(Photo: Brady Klain/WCSN)
Through the first five games of his collegiate career, Arizona State guard Luguentz Dort has outmatched opponents not by launching threes over interior defenders, but by using his combination of speed and size to make his mark in the paint.
Coming off a week in which he led his team to its second straight MGM Grand Main Event Tournament win, Dort is soaring towards the basket at heights only to be matched by his rising draft stock. The highly touted freshman from Montreal took home the tournament MVP and his efforts were also recognized by the Pac-12 and the NCAA where he took home Player of the Week honors in both settings.
Dort, through the first five games of the season, ranks third in freshman scoring, averaging 23 points a contest. The big-bodied newcomer has worked tirelessly, averaging 34 minutes a game, to put Bobby Hurley and the Sun Devils one spot out of the AP top 25. With two weaker opponents in the University of Nebraska-Omaha and Texas Southern on the horizon for the Devils, the statistics add up perfectly for Lu Dort to continue his outrageous start to 2018.
Starting with UNO, the Mavericks come into Tempe with just three wins in seven games. The margins in their defeats have been anything but pretty. After losing to the University of Minnesota on opening night 104-76, things have been tough in Omaha.
The team has collected wins against Buena Vista University, Bethune-Cookman and Montana State. Other than those three games, the Mavs have been blown out of the water. For Dort, the specific numerical breakdowns from Omaha provide the framework for an unbelievable performance at The Bank.
On the year, the Mavericks have allowed 74.6 points per game with shooters making shots at a 46.7 percent clip on two-point attempts. Dort is an inside scorer whose strength is working the lanes and driving downhill. The majority of Dort’s 23 points per game have come from around the basket and even he knows he is yet to debut his range.
“I have not broken out my three-point game yet,” Dort said. “We are getting there though.”
Dort’s hesitancy to pull up from behind the arc may actually benefit him this week. A team with good shot blocking could pose a threat to his numbers, but against Omaha and Texas Southern, that will not be an issue. Through their first seven games, the Mavericks have averaged just 2.2 blocks per contest while TSU has averaged just two.
The NCAA Player of the Week will be able to capitalize on these favorable matchups while also getting an opportunity to add to his rebounding total. The Mavericks have amassed just 46 offensive boards this year. To put that into perspective, Dort has 14 offensive boards on his own.
The stat padding party should start on Wednesday for Dort and should continue through the weekend with Texas Southern also coming to Tempe for a Saturday night showdown. Like UNO, TSU struggles in the areas that Dort thrives.
The Tigers have allowed opponents to go 192-of-393 from inside the arc (48.8 percent) and have averaged a mere 2 blocks per game. They have also allowed 88.8 points per game on the season. Dort has an amazing opportunity to blow the roof off of his incredible start to his freshman campaign.
The Sun Devils knew they got a good one in Dort when they signed him. What they could not have predicted, however, was the level of immediate success that the freshman would experience right out of the gate. With two incredibly favorable matchups coming up, both by the eye test and in the stat sheet, Dort has the opportunity to improve on his expectation-exceeding start to his Sun Devil career.
