ASU Men’s Basketball: Sun Devils hope to regain momentum

(Photo: Haley Spracale/WCSN)

After opening up the season winning 11 of its first 12 games, Arizona State Men’s Basketball (11-3, 2-1 Pac-12) has since dropped two in a row, including a 37-point loss at San Francisco and a nine-point defeat at home to No. 5 Arizona.

An area of criticism following the two disappointing performances has been the Sun Devils’ shot selection, especially from behind the 3-point line.

Over ASU’s nine-game win streak leading up to the loss against USF, the Sun Devils shot 34.1 percent from beyond the arc on 23.8 3-point attempts per game. But, over the team’s last two games, ASU’s percentage has nosedived, shooting 15.5 percent from 3 while also raising the three-point attempts to 26.5 per game.

The emphasis on 3-point shooting reared its ugly head in the Sun Devils’ nine-point loss to rival Arizona. After a disappointing first half – which yielded the Wildcats a 43-28 halftime lead – ASU stormed back, cutting the lead to two after a 19-4 run. On that run, the Sun Devils were able to get back to their identity, playing physical defense and penetrating the paint with sophomore guard Frankie Collins and senior forward Warren Washington.

ASU dominated the paint throughout the game, outscoring the Arizona 36-24 in the restricted area. However, after cutting the lead to two with 11 minutes remaining, the Sun Devils settled for shots, making one of their next 10 attempted 3-pointers, allowing the Wildcats to extend their lead and eventually leave victorious.

“I mean, some of them weren’t great,” ASU head coach Bobby Hurley explained about his team’s shot selection. “I think we were chasing, and your first response is to go for three and not for two … But you know, I trust the guys, if we didn’t shoot the way we did on the practice floor and didn’t show in other big games that we can make the ball from three, then I probably wouldn’t let us take as many, and we would do other things.”

Despite a rough two performances, ASU still sits at 11-3 on the season with the chance to move to 4-1 in the Pac-12 this weekend with matchups against Washington State and Washington.

Washington State (6-9, 1-3 Pac-12)

Washington State arrives in Tempe boasting a 6-9 record but with somewhat of a hot hand, as the Cougars’ last two games resulted in a one-point loss to No. 10 UCLA and a 10-point victory over USC.

Despite the below .500 record, Washington State boasts a potent offense ranking fourth in the Pac-12 in offensive rating at 105.7. The Cougars boast four double-digit scorers but are led by sophomore forward Mouhamed Gueye and junior guard TJ Mamba.

Gueye has followed up his Pac-12 All-Freshman season with a better sophomore campaign. So far this season, Gueye has been a dominated the glass, ranking first in the Pac-12 in total rebounds with 133 and ranking third in rebounds per game at 8.3. Gueye has also added a respectable 13.6 points per game. In the Cougars game against UCLA, Gueye had perhaps his best game of the season, tallying an 18-point and 18-rebound double-double.

With the graduation of guard Michael Flowers, Mamba has been able to step into a larger role, producing an impressive 16.4 points per game, which is good for fifth in the conference this year.

Gueye creates a force inside the paint, but most of the Cougars’ production has come from beyond the arc as they make the most 3s per game in the Pac-12 with 8.5 while also attempting the second most threes at 23.5 per game.

The Sun Devils will host the Cougars at 6 p.m. MST on Thursday Jan. 5 at Desert Finincial Arena.

Washington (9-6, 1-3 Pac-12)

Even though Washington boasts a better record than its in-state rivals, the Huskies have fared far worse in Pac-12 play. Much like the Cougars, Washington comes into Tempe, having faced both the LA schools. However, the Huskies lost to both teams by double digits, including a 25-point defeat against UCLA and a 13-point loss to USC.

So far this year, the Huskies have ranked in the lower half in most Pac-12 statistics. One aspect they do excel is creating blocks and steals on the defensive end. The Huskies’ 6.1 blocks per game are good for first in the Pac-12 and fifth in the country, and Washington’s 7.2 steals per game is third in the Pac-12.

Offensively, Washington is led by senior forward Keion Brooks, who transferred from Kentucky where he started all 33 games as a junior. So far this year, Brooks has averaged a career-high 16.2 points per game, good for sixth in the conference, adding 6.4 rebounds per game.

The Huskies also relay on senior guard Cole Bajema, who is the only the second player averaging double-digit points per game. The Washington native has impressed so far for his hometown school, averaging 10.4 points per game on 43.1 percent from the field.

ASU will match up against the Huskies at 3 p.m. MST on Sunday Jan. 8 in Tempe.

Both Washington schools present ASU with a chance to return to their winning ways after a disappointing two-game stretch. Despite the two tough losses, the Sun Devils still carry confidence into the two games against the Washington schools.

“We didn’t focus on negativity this week,” Hurley said. “We all agreed we weren’t happy with the loss to our rival in state, but we got to move on and get ready for this week.”