Sun Devils to face serious tests at US Virgin Islands Paradise Jam

(Photo via Julia Coyne/WCSN)

This weekend, ASU women’s basketball will wrap up its first road trip of the season at the U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam starting Thursday. There, the Sun Devils (4-1) will have the opportunity to show that their strong start isn’t a fluke after dominating Idaho State and holding the Bengals to 40 points Sunday.

The No. 12 Texas Longhorns (4-0), South Florida Bulls (4-1) and High Point Panthers (3-1) are the opponents the Sun Devils will face throughout the three-day tournament. This will be the first time ASU will be a part of the Paradis Jam since 2006.

The Longhorns are the first of three opponents for ASU this weekend, and they are without a doubt the most difficult. Texas is a top-15 team, and for good reason: Over the course of 160 minutes of non-conference play, the Longhorns have taken the lead and have never fallen behind in any of their games.

Junior guard Rori Harmon and her reputation as a superb ball handler lead Texas. She presently ranks fourth in the NCAA with eight assists per game. Senior forward Taylor Jones, who averages 19.5 points per game, eight rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game this season, has been on the receiving end of many of Harmon’s assists.

The Longhorns possess one of the nation’s most potent attacks, averaging 90 points per game as a team. In addition to being the most talented, Texas will also be the deepest team ASU has faced, putting the Sun Devils’ newfound depth to the test.

On Friday, ASU will face South Florida, which is led by Jose Fernandez, who is in his 23rd season as head coach. The Bulls are off to a fast start, beginning with a 4-1 record that matches that of the Sun Devils, and they are fresh off their 11th consecutive 20-victory season in 2022-23.

Vittoria Blasigh, a freshman guard, has been the standout player for South Florida thus far this season. The reigning AAC freshman of the week is fourth nationally in 3-pointers per game and tied for second place nationally for the most 3-pointers made.

Even though it may look good on paper, the 4-1 record doesn’t convey the whole picture of South Florida. Since the start of the season, the Bulls have had trouble being consistent and have had problems in the second half due to troubles with leadership, as evidenced in their most recent contest – a slim 56-55 victory – against North Florida. The Bulls have been outscored 63-39 in the second half of their past two games.

Given the Sun Devils’ track record of poor second-half performances, Friday’s game against a fellow poor second-half team could give them an opportunity to shift the narrative.

The last game of the weekend schedule will pit ASU against High Point in what will be their first-ever matchup. The Panthers are riding their early season momentum into the tournament after going on a three-game winning streak at home.

High Point’s 2023–24 season roster is very different from the previous one, as they have added graduate transfer guard Lauren Bevis from Gardner-Webb to their roster while losing two of their double-digit scorers from last year due to graduation.

Bevis, who has been the Panthers’ rock this season, has made up for what was lost. She averages 19 points per game while playing 35 minutes per game at High Point. As a Panther, she’s been able to pick up where she left off at Gardner-Webb.

The only loss on the season for High Point is a 39-point defeat against ninth-ranked Virginia Tech. The Panthers are the only one of the Sun Devils’ three upcoming competitors that has faced a ranked opponent.

In spite of the painful defeat, the Panthers are still holding their opponents to just 32% shooting from the field while hitting over 40% of threes as a team this season. A complete game on the offensive and defensive side of the ball would for the Panthers could result in ASU ending the the weekend on a low note.

The Sun Devils started 6-1 in their first seven games of the 2022-2023 season before finishing 8-20. Early non-conference success can be deceiving, but with a challenging three-day set against high-level opponents, the Sun Devils have an opportunity to prove that it’s a different season with a fresh new squad that has what it takes to beat challenging opponents.