ASU’s tallest team ever dominates in the paint to beat Northern Colorado

(Photo: Madison Sorenson/WCSN)

TEMPE – 93-foot-3. That’s the height you’d get if you stacked every Arizona State basketball player on top of one another.

The 2026-27 team is the tallest in program history, headlined by 7-foot-1 third-year center Ben Defty and 7-foot-3 first-year center Filip Malesevic. And in the early stages of the new era, the size is assisting wins.

On Friday night, ASU (2-0) put on a show, scoring 90 points to beat Northern Colorado (1-1) 90-63. The Sun Devils scored 48 points in the paint, 13 at the free-throw line and grabbed 11 offensive rebounds to enforce their will against the Bears around the basket.

Even though he isn’t one of the three seven-foot-tall Sun Devils, fourth-year forward Paulius Murauskas — who still stands a more-than-respectable 6-foot-8 — scored a career-best 33 points in 33 minutes. Despite his ability to get going from beyond the arc, only six of those points were added from long range. Instead, the Northern Colorado game plan allowed Murauskas to get going inside the arc.

“In the beginning, they kind of doubled the post, so I took my time and played one-on-one,” Murauskas said.

Through 18 minutes played in the first half, he didn’t shoot a single three. Instead, he constantly backed defenders down and finished with different moves. Sometimes it was a hook, other times it was an underhand layup and a few were with his signature midrange stroke.

Defty got the nod to start, even though Malesevic outscored and outrebounded him off the bench in game one. Similar to the opener, Malesevic came off the bench with an immediate impact. Murauskas gave him credit for his effort on the boards as the Serbian ended with 11 rebounds.

Five of those came on offense, a massive spark for the 16 second-chance points that ASU scored. However, head coach Randy Bennett recognizes that his rebounding style is somewhat unconventional.

“He gets all those little balls up for grab,” he said. “He just ends up holding them about a foot above everybody else.”

Malesevic also added six points on two field goals and a pair of free throws. Even though he only played 24 minutes, his 28 plus-minus was the team’s best for the second consecutive game.

Bennett’s teams are known for defense and rebounding, making Malesevic a player who fits right into the system.

“Filip was … real good,” Bennett said. “He just makes us different (when) rebounding.”

Despite the standout play from the backup center, Bennett still has faith in his starting big man, Defty, who has been slow to start the season.

Bennett understands that the Boston University transfer just needs reps, but again, the focus is on the boards.

“He’s got to become a better rebounder,” Bennett said. “Because I feel the difference when Filip goes in there.”

Defty was one of only two players who had a plus-minus in the negatives.

He averaged 6.8 rebounds last season as a Terrier, but has only grabbed three in 36 minutes as a Sun Devil. Fourth-year guard Bryce Ford – who added 17 points off the bench Friday night – knows the importance of rebounding.

“Defense, rebounding and boxing out are key points in this program,” Ford said. “And if you don’t box out, you won’t play.”

Second-year guard Dillan Shaw is 6-foot-7, but somebody just looking at the box score wouldn’t think so. He hauled in 12 rebounds and scored eight points, all from inside the arc.

The scoring threat has had a somewhat slow start on offense, but he understands Bennett’s style of basketball coming from Saint Mary’s.

That’s why he rarely comes off the court.

He has played 68 minutes through two games, and Bennett said that spectators can expect many more games where he is on the floor for almost their entirety.

“As a coach, you could argue (Dillan) was our best player tonight,” Bennett said.

Four of Shaw’s rebounds were on the offensive end of the floor. He boasted the team’s second-best plus-minus mark at 25, making him difficult to sit.

The Sun Devils showed that they can score at a higher clip than Monday’s 75-point effort suggested, largely in part to the effort in the paint and the ability to make free throws.

Murauskas remained on the floor even when the game got lopsided. He was chasing something, and he knew it.

“I knew I needed to get a free throw,” Murauskas said.

He got the free throw. His 33rd point came after a physical finish, marking his career-high in points. He received a standing ovation when he was finally taken out of the game, as ASU fans know the impact that he can have on turning the program around.

Bennett basketball is all about defense and rebounding, which on Friday night led to an offensive explosion. 53% of all ASU points came from in the paint – somewhere that opponents will have to be good to compete against this year’s Sun Devils.

But even after moving to 2-0 and a career-best performance, there is more to be done.

“I will step up with the boards, and we’re gonna be really good there,” Murauskas said.