(Photo: Marlee Smith/WCSN)
It’s no secret that the 2021-2022 season so far for Arizona State Men’s Basketball has not been a very good one. It’s 6-11 overall, just 2-5 in Pac-12 Conference play and has lost five of its last six games overall.
Compounding the fact that head coach Bobby Hurley and sophomore guard Jay Heath were each suspended for the USC game on Monday just made things much worse for the Sun Devils.
“I have enormous regret to not be there with my team,” Hurley said.
However, anytime Arizona and ASU do battle, a little bit more is on the line.
That’s no different when the two tangle on Saturday in Tucson.
Both teams are looking to turn the page on bad losses their previous time out. For ASU, it was the loss to USC in a game in which the Sun Devils got off to a 22-10 start in the first 14 minutes of the contest. Over the next four minutes, the Trojans would go on a 16-0 run and never looked back to earn a dominant 78-56 victory.
On Tuesday in Los Angeles, No. 3 ranked Arizona fell by 16 points to No. 7 UCLA. Much like ASU, the Wildcats got off to a hot start and led 16-12 just over four minutes into the contest. In the ensuing five minutes, UCLA went on a 12-0 run to take control of the game and cruised to a victory.
Just based on the previous games both these teams played, a focus will seem to be playing a full 40 minutes of basketball – especially considering the rivalry at stake.
Arizona is coming in with opposite success of ASU despite the loss on Monday in Westwood. The Wildcats have won five of their last six with all five of their wins in that stretch coming by at least 15 points or more.
Four of Arizona’s starters are averaging 10 points per game or more. Freshman guard Bennedict Mathurin has been the go-to guy for the Wildcats, this season averaging 17.4 points per game – a mark that is third in the Pac-12 – and shooting 39% from the three-point line.
“They’re an improved team,” Hurley said. “That’s what happens when you have really good young players that get better and take steps. You see Mathurin, [Christian] Koloko have both really improved.”
The aforementioned Koloko, a junior, has improved dramatically. In 2020-2021, Koloko’s line was 52% from the field and 62% from the free throw line. He averaged just 5.3 points per game, 4.8 rebounds and blocked 35 shots on the year.
This season, all of those numbers have risen significantly. His 2021-2022 line reads a 63.9% shooting percentage, which is good for second in the Pac-12. He’s also up to 74% from the free throw line, 13.1 points per game, 7.2 rebounds per game and 56 blocks total coming into Saturday’s game.
Sophomore guard Kerr Klisa may be one of the more energetic players in the country. Kerr averages 10.8 points per game but has also done a great job of facilitating Arizona’s offense. He leads the team in assists, dishing out 5.4 of them per game.
“I think [Kerr] is really the heart and soul of the team just with his personality when he’s going well,” Hurley said. “I think they get a lot of positive energy off of that.”
Their second leading scorer, freshman forward Azuolas Tubelis, suffered a sprained ankle against Stanford last week that caused him to miss one game and only play 14 minutes off the bench against UCLA on Tuesday. Tubelis is another Arizona player that Hurley had high praise for.
“With Tubelis, obviously the ankle slowed him some in their last game but he’s having a fantastic season,” Hurley said.
ASU has also been dealing with the injury bug. Hurley began his media availability with an injury update, stating that junior forward Alonzo Gaffney was elbowed in the face during the USC game and has an issue with his cheekbone. The team is awaiting final word on his status for Saturday, but Hurley said “it’s not looking good at the moment.”
Senior forward Kimani Lawrence is still working through his non-COVID-19-related illness. Hurley said that ASU is a little more optimistic on him playing Saturday.
With all of the injury issues plaguing the Sun Devils, junior forward Jalen Graham will be looked on to keep his pace of play up. In his last three games, he’s doubled his scoring production from seven points per game to 14.3.
“I’ve just been staying healthy, eating well and just competing and playing hard,” Graham said. “I just want to give it my all when I’m out there.”
ASU will have to keep up with an offense that is the best shooting team in the Pac-12 while ASU is the worst three-point shooting team in the conference. The Sun Devils are dead last in the conference in points per game at 63.1, while the Wildcats are the most prolific scoring team in the conference, averaging 87.1 points per game as a unit.
“My role is going to be big Saturday,” Graham said. “I just have to stay focused and stay out of foul trouble.”
Hurley certainly is excited about the challenge of playing No. 3 Arizona at the McKale Center. The Sun Devils haven’t won in Tucson since 2019.
“We’re going to be up to the challenge,” he said. “I know we’ll be excited to play. These games are the reason why you go to the Pac-12 to play the competition of Arizona, UCLA and USC.”
Graham shared his excitement about taking on their in-state rival.
“They’re a good team and have been playing well,” Graham said. “This is a big game. I’m going to try and have fun and go get a win.”
