(Photo: Scotty Bara/WCSN)
The Arizona State Sun Devils travel to Milwaukee to take on the Marquette Golden Eagles, and it is an important one thanks to the debut of junior-college transfer Savon Goodman, who was ineligible up until this point in the season. Coming off of an 81-74 victory over Pepperdine last Saturday, ASU looks to bring that success on the road to try and claim their first road victory of the season.
Although Marquette has as many wins as they do losses, don’t let the record fool you. Three of the four losses came against ranked teams, including second-ranked Wisconsin, but those losses have also come at home with one loss dealt by University of Nebraska-Omaha.
Keys to the Game
Utilize Savon Goodman
Most of the front court duties in the paint this season have been taken on by junior center Eric Jacobsen. Goodman gives Jacobsen more time to rest, and maybe even someone to share the paint with. If Goodman can be half as good as he displayed during the Maroon and Gold scrimmage, he will be a huge help around the rim for ASU.
Slow down Marquette’s trio
Senior guard Matt Carlino, freshman guard Duane WIlson, and senior forward Juan Anderson average 38 of Marquette’s 67 points per game, and they all play around 30 minutes per game. Anderson is their leading rebounder with close seven boards per game, so adding Goodman should help the Sun Devils dominate the glass. ASU head coach Herb Sendek has done a great job all season long at keeping fresh legs on the floor for defensive purposes, and his strategy should be no different against the Golden Eagles.
Attack the inside
Marquette has one player over 6-foot-7, and he has only appeared in one game this season, so with the addition of Goodman to go alongside Jacobsen and junior forward Willie Atwood, the Sun Devils should try to get buckets from close range as frequently as they can despite their ability to shoot the three-pointer.
Prediction
This should be a very high energy game due to Marquette’s smaller lineup, and that plays well into ASU’s hands with their athletic backcourt. If ASU is going to win this game, its going to be inside with their front court significantly sizing up Marquette’s, especially with Goodman’s presence. ASU matches up very well with this Marquette team, and if the Sun Devils can take advantage of their strengths over this small Marquette team they should be able to pick up their first road win of the season.
