(Photo: Alyssa Buruato/WCSN)
With only three days since Selection Sunday, Arizona State men’s basketball traveled to Dayton, Ohio for a First Four matchup against Nevada. The proximity of the game to Selection Sunday didn’t provide either side with much time to prepare, especially with a transcontinental flight.
Nonetheless, the Sun Devils started strong, building a 13-0 run and nine-point lead by the first media timeout. The Wolf Pack held a 3-0 lead in the opening 40 seconds of the match but would quickly fall behind. The first-half efficiency was key for ASU, composing a 21-of-31 (67.7%) shooting performance with 13 assists to one turnover.
The efficiency continued in the second half, finishing the contest with a shooting percentage of 63.6 — the most under head coach Bobby Hurley — 35 made field goals, 21 assists and seven turnovers. The offense also scored 98 points, marking the most points in a Tournament Opening Round/First Four game.
Here are five takeaways from ASU’s (23-12) 98-73 beatdown of Nevada (22-11).
Neal’s Career-Night
After averaging nine points on a 45% clip, sophomore guard/forward Jamiya Neal extended his success off the bench with a career-high 16 points on 6-for-7 shooting and four rebounds. Neal found success with his pull-up jump shot and penetration to the basket.
Neal also made heads-up plays, including jumping a passing lane at half-court. As Nevada brought the ball up the floor, Neal intercepted a backcourt pass, starting a transition. The 6-foot-6 Ohio native notched a total of three steals in 27 minutes.
First-Half Defensive Efficiency
While the offense scored 53 first-half points, the defense held the Wolf Pack to 26 points on a 33.3% performance from the floor. Nevada also only made eight field goals on 24 attempts, keeping its offense at bay. Rim protection proved a strong suit, as ASU rejected four shots from the basket.
The defense’s best success was from turnovers, accumulating eight turnovers in the first 20 minutes. The turnovers provided fast break opportunities, yielding 10 points off turnovers. Unlike the offense, the efficiency slowed on the defensive end, finishing the game with 11 turnovers and allowing the Wolf Pack to increase their shooting percentage to 48.1%.
Five Players Score Double Digits
In addition to Neal, ASU received four more double-digit point performances. The quintet combined for 80 of the Sun Devils’ 98 points.
Redshirt junior guard DJ Horne led the way with 20 points on 7-for-10 shooting and 4-of-5 from deep. Horne’s dual-threat ability from behind and inside the arc caused trouble for the Wolf Pack, who were forced to devote more attention to the guard.
Fifth-year guard Desmond Cambridge Jr. and senior forward Devan Cambridge also contributed to the scoring efforts with 17 points and 15 points respectively. Desmond, who shot 1-for-5 from 3-point range, was aggressive in the contest, drilling five field goals on 10 attempts and sinking all six of his free throws. While Desmond attacked the basket, Devan found success receiving alley-oops from his teammates. He also contributed to the offense’s 3-pointer success with a 2-of-3 clip. Redshirt senior Luther Muhammad rounded out the offensive production with 12 points on an effective 5-of-7 shooting performance.
Hurley’s Tournament history
Wednesday night’s victory was the first second win Hurley achieved as the head coach, winning a First Four contest in 2019. The eight-year head coach is 2-2 in Tournament play (2-1) at ASU but has never made it past the first round.
During his tenure at ASU, Hurley is 2-1 in March Madness, qualifying for the Big Dance three times — possibly four times had the 2020 Tournament been selected and played — in eight years as the Sun Devils head coach.
What’s next
ASU will fly to Denver and advance to the Round of 64, where it will play No. 6 TCU. Unlike Nevada, TCU will have more time to hone into Hurley’s offensive game plan. The Sun Devils are already in Denver, arriving in the host city last night, immediately after their First Four games. Tip-off is slated for 7:05 p.m. PST on Friday, Mar. 17.
