ASU – Arkansas Pine-Bluff preview

After hitting the road for the holidays, Arizona State’s men’s basketball team is riding high on the return home.

Last Friday, the Sun Devils came away with their first marquee victory on the season against an up-tempo Arkansas squad in the Las Vegas Invitational. The win sent ASU to the tournament championship, where they took on the No. 11 Creighton Jays.

Even though the Devils suffered their first loss against the Jays, the game’s competitiveness proved that Arizona State could compete on any given night. After trailing 27-9 in the game’s early going, the Sun Devils mounted a valiant comeback and cut the deficit to just six points late before eventually falling 87-73.

On Wednesday night, the Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions head to Tempe looking to rebound from a rough start to their season. The Golden Lions stand at 1-4 and have scored less than 45 points in two of their fives games thus far.

Arkansas-Pine Bluff features three different players averaging double figures, but there is a significant drop-off to the rest of their roster. No bench player averages more than two points per game, and the Sun Devils’ fast-paced style of play could wear the Golden Lions out quickly.

When the Lions watch tape of the Sun Devils, they will see a balanced attack led by freshman point guard Jahii Carson. The Mesa high school product leads all freshmen nationally with 21 points per game after he dropped 30 in ASU’s loss to Creighton.

If Arkansas-Pine Bluff wants to stop the Sun Devils, they have to start with Jahii Carson. Coach Herb Sendek has given Carson the keys to the offense, and his goal is to drive the Sun Devils right past the Golden Lions.

Keys to Victory

1. Diversity on the Stat Sheet

The Sun Devils had five different players score at least 10 points in each of the first two games of the season. Since then, Jahii Carson and Carrick Felix have shouldered the offensive load and Arizona State needs to find a better balance to keep opponents from double-teaming its studs.

2. Dictate the Tempo

Arkansas-Pine Bluff plays a half-court system to slow down the pace of play. The Sun Devils are most effective when they can get out and run so forcing turnovers and transition offense will be key to disrupting the Golden Lions’ methodic game.

3. Start Fast

The Sun Devils suffered their first loss of the season at the hands of the Creighton Jays because of a sluggish start. Arizona State has had shooting woes at times this season (see: ASU-Cornell game) and knocking down early shots is critical to the Sun Devils’ offensive confidence.

Matchup to Watch: Jonathan Gilling (Forward) vs. Davon Haynes (Forward)

Junior forward Davon Haynes leads the Golden Lions in both points per game (12.4) and rebounds per game (7.4). Normally, the Sun Devils would use center Jordan Bachynski against a low post threat, but the Arizona State center will have his hands full against Terrell Kennedy (11.4 points per game).

Jonathan Gilling leads the Sun Devils in minutes per game and can light up the scoreboard with perimeter shooting, so Coach Sendek will ask Gilling to draw Haynes out of his defensive comfort zone to open up the offense for Bachynski in the interior.

If Gilling can rebound and defend against Haynes, the Sun Devils should have the rest of the pieces in place to pick up their fifth victory of the season.

Quote of the Week: point guard Jahii Carson: “I feel we have elite players. I feel like we’re an elite team.”