Despite loss, Freshman Trevor Best shines in his first real season action

(Photo: Maya Diaz/WCSN)

TEMPE — On Feb. 23, it was revealed that senior forward BJ Freeman was dismissed from the team. On Wednesday, it was confirmed that freshman center Jayden Quaintance and senior guard Alston Mason would be out with an injury, making an already-slim Sun Devil rotation even slimmer.

ASU men’s basketball lacks depth as head coach Bobby Hurley has remained with a very short seven-player rotation for the majority of the season. Mason is ranked 24th in the country in terms of minutes per game, and without Mason, where would Hurley put some of those extended minutes?

How about Trevor Best, a 17-year-old freshman guard who joined the team in December?

Even though Best only played 25 minutes, he had the biggest impact of anyone on the floor during that time. With ASU down to five regular rotation players, it seemed inevitable that one of the unusual bench players would see significant minutes for the first time, and Best stepped up to the plate.

Even though Best, who hadn’t taken a shot all season, displayed his abilities in crucial minutes against a top-ranked opponent, scoring 18 points on 5-for-8 shooting, ASU (13-15, 4-13 Big 12) still fell short against the Cougars (20-8, 11-6), 91-81.

BYU had 11 players enter the game Wednesday, nine of whom played ten or more minutes. Indicating not only a deep lineup, but one full of guys who head coach Kevin Young trusts and believes can make an impact in a variety of ways.

When you’re as thin as the Sun Devils were Wednesday, facing a lineup full of players well rested and rotated in and out of the lineup, it’s difficult to gain much of a step on a team as talented as BYU. Given the circumstances, ASU was able to battle for a larger portion of the game than most would expect.

“I give (the players) a lot of credit, a lot of respect for not mailing it in,” Hurley said. “Not putting their head down or feeling sorry for themselves. I thought we did the best we could. I think they were better, they got more options, more guys. We had guys playing that haven’t really played much, or aren’t in these roles, or haven’t been all year.”

Best was one of those players who “hadn’t played much,” and by that, Hurley meant being buried in the bench unless the game was a blowout. In the middle of last year, Best was playing high school basketball at Raleigh Word of God Christian Academy and previously playing prep with Quaintance, but he committed to ASU and joined the team in December.

Best is the same age as Quaintance, the youngest player in collegiate basketball, which implies he is not only ineligible to vote, but he should also be an inexperienced or raw basketball player at this level. Quaintance may make playing quality minutes at his age appear simple, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. As a result, expectations for his first collegiate season have been low, yet nothing he did on the court Wednesday indicated any bit of youth or immaturity.

“He got here in January, and he’s been a very, very good teammate,” Miller said. “He’s a young, explosive point guard. I was telling him in practice the other day that you’re gonna get minutes by picking up people full court. I told him, pick (Mason) up full court like you want to play. Go do that. He just took advantage of his opportunity. I’m proud of the kid.”

Best’s first miss didn’t come till 9:38 in the second half, and he converted on five of his eight attempts, shot 2-for-3 from beyond the arc, and went to the line six times to convert six shots. Hurley referred to Best as a “bright spot” after the game, a phrase not often heard during this bleak season.

The average age of the BYU basketball squad is 22.7. ASU men’s basketball had three players under the age of 20, including Best and freshmen guards and forwards Joson Sanon and Amier Ali, who combined for 44 points against the veteran Cougar roster. At such a young age, the Sun Devils’ ability to rely on their youth has been a significant asset throughout the season, particularly Wednesday.

“We got really good freshmen,” Miller said. “They’re so raw, and I think that it just takes time. Like some of the things Joson does as a freshman, his mistakes, I see him. I did it (myself). So I can’t really get mad. I try to be a big brother to him… and then Trevor, you know what he did today? It’s not easy to do that.”

We’ll see where Best’s minutes go from here, with Mason returning from illness, and given how much Hurley likes to see him play every minute of each game. Best may have to keep finding ways to get minutes, as Miller said.

However, if today is any indication of what is to come, the 17-year-old Best may be throwing lobs to his 17-year-old teammate Quaintance sooner than later.

“The Sun Devils should be happy about Best,” Hurley said. “…for him to do that’s a testament to him working on his game and getting extra work and after practice and getting ready to play like he was. He wasn’t scared out there, and played fearlessly. So I’m excited for the future for him.”