ASU Basketball gears up for the Acrisure Classic in another Early Season Test

(Photo: Maya Diaz/WCSN)

Arizona State men’s basketball (5-1) has had an encouraging start to the season. Giving No. 3 Gonzaga a run for their money in Spokane and beating its cross-town rival in Grand Canyon University has intrigued the valley at what this team could be.

While fans will enjoy Thanksgiving dinner, the Sun Devils will take the hardwood for the first time in over a week at the Acrisure Classic. Four teams will participate in the classic, which will be another legitimate test for ASU. Some NCAA tournament-tested teams will be participating in the games, and it will be a bona fide test for ASU’s head coach Bobby Hurley’s young squad to see where they rank early in the season.

New Mexico State

Fourth-year head coach Richard Pitino leads the Lobos (5-1). Pitino led the team last year to an overall record of 26-10 and a Mountain West title, appearing in the NCAA tournament for the first time in 10 years before losing to Clemson in the opening round.

It could be difficult to return to last year’s heights as the program lost three of its top five scorers from a season ago. The two top-five scorers remaining from last year are junior guard Donovan Dent and redshirt senior center Nelly Joseph. The duo may be the best guard and center duo in their respective conference.

Dent was named to the preseason All-Mountain West after averaging 14.1 points and 5.4 assists as a sophomore last season. Joseph was also honored to the All-Mountain West team after averaging 8.9 points and 8.9 rebounds a season ago. So far, those two have proven that the theory of being the best guard and center duo in the conference is correct. Both improved their numbers from a season ago, as Dent is averaging 17 points and eight assists, while Joseph is up to 14.2 points and ten rebounds.

Returners redshirt senior Mustapha Amzil and sophomore guard Tru Washington have also stepped up this year in their respective roles. Both have improved their numbers from a season ago and are in the top five for scoring on the team.

Losing most of the talent from a season ago, the Lobos replenished it with eight newcomers coming into the 2024-25 season. The standout from those newcomers has been transfer senior guard CJ Noland. Noland came in from North Texas, averaging 10.9 points and 2.0 assists. He currently averages 9.5 points and 3.8 rebounds.

Sun Devils must be prepared for the fast-paced identity the Lobos will bring into the matchup. This season, the Lobos are ninth in the nation in fast break points, with 21 points per game. ASU averages 13.3 turnovers a game, so head coach Bobby Hurley will ensure his team is locked in on taking care of the ball.

After facing off against New Mexico State, the Sun Devils will play one of USC or St. Mary’s depending on Thursday’s outcomes.

USC

It’s all about change when you talk about the USC Trojans (5-1) as they entered this year. They feature a new coach, enter a new league, and entertain an entire roster rebuild. Head coach Eric Musselman knew that taking over an underperforming program in the Trojans would be challenging as they finished 15-18 a season ago.

The program lost its entire roster in the offseason, and the only two returners are senior forward Harrison Hornery and senior guard JD Plough. Even as returners neither see significant playing time, and the roster so far this year has relied on new faces.

The Trojans acquired the Big East’s most improved Player of the Year from a year ago to carry most of the load. Junior guard Desmond Claude is currently second in the teams’ scoring for the year, averaging 12.8 points per game. Claude showcased last year at Xavier that he has an elite ability to score and can be a force as a playmaker. One of his biggest knocks was shooting from outside the arc, and he hasn’t really improved this season, as he shoots 27% from long range.

The current leading scorer for the Trojans is graduate forward Terrance Willaims II. Williams transferred in from Michigan and is the definition of a versatile forward. He’s averaging 13.3 points a game while averaging 4.5 rebounds.

USC doesn’t bolster much point guard depth and is lacking heavily in the center position. While they don’t have the traditional rim-protecting big man on the roster, the team has a plethora of forward and wing depth that Musselman can rely on. With that lack of rim-protecting players, the Sun Devils can take advantage of their size, and players like senior forward Basheer Jihad, who lives in the paint, can attack the rim at will.

St. Mary’s

In the WCC (West Coast Conference) conference, the No. 3 Gonzaga Bulldogs usually dominate. However, the Saint Mary’s Gaels (6-0) won the conference a year ago and entered the NCAA tournament as a five-seed. It’s the program’s third straight year making the tournament, and 24th-year head coach Randy Bennett is a big thanks to that feat.

Bennett has a record of 507-208 in his time with the Gaels, and last year they went 26-8, earning Bennett his second WCC coach of the year award. With his time at Saint Mary, he’s transformed the program into a competitive environment year in and year out. With that feat, a level of excitement and a confident expectation surround the team.

Another NCAA tournament appearance.

The Gaels are led by reigning WCC Player of the Year senior guard Augustas Marciulionis. Marciulionis is currently averaging 14.7 points a game with 6.1 assists. Along with Marciulionis, the Gaels also return the reigning WCC Defensive Player of the Year in graduate center Mitchell Saxen; he currently has ten steals and five blocks on the year.

Two newcomers who have made their mark on this team are sophomore forward Paulius Murauskas and freshman Mikey Lewis. Sun Devil fans might be familiar with Murauskas as he transferred in from Arizona this offseason but only saw limited minutes. He came over to the Gaels and is currently averaging 29.7 minutes a game, and in that time has put up 14.3 points and 10.3 rebounds a game.

Lewis was a four-star recruit and the 83rd ranked player in the ESPN 2024 class. He comes out of Prolific Prep in Napa and has shown his skills as a high-volume scorer this season. As a freshman, he is currently third on the team in scoring, averaging 13 points a game. He’s also shown flashes on the defensive side of the ball, notching seven steals on the season so far.

The Gaels have controlled the glass well early this season, averaging a +14 rebound differential in their six games. That puts them at fifth best in the country. Saint Mary has a lot of size in their frontcourt and has taken advantage of it to crash the boards. It’ll be on guys like freshman forward Jayden Quaintance, Jihad, and senior center Shawn Philllips Jr. to keep the Gaels from efficiently controlling the glass.