(Photo: Alyssa Buruato/WCSN)
TEMPE – After nailing a game-winning 3-pointer against the Colorado Buffaloes, fifth-year guard Desmond Cambridge Jr. returned to Tempe with a hot hand, scoring 19 points on 6-of-12 shooting, five rebounds and three assists in Arizona State Men’s Basketball’s 68-64 win over the Stanford Cardinal.
“This is my sixth year in college. So, you got to stay poised,” Cambridge said. “Never get too high, never get too low. And we’re just here to win games consistently. Figure out a way to win because if we win, everyone on our team is going to reap the benefits. So that has been my thing since I got here.”
Cambridge’s offensive success stemmed from his aggressiveness on both ends of the floor. The 6-foot-4 guard attacks the basket for layups, while also getting into the passing lanes and deflecting balls, resulting in fast break opportunities.
“Throughout the summer, and even in the fall, when we’re trying to run offense, I see [Desmond] Cambridge jumping passing lanes,” head coach Bobby Hurley said. “And I was getting mad because we’re trying to run and execute and he’s blowing everything up. So, it was happening to me all summer, as I was trying to run plays, and fortunately for us, he’s now doing it to other people.”
The Sun Devils have been fueled by their defensive presence in 2022, resulting in comebacks and large margin of victories. Cambridge has played a large role on the defense, racking up five steals on Sunday. His defensive effort not only helps ASU’s offense but also sets an example on defense.
“We all know what [Cambridge] brings to the table,” said senior forward Warren Washington, who played with Cambridge at Nevada from 2020-22. “He’s a scorer, he’s a dog, he’s an alpha. And I feel like we follow him as a group and as a team we follow that, and I felt like it carries over just with all of us and it rubs off.”
“He’s played a lot of college basketball. He’s got a lot of confidence,” Hurley said. “He’s a guy that we trust out there to make big shots and big plays.”
Cambridge’s big-play ability was displayed against the Cardinal, especially once they stormed back into the game. Following Stanford taking a 51-50 advantage, marking its first lead since 2-0, Cambridge picked the pocket of junior guard Michael O’Connell, resulting in a fast-break layup. Following a defensive stop, the ball found its way to Cambridge, who buried a jump shot, extending the Sun Devils’ lead to four with 4:10 to play.
The late-game play almost didn’t happen, as Cambridge picked up two fouls early in the second half, forcing him to sit on the bench during the Cardinal’s large run.
“It’s definitely situational,” Cambridge explained about scoring runs. “So, I got those first two fouls at the start of the second half, so I was watching a lot of their comeback. So, I’m just sitting there fuming on the bench.
“You see, I’m very energized. I felt like we need a little spark. And so, I came in and hit those two shots, especially if I’m hitting shots. I can bring us together, just give us spark because we’re going to play defense consistently, but if your shots not falling on the offense, it can really, take a toll mentally. And you might have some lapses on defense just because you’re not playing as well on offense.”
The offense has experienced shooting woes, but ASU has managed to make up for it on the defensive end, ranking 16th in Kenpom’s adjusted defensive efficiency. The defensive efficiency has allowed the program to play with freedom on the offensive end.
“I might shoot some questionable shots sometimes, but I feel like that’s coach Hurley’s identity that he’s had at this at the school,” Cambridge said. “Guard U, I definitely like that, I’m a guard so. But at the end of the day, as long as we play defense, I feel like we definitely – even though we have freedom – there still structure in the offense.”
The Sun Devils’ aggressive defensive tendencies have served them well, allowing them to dictate the flow of the game. The up-tempo play style can mess with their opponents’ games while working well for their own.
“I feel like it lets us exert a lot of energy really quickly,” Cambridge said. “It lets us guard people full court really just disrupt their offense. Because I feel like Stanford and Colorado, they [play a] slower offense, like to move the ball, get back cuts. And if you let teams like that stay comfortable, they pick you apart, but that’s why I feel like that’s our identity. We really like ruffled feathers, really energized, and gonna make you work for everything on offense.”
