ASU Men’s Basketball: Star Freshman Duo struggles in season opener

(Photo: Sammi Maxwell/WCSN)

While most eyes were trained on the national events happening elsewhere, there was a significant inside contingent Desert Financial Arena prepared to watch game one of the 2024-25 Arizona State Men’s basketball campaign. Much of that interest was trained towards the pair of consensus five-star freshmen in the starting lineup for head coach Bobby Hurley’s team against Idaho State.

Center Jayden Quaintance and guard Joson Sanon both made their collegiate debuts Saturday night. Their play, especially that of Quaintance – a top ten recruit in the class of 2024 – matched the consensus feeling of the team following the performance.

Underwhelming.

Whether it be due to early foul trouble or the lack of experience for the 17-year-old phenom center, it wasn’t exactly a stellar display.

“I don’t know if the fouls (Quaintance received two in the first two minutes) messed him up mentally early in the game, but he was out of it today,” Hurley said. “He was lost out there on offense, we have to point him in the right direction again.”

It took until a minute left in the game for Quaintance to enter the score sheet with two free throws. The 6-foot-9-inch physically imposing center played slightly out of character as his first two shot attempts for the game were both long three-pointers.

For Quaintance new coach, this is not an efficient way to kickstart his offensive game. The goal is that he can eventually be a greater offensive aid than he was in the Sun Devils’ 55-48 victory over their mid-major opponent

“Early in the game, there’s no reason to have your first shot or two be threes,” Hurley said. even though he was, he was pretty open, but and he can make them. I think when the body of work shakes out, he’ll, he’ll shoot a good enough percentage. But there are other things that he could do. Maybe find a way to get an offense rebound, a put-back, scoring transition, something, facing up, getting to the basket, (just) so he can get some more confidence.”

The blue-chip prospect who was brought to Tempe to dominate the paint also struggled down low only collecting one rebound in just over 18 minutes on the floor.

“I don’t know if I’ve ever watched a game where he got one rebound in the game for the minutes he played,” Hurley said.

The one bright spot in Quaintance’s ASU’s introduction was his defensive impact. Despite not making little to any offensive impressions. On multiple occasions, he held dominion over the defensive side of the court for stretches at a time. During a minute-long stretch halfway through the second half the center contested three shots on the perimeter forcing bad misses without actually touching the ball. He made sure to also physically alter shots recording a resounding six blocks, all in the second half.

“He had an impact, not only on the blocks but then challenging those on those contests,” Hurley said. “Just with his wingspan, his ability to get off his feet, he was altering jump shots even if he wasn’t blocking you so that was a positive for him tonight.”

Sanon on the other hand had a solid showing in his first time in Desert Financial Arena. He poured in eleven points with two shots from deep while also tallying three rebounds and three assists. He showed as an energetic scorer and an ability to score at all three levels.

“[Sanon] hit some shots, and he showed a glimpse of what he could do, as far as shot-making,” Hurley said. “Without his point production, I don’t think we would have won the game. So for a freshman, I thought he did fine.”

Both freshmen do have leadership in place within the roster in the likes of Seniors guard Alston Mason and forward BJ Freeman. Both transfers with over 60 games of experience under their belts have and can continue to offer guidance and tough love to their superstar newcomers going forward in an attempt to see improvement.

‘I’ve been trying to do my best, you know, just stand on them,” Freeman said. “That five-star (status) and stuff like that. Coming in, they want to think it’s easy and stuff like that. But I’m telling them, you got to see the game a little bit more and it’s gonna come.”

Sanon has many shades of Freeman’s free-scoring game from the wings in him. As Freeman nurtures the young wing scorer throughout the year the duo will likely be one that ASU leans on for points.

“Joson is just so skilled and has a passion to score the ball,” Freeman said. “He’s just a dog. We have two similar games. We love putting the ball in the hole. So just stand on him to make the right passes, make the right plays, shoot the right shots, and don’t get down on yourself.”

While Sanon flashed promise and Quaintiance undoubtedly struggled it comes with the territory of high-level college basketball. Both freshman and their team behind them will get a chance to go again, on Friday, November 8th on the road against Santa Clara.

“That just comes with freshmen,” Mason said. “At some point in the season, you are going to struggle, because it’s an adjustment from high school to college. So being able to keep their confidence high and understand that they still got a long way to go in basketball and in college itself.”