ASU Men’s Basketball: Defensive physicality vs NAU sets mentality

(Photo: Max Zepeda/WCSN)

Five minutes into the second half of its matchup against NAU, Arizona State Men’s Basketball boasted a comfortable 29-point cushion, cruising toward its second win of the season. Despite the lead, Sun Devils weren’t ready to let up as senior guard Devan Cambridge got locked up with Lumberjack redshirt sophomore forward Carson Towt for a jump ball that went beyond the whistle.

The refs blew the ball dead, but that didn’t stop Cambridge from fighting for the ball with Towt. The two carried themselves toward the NAU bench, neither wanting to give an inch before both fell to the ground, still tugging at the ball. Cambridge emerged from the pile energized, with the Sun Devils faithful cheering for his effort that capped off a stellar defensive performance for ASU.

“I just wasn’t going to let it go,” Cambridge said. “It wasn’t [anything] crazy. We were laughing with each other as we were going down. Neither of us was going to let go.”

ASU, on all levels, has illustrated its grittiness on the defensive end. Head coach Bobby Hurley talked before the season about how this year’s team would be “relentless” on the court, which has been the case defensively in its first two games in Tempe. Whether pressing full-court while up 30 or being physical at the rim, the Sun Devils made sure that the Lumberjacks felt their presence.

The first half was where ASU flexed their size over the smaller NAU as senior forward Warren Washington’s rim protection played a significant factor. Early foul trouble in the season opener limited Washington’s time on the court to highlight his defensive prowess that was in full force Thursday.

“As a guard, it’s always wonderful to have a big seven-footer down there to help you out when you do get beat,” junior guard DJ Horne said. “In the first game, he didn’t get to show you guys too much because we were fouling, but today he was more active around the rim. It’s a great help.”

Washington led an interior defensive attack that allowed only 22 points in the paint while outrebounding the lumberjacks 40-23. ASU’s size was overwhelming for NAU in the first 20 minutes, holding it to 22 points overall. Fouling was a glaring issue for the program, and it looked to have become more disciplined, only having seven fouls in the first half that equated to seven free throws.

The Lumberjacks’ low-scoring half can be credited to both the Sun Devils’ physicality interior and on the arc. Hurley made it a point of emphasis to play way beyond the 3-point line, especially on junior guard Jalen Cone, who was coming off a 20-point game against Michigan State.

“We were really good defensively, especially with one of the points of emphasis being guarding the 3-point line,” Hurley said. “They were one for 13 in the first half. I like that we did that without (sophomore guard) Jamiya Neal and (fifth-year guard) Desmond Cambridge.”

Despite the injury bug, Sun Devils stepped up on the perimeter with Horne and sophomore guard Frankie Collins, who both added two steals to ASU’s eight overall. The bench provided a spark to keep the full-court press and physical defense, with freshman guard Austin Nunez active on the ball.

“Our game plan was not to give Cone the ball,” Devan said. “[We were] being aggressive out there. I’m still getting used to Pac-12 refs. SEC they’re more aggressive. So I’m trying to figure it out.”

Despite Devan’s words, his play has shown that his adjustment to Pac-12 play has been stellar on the defensive end, recording a block and a steal. His effort led a Sun Devils defense that forced a poor shooting performance from the Lumberjacks. NAU initiated its offense on the block with a lot of movement on the perimeter from Lumberjack guards.

The Sun Devils’ perimeter defenders stayed connected with their matchups, as the Lumberjacks ran a lot of screens on the weak side that opened up shooters at the top of the key. ASU didn’t get a loss during NAU’s plays and contested many of its shots beyond the arc. Hurley highlighted the success in the first half with NAU’s shooting, 1-for-13 from the 3-point line, but a late 19-3 run skyrocketed that to 25 percent from the perimeter and 42 percent overall.

Hurley said the lapse of intensity was because of the program’s unfamiliarity with enormous leads in the past couple of seasons. He emphasized that the roster needs to be more attentive when having those massive leads. The interior defense during that final stretch, which saw Washington off the floor, was exposed, with NAU scoring 16 of its 22 points in the paint.

“We have to relearn what [keeping a lead] feels like and how to continue to be productive, to defend and get stops and not get distracted,” Hurley said. “We have to learn how to sustain a lead, and we got to win with people that are committed and want to help this team win.”

Despite the late struggles, ASU’s defense showcased its potential of being a hound for any opposing offense on any given night. Whether on the perimeter, in the paint, or enduring injuries, the Sun Devils will look to remain relentless on the ball heading into their first road game against Texas Southern on Sunday.