Sun Devils Finish Non-Conference Home Schedule Undefeated Amidst Early Game Scare

(Photo: Alyssa Burato/WCSN)

A fiery Bobby Hurley stormed up and down the sideline after a foul was called on his Sun Devils. He just wanted more clarification on a foul call from the referees, after a questionable foul from junior center Shawn Phillips Jr.

The emotion was for good reason as nothing was going right for his squad as they were trailing by 12 points. That didn’t help his current conversation with the officials.

A certain lack of energy and focus filled the players on the court wearing gold.

Similar to the technical he received just two games ago against New Mexico, Hurley received his second technical of the season.

Per usual the face started to get even redder as he couldn’t believe what was happening on the court and with the referees. Soon after, the tie came off, and with it, it seemed like the Sun Devils’ energy back into their bodies.

A 25-12 run would follow the altercation and technical in what was smooth sailing for the rest of the night.

ASU (8-1) cruised to a 90-57 win over the San Diego Toreros (3-5), completing their non-conference home schedule undefeated, despite some hiccups.

“I didn’t do a good job getting us ready to play for this game,” Hurley said. “We just didn’t come out right at all, just a little bit flat, didn’t have the edge we needed.”

The ship was captained by none other than two outstanding freshmen up to this point of the season, guard Joson Sanon and forward Jayden Quaintance.

These performances are starting to become expectations. Sanon is shooting from deep, and Quaintance is sending Toreros’ shots 10 rows into the bleachers. Both have stepped up repeatedly when ASU has needed them most, one on each end of the floor, and each of them helped propel the Sun Devils in their rally towards the end of the first half to take the lead going into halftime.

Sanon finished the night with 19 points, five rebounds and three assists. He was 5-8 from beyond the arc and even left a couple on the floor with his foot on the line on some shots. He currently shoots 54% from beyond the arc. That percentage puts him at top-10 in the nation and quite frankly, has given Hurley a certain expectation for the shooter he called ‘the best one I’ve ever coached.’

“When he misses, I’m surprised,” Hurley said.

Sanon provides the offensive spark, but on the defensive end, that spark resides in the youngest college basketball player in the country, Quaintance. He currently leads the nation in total blocks with 32.

His timing and feeling for blocks is a sight to see from a 17-year-old. He’s had a couple of impressive feats so far in his young career, but his effort is next to none on the defensive end of the floor.

After falling to the floor under the hoop Torero player thought he had an easy bucket, but Quaintance got up swiftly and sent that easy bucket back to the top of the key. It’s that type of effort that makes Quaintance one of the more impressive freshmen in the country. Quaintance finished the night with five blocks out of the team’s 10. It

“It’s scary,” Hurley said. “His timing, instincts and mobily for someone so big.”

San Diego came out on a 15-5 run, and the crowd’s energy at Desert Financial Arena was dead silent. The Sun Devils looked lost, as San Diego was running something that ASU clearly wasn’t familiar with.

The Toreros killed the energy in the building by running 2-3 zone. ASU felt the effects and came out lethargic on the offensive end, and they opened up shooting 2-12 on the night. A lot of shots were forced and the ball was not moving nearly as much against that type of defense.

“We haven’t seen that much this year,” senior forward Basheer Jihad said. “They made us a little uncomfortable, but once we figured it out we abused it.

That abuse was evident as the Sun Devils outscored San Diego 50-20 in the second half. The ball movement picked up, and the sets became more fluid as the team looked completely different from the version of themselves they showcased in the first half.

The aggression into the paint, which causes a zone like that to collapse and lets shooters like Sanon get more space, was led by Jihad. He showcases a different level of tenacity when the ball is in his hand; it was the same tonight.

The Sun Devils have shown tremendous growth in just one season. One season ago, the Sun Devils lost to this same San Diego program. This game is evident that a lot can change within a year. The roster ASU fielded into the matchup this season has proven to be miles ahead of last year with players like Sanon, Quaintance, and Jihad leading the way each night.

That talent, while young, has been grinding away in practice every week. It must have been a site for Hurley when he could now see that one of the nation’s best three-point shooters was going against one of its best-shot blockers.

Iron sharpens iron, it’s as simple as that.

Now the Sun Devils will have 11 days in between matchups. They will take on No. 13 Florida in what could be another big non-conference matchup for ASU down the road. Hurley will look to make sure his team doesn’t come out flat with another break.

“I’ve already put together a plan of how we’re going to attack the next 11 days,” Hurley said. “It’ll be a mixture of taking care, physically, refreshing some guys that are banged up, getting our leg back.”

For Hurley’s sake, hopefully that plan involves seeing Sanon and Quaintance duke it out on the practice floor. When asked if he could shoot over the nation’s total block leader’s close out, Sanon responded in a way you’d exactly want Hurley’s best shooter to.

“Yes, and (Quaintance) knows that too,” he said.

Luckily, Sun Devil fans won’t have to find out.