensive rebounds, while recording seven blocks and nine steals, falling just one short of tying its season-high 17 stocks (steals and blocks). Freshman center Massamba Diop tied his career high of three blocks, while junior guard Bryce Ford improved his career high in steals from two to five.
Their defensive efforts, along with the resolve of their teammates, helped get the ball into friendly hands, leading to 13 fastbreak points on the other end.
Even when the Sun Devils didn’t score on the fastbreak, they stayed aggressive, attacking the rim.
ASU dominated the paint, especially in the first half, where it outscored OU 24-15 in that part of the floor. Its aggression also led to 13 attempts from the free-throw line, where the Sun Devils hit eight shots – over the course of the game, the Sun Devils would improve slightly to converting 23-34 (68%).
When the Sun Devils returned to the mainland from Hawaii, where they played against the Rainbow Warriors and in the Maui Invitational, defensive intensity was a point of emphasis.
“We had very specific things that we worked on defensively that needed to change,” Hurley said. “We needed to get back to getting stops, protecting the rim and rebound, and we won the paint. We held them to a very low number relative to their ability.”
Part of what led to points in the paint and on fastbreaks was ASU’s ability to find open players in all areas of the floor. Hurley’s team moved the rock, recording 17 assists, two off its season high.
Senior guard Moe Odum, who finished fourth in the nation a season ago with 7.5 assists and is the Sun Devils’ premier playmaker, once again had his fingertips all over that area of play. He provided the assist on six scores, but that wasn’t enough to lead the team.
Sophomore guard Noah Meeusen, who is playing in his first collegiate season after playing professionally in Europe, recorded a career-high eight assists as he continues to grow more comfortable with his teammates.
“I can trust everybody, but like what (are) the strengths of different players?” Meeusen said. “Pig is incredible in transition, so you have to get the ball up ahead. (Redshirt sophomore forward Marcus Adamas Jr.) today, pick-and-pop was working very well. Working to our strengths, I think it made it easy for us.”
ASU’s aggressive and smart brand of basketball over the first 20 minutes of game action led to the team scoring a season-high 47 first-half points. That success set the team up for a win, but the aggression tailed off in the second half, and the mistakes started to creep in.
The Sun Devils eight times in the final 20 minutes, four more times than they did in the first half, allowing the Sooners to stay alive and proving that the team isn’t a finished product.
“We’ll get a lot out of hopefully learning how to play with the lead better,” Hurley said. “I said to the guys, toeing that line of staying aggressive and not doing something crazy and letting the team back in the game, and that’s what was happening a little bit in the second half.”
While it can never be certain how teams will respond to new challenges, the Sun Devils demonstrated they can improve on their weaknesses. The team dedicated its week off between the Maui Invitational and Saturday night to hammering home improvements that proved crucial in the win.
“Our two weaknesses was interior points and rebounding,” Odum said. “Coach told us that you need to work on that, and that’s something that I emphasized every huddle, every segment. We’ve got to rebound, even if my team’s not rebounding. It wasn’t really about what practice teams is winning this week, it was more about what team wants it more.”
Together as one team on the court, the Sun Devils showed they wanted it more against the Sooners and will try to carry that same desire into their following games.
