ASU Men’s Basketball: ASU will look to utilize a rare size advantage in a matchup against The Citadel

(Photo: Scotty Bara/WCSN)

The Arizona State Sun Devils will look to put a disappointing Tire Pros Invitational behind them when they host The Citadel on Wednesday in Tempe.

The Sun Devils fell to Davidson in their last game in Orlando to claim sixth place in the 8-team tournament. ASU was held to just 32% shooting in that affair, and the Wildcats shot 17 more free throws than the Devils.

Now, the Sun Devils return home to host an explosive Citadel team that is sure to bring plenty of firepower into Wells Fargo Arena. The Bulldogs are averaging 102.4 points per game so far and have put up totals of 146, 119, and 116 in the early going. However, their defense leaves much to be desired, as The Citadel has not given up less than 81 points in a game yet this campaign.

The Bulldogs are coming off a 130-63 drubbing at the hands of the 21st ranked Iowa State Cyclones, in which they were outscored in the paint 78-12 and outrebounded 63-33. The Bulldogs do not have a player taller than 6-foot-7 in their starting five, so the Sun Devils will have a size advantage like they have not yet seen this season. Considering that ASU has not outrebounded a team since its last game at Wells Fargo Arena, a win over Cal Poly, this might make a sizable difference.

This is a brief home respite for the Sun Devils, as they will fly to the Bahamas to take on top-ranked Kentucky in their next game on Monday, November 28th.

Wednesday’s game against The Citadel will tip off at 2 p.m. Arizona time, and will be televised on Pac-12 Arizona.