ASU Men’s Basketball: Ball movement key against Alcorn State

(Photo: Max Zepeda/WCSN)

TEMPE — When a team’s shot isn’t falling – as it did for Arizona State Men’s Basketball on Sunday – having a floor general makes shooting struggles less significant to the final score. The Sun Devils had one of their worst shooting nights of the season from beyond the arc, shooting 26.1 percent, but the stellar playmaking by sophomore guard Frankie Collins kept the boat afloat in their win against the Alcorn State Braves.

“We had some shots that didn’t fall in the first half that could have given us a little more separation,” head coach Bobby Hurley said. “This was gonna be a hard-played game, very scrappy opponent.”

ASU faced an aggressive Alcorn State that pressed Sun Devil guards from baseline to baseline, allowing no room to breathe. The lack of space led to a limited number of 3-point shots, and even when available, it was almost met with a Braves hand contesting it. ASU’s offense was restricted, but Collins still found a way to keep it in a groove with his paint penetration.

The first half was a clinic for Collins, as his ability to get past his initial man and draw in the help defense opened up the floor for his teammates. It was poetry in motion with how Collins dissected the Braves’ defense. His ball control and how he sliced through defenders found many cutters for easy layups or dunks. The sophomore guard finished with five assists in the first half, marking back-to-back games where he ended the half with five or more assists.

Collins’ playmaking led a paint attack that scored 24 of its 32 first-half points in the paint and gave his teammates some career night as a Sun Devil. The primary recipient is senior forward Warren Washington, finishing with a Sun Devil career-high of 14 points, most of which came from Collins throwing it high in the sky for Washington to throw down the thunderous slams.

“Honestly, credit to my teammates because they make my job easy,” Washington said. “I feel like when you’re dangerous on the inside, and out, it’s hard to guard that type of team. We have unselfish guards who give up the ball, so it works out perfectly.”

Washington dominated with his size in the paint and helped lead the Sun Devils to 36 paint points, and Hurley sees the senior playing with a lot more confidence.

“He’s a really big target. Guys are getting a feel for playing with him,” Hurley said. “[Washington] climbs the ladder and gets the ball. He really ran the floor. I thought we outran their bigs, and Warren was definitely a part of that. I’m happy to see him again put another solid game together for us.”

After halftime, Collins didn’t record an assist, but his ball handling helped a suffocating Braves full-court press defense that brought down the lead to within four points. ASU gave Alcorn State a lot of free baskets with lazy passing in the backcourt, but Collins’ maturity showed, not looking to be fazed, breaking through the press, and facilitating the Sun Devils’ half-court offense.

Once in the half court, Collins remained aggressive, driving and kicking. While he did not record an assist after halftime, Collins’ ball movement was more crucial in the second half because of the uptick in outside shots. The pressure that Collins elicited from the Braves’ defense opened up space for Sun Devil shooters to knock down the three-point shots.

Collins’ sharing became infectious with teammates as once shots began to fall. The assist tally started to pile up. ASU finished with 20 total assists, marking back-to-back games with 20 or more assists for the program that only did it twice all of last season.

“[I was] really pleased with the ball movement,” Hurley said. “20 assists again, and it wasn’t on scripted plays. It was on guys in the transition in the open court with guys making great decisions, really good passing, and unselfishness.”

While perimeter shot-making helped those ticks, the Sun Devils’ fast-paced tempo in transition ignited a late-game run. ASU finished with 36 paint points and 15 fastbreak points, all that came from excellent ball movement and playmaking from its guards like Collins, but also junior guard DJ Horne and sophomore guard Jamiya Neal, who combined for nine assists.

“You got some guards that could pass, and you got some guys who could score,” Hurley said. “Guys are gaining confidence.”

The Sun Devils have gotten great offensive production from their guard position. In the past, the program has had highly-skilled guards that found most of their success in iso-situation. Now, Hurley possesses a guard rotation headed by Collins that is moving the rock, and it has resulted in one of ASU’s most effective offenses in the past few years.