(Photo: Spencer Barnes/WCSN)
Arizona State men’s basketball (1-1) has presented a mixed bag to start off the 2023-24 season, as offense output has been a struggle for Hurley’s revamped squad.
“I’d be scared to look at the metrics to see where we stand offensively after two games.” coach Bobby Hurley said.
Taking a look at the feared metrics, the Sun Devils rank 335th in the nation in points per game, scoring less than 60 points on average. They also rank just 227th in assist-to-turnover ratio and 342th in effective field goal percentage.
So why has ASU struggled offensively?
The most obvious reason is the lack of cohesion. With eleven new players on the roster for ASU, more time will be needed for this team to click offensively. After Saturday’s victory over Texas Southern, Hurley claimed the team wasn’t pleased with how they played and that the bar is set much higher than these first two performances.
“Usually, after a win, we’re happier,” Hurley said. “I didn’t feel like the locker room overall was very pleased with what we did. That’s what I hope to see because I don’t want that to be the standard.” Hurley said.
So, where do the Sun Devils need to improve on offense?
Similarly to last season, outside shooting has been not pretty for the Sun Devils, shooting 28.2% from beyond the arc, putting them at 278th in the country. ASU has only hit 11 threes over the first two games, ranking 289th thus far.
Missing LSU transfer Adam Miller whilst waiting for NCAA approval has been a massive blow for ASU. The 11.5 ppg scorer last season only shot 31% from three, but his ability to score on all three levels would benefit an offense lacking creativity. However, expecting Miller to return could be a mistake, as most NCAA transfer waivers have not been approved.
The Sun Devils have found an offensive spark in sophomore forward Kamari Lands. The Louisville transfer leads the squad at 12.5 ppg and hasn’t shied away from getting to the basket consistently.
“He’s a guy that can put the ball in the basket, which we obviously need,” Hurley said in regards to Lands. “He is going to be a guy we certainly need to put points on the board.”
ASU will look to right the offensive wrongs on Thursday when UMass Lowell (3-0) travels to Tempe. Coming off of a win over Georgia Tech, the undefeated River Hawks have a point differential of +27 over three games.
Senior guard Ayinde Hikim has been on fire to start the season, averaging 21.3 ppg on 50%/33%/85% shooting splits. Hikim also leads the River Hawks in assists and steals; the matchup against junior guard Frankie Collins should be a fun one.
Despite offensive struggles, the Sun Devils will plan to lock up on defense once again Thursday night.
Texas Southern turned the ball over 16 times in the first half on Saturday, as Hurley found success in an active defensive scheme using a 1-2-2 full-court press, with six-foot-nine graduate forward Alonzo Gaffney at the front.
“I saw when we went to that pressure in the second half versus Mississippi State, it really got us going; it was affective early in the game and got us momentum,” Hurley said
Arizona State’s matchup against the River Hawks tips off at 7 p.m. MST on Thursday night in Tempe.
