Second straight win to start the season has ASU men’s hoops on a roll

(Photo: Maya Diaz/WCSN)

TEMPE – Arizona State men’s basketball fans were still finding their seats, balancing a tub of popcorn in one hand and a soda, filled to the brim in the other, when the Sun Devils towering giant, 7-foot-1 freshman Massamba Diop, gave a hint to the type of basketball that was going to be played inside Desert Financial Arena on Sunday afternoon.

Just over a minute of game time had passed when Diop found himself with the ball in his hands at the top of the key, a spot on the court, usually reserved for those a good half foot shorter than him. The Senegalese big man didn’t seem to mind, though, and set out to do his best impression of ASU great James Harden.

Diop drove a step and a half forward before changing directions, moving in reverse back behind the three-point line. His defender, Utah Tech senior forward Ethan Potter, was lost, stumbling after getting his ankles snatched. Diop proceeded to let it fly, and the ever-familiar sound of a basketball swishing through nylon signified his shot found the mark.

ASU (2-0) didn’t win the game in that moment, but it set an expectation of what was to come over the next 39 minutes of game action against UTU (2-2). When it was all said and done, the Sun Devils came through, leaving DFA happy with an offensive showing to be proud of and an 81-66 victory to ramp up momentum with a tough schedule ahead.

“I thought (Utah Tech) would be pretty good,” ASU head coach Bobby Hurley said. “I thought they would be scrappy. I was pretty pleased with how we played for the most part. We addressed some issues, concerns I had after the last game. I think our aggression level was better.”

The aggression was evident throughout the game, but ramped up after Trailblazers’ redshirt senior guard Jusaun Holt hit a three to tie the game at 14. UTU would trail for the rest of the contest.

An 8-0 run to break the tie gave ASU the separation it needed before transitioning to expanding its newfound lead until the final whistle blew. Redshirt sophomore forward Marcus Adams Jr. capped off the run with a fastbreak layup after fellow redshirt sophomore forward Santiago Trouet recorded his lone steal of the game.

It was once again Diop, though, who started the run with his second three of the game.

The true freshman ended up only shooting those two threes, but ended up with 18 points – the most of any Sun Devil – while flashing his ability to score multiple levels and shooting 58.3% from the field.

“He’s not at the point where he’s relying on that (three-point shot), but it’s part of his package,” Hurley said. “I think he’s more of a force around the basket, with his athletic ability and his footwork and even his passing … his future, it’s scary.”

While Diop led the way in terms of scoring, he was far from the only one to see the ball go through the net. Senior guard Maurice Odum, Trouet and graduate forward Allen Mukeba all reached double digits, scoring 14, 13 and 10, respectively.

ASU’s offense runs through Odum, whose playmaking ability saw him register 7.5 assists per game last season at Pepperdine, good enough for fourth in the nation, but the ability of his big men to score at multiple levels opens the playbook.

“It allows me to play my game,” Odum said. “Now I can penetrate, and instead of always looking for a drop off, I can look up for throwbacks, I can look up for the lifts. Being able to play five out almost, with a lot of big people, that’s just super fun.”

Part of what makes that possible is the chemistry that’s blossomed between teammates in such a short span of time, and Odum, the team’s veteran leader, is at the center of it.

After ASU’s first win of the season against Southern Utah, senior guard Anthony “Pig” Johnson mentioned that he loves Odum “to death.” Odum echoed that sentiment after Sunday’s win, while also mentioning his road-trip roommate and mentor-mentee relationship with Diop and how he told Trouet before the game that if he finished with eight rebounds, he’d “buy him lunch.” Trouet finished with 10.

The culture around the Sun Devils’ locker room is one of unselfish brotherhood. While that alone might not win the team any games, it certainly helps their efforts.

“Last year, if I took a guy out, I always would wonder what their attitude might be like,” Hurley said. “This group, if I pull a guy in one minute, they come (out) and the next time I call their number, they go in with a good attitude.”

The only time throughout the 40 minutes of game action that the good vibes weren’t reflected on the court was when ASU allowed UTU to go on a 13-0 run late in the second half. It was too little, too late, and the Sun Devils responded strongly with a 6-0 run before the game ended, but it was still a black mark on an otherwise stout day.

ASU limited the Trailblazers to 40% from the field and 30% from beyond the arc, while only allowing 22 points to be scored inside the paint. A stark contrast to Tuesday’s season opener, when the Thunderbirds dropped 40 on the Sun Devils inside the painted area.

“After the first game, coach got on us about that,” Odum said. “We got back to the drawing board, emphasizing in practice, and I feel like we executed today on the defensive side.”

The Sun Devils’ ability to improve on a subpar area of their game quickly will be tested again shortly. The squad has less than a week to prepare for No. 21 Gonzaga, which is coming to Tempe on Friday, Nov. 14.

If ASU doesn’t stay on the gas pedal throughout the entire game, a late run could have a much more drastic effect.

Still, vibes are high in the Valley of the Sun. The team isn’t so delusional as to think that nothing needs to change, but two solid wins have them rolling.

“I feel like we just got to go back to the drawing board,” Odum said. “Watch film, see what we did good, see what we did bad. Clean up the bad and just hopefully come into Gonzaga with a heavy confidence.

“I feel like we genuinely have a chance to shock the world.”