ASU Men’s Basketball: Defense reveals highs, lows in season-opening win

(Photo: Nicholas Badders/WCSN)

The 2020-21 ASU Men’s Basketball team can score at will.

The 94 points it put up in their Wednesday night debut against Rhode Island indicated the squad’s offensive prowess. However, the 88 points the Sun Devils allowed on efficient Rams shooting showed that growing pains will come – a common dilemma amongst teams with a recent injection of youth and unfamiliar faces.

Between Rhode Island head coach David Cox’s constant ball pressure and ASU’s turbulent transition defense, the Rams chopped down a monster 16 point lead towards the end of the first half while taking much of that momentum with them to the locker room. Fatts Russell – one of Rhode Island’s senior guards who was 18.8 points per game scorer last season – was held to a measly two points in the first half. He also racked up four fouls in the period.

With their leader in foul trouble, the Rams turned to former East Carolina guard Jeremy Sheppard. The senior went three-for-three from behind the arc in the first half. His success from three-point land was contagious as Rhode Island shot 56 percent from deep in the period. At halftime, ASU led 48-41.

It was clear that ASU would need to end Rhode Island’s three-point barrage and attack Russell offensively to win the game comfortably.

“We let them back in the game,” Arizona State head coach Bobby Hurley said. “With a seven point deficit and holding Fatts Russell to two points in the first half, we should have had a better advantage going into the half,”

Cox had no intention of letting ASU and Hurley get comfortable, even if that meant the possible disqualification of his “best player” Fatts Russell. Cox put full faith in his veteran facilitator, by not limiting his second half playing time.

“Fatts deserves the trust that I gave him tonight,” Cox said. “He is a senior and has played in a lot of big games. So he has earned that trust. It was unfortunate that he picked up that fourth foul, but obviously we started him in the second half and he was good all the way through. He went on a heck of a run to help us get back in that game.”

In that second half, ASU struggled mightily in transition and in the pick and roll. The group struggled to contain the two-man tirade of Russell and junior forward Antwan Walker, as Walker finished with 16 second half points. He and Russell executed simple pick and rolls on consecutive plays, many of which led to wide open jams.

“We were trying to figure it out in the first half,” Cox said. “You know, what our advantages are. But then in the second half, we found a bit of weakness in [ASU’s] ball screen coverage. We stuck with that and Fatts started getting downhill and making plays. I think Antwan went on a 14-0 run by himself. He played with tremendous energy and confidence tonight.”

The energy Cox spoke of was evident in the way his team got out and ran on the break. The Rams outscored the Sun Devils 12-2 in transition scoring.

“I wasn’t pleased the way we came out in the second half,” Hurley said. “Giving up rolls to the basket for uncontested dunks. They probably had four or five dunks in the second half. Our help defense wasn’t there. We weren’t as active in their ball screen coverages. There are a lot of things we have to improve moving forward at that end of the court.”

In a game where Hurley’s defense struggled at times, the squad did finish the game in elite defensive fashion while flashing its potential on that end once more.

Rhode Island went scoreless in the final 2:39 of regulation, as ASU put the clamps on the Rams by forcing three turnovers in the last three minutes of the game. The key defensive stand came with less than a minute remaining in the contest.

ASU led 92-88 with 51 seconds left. With Rhode Island needing a quick two without their key playmaker in Russell, who fouled out with six minutes remaining, the Rams went to the hot hand in Walker, who drove to the hoop. ASU freshman guard Josh Christopher set his feet, got in position and drew a charge.

“Josh’s charge that he was able to get at the end was a winning play for us,” Hurley said.

For Christopher, a debut of 11 points, four rebounds and four assists may not stand out. But the highly touted freshman turned in a defensive dagger to close out his first game, which could be a massive stroke of confidence for him and the Sun Devils on that end of the court heading into Thursday’s clash against No. 3 Villanova.