Five takeaways from Arizona State's win against SMU
It was déjà vu all over again for Arizona State (9-1), and although the halftime deficit they endured in Dallas was not as great as the one they had to contend with in Boulder seven days ago, a familiar and comforting script (and the third such win this year) did eventually play out for the Sun Devils in a 75-57 win over SMU. It also had a historical connotation to boot.
Here are our five takeaways from Arizona State's victory, which now places ASU at a 9-1 mark, which is their best start of the year since they began the 2017-18 campaign 12-0.
A suffocating second-half defense rears its beautiful head once again
It's okay to be frustrated with ASU's first-half effort, especially on defense, especially against a notably weaker team than the Sun Devils in SMU. The Mustangs enjoyed an 11-point lead very late in the first stanza. SMU began the game 5-7 from three-point range as ASU was seemingly trying to answer every long rage basket with their attempt from that distance with not much success.
To be exact, it really was those last 3:37 minutes where ASU was down 11 when they kept SMU off the scoreboard and overall ended the first half with a 6-0 run to trail just 33-28 going into the locker room.
And then came the dreaded, if you're an ASU opponent, second half. I'm sure that during their game prep SMU players were warned about the effect of clamps the Sun Devils tend to administer to their foes in the last 20 minutes, and yet there was nothing the hosts could do to combat that.
SMU did not score its first points of the second half until the 15:18 mark and proceeded to trail in double digits in the last 5 minutes of the contest. Arizona State was much more effective with its perimeter defense, limiting the Mustangs to 2-10 from beyond the arc and 24 percent overall from the field. SMU committed just six turnovers in the second half but paid dearly for them when they saw their opponent score nine points off of those mishaps.
Coming into tonight, ASU was already a top five team nationally in several major defensive categories, and we suspect that this is a ranking that should continue into next week as well. You may be tired of hearing us say that the defense for ASU has absolutely fueled its offense this season, but it seems that there's a better chance for 100° weather in Tempe to hit this week than for that statement to prove false this year
Horne's Hot Shooting
It was a given that ASU's leading scorer from last season DJ Horne, might take a step back this year with the increased firepower around him. Don't get me wrong, he has been anything but pedestrian this season and, starting in the second game of the year, has maintained a double-digit scoring average. But in the three games preceding tonight, he has not scored more than eight points in any contest. Seeing him go back to his cold-blooded shooting mode was a welcomed sight.
Horne scored the last seven points in a 9-0 run that began the second half, a stretch that was certainly a turning point in this game as ASU did not relinquish the lead from that point on. Yes, four of those points did come from the charity stripe, two of them via a technical foul. Yet, that obviously does not take away from his incredible effort in the last 20 minutes, where he scored 12 points and revived a somewhat dormant offense that ASU featured for most of the first half.
The win against SMU was a pleasant reminder that Horne, even on a team full of talented scorers, can still be the focal point for Arizona State. And let's not forget his incredible effort on defense that included not only seven rebounds but also three steals. Horne also had four assists on the night.
The Great Gaffney
The ASU forward's nine points off the bench we're just one illustration of the advantage the Sun Devils had in that department as they outscored the bench players of SMU 17-5. Seven of Gaffney's nine points came in the second half and his five straight points midway through that period were able to help hold SMU at bay as they were trying to reclaim the lead around that point of the game. His +14 rating is naturally indicative of the productive minutes he had tonight. He may be one of the forgotten returning players on a team that has definitely seen its newcomers pay off large dividends but was a not so modest contributor in a sizable road win.
And we would be remiss if you did not mention another bench player with a notable performance, freshman forward Duke Brennan, who had six points of his own and provided points when some of the upperclassmen were struggling at certain stages of the game.
Torrid Three-Point Shooting
As mentioned in the first half, it seemed as if ASU was trying just a little too hard to answer the barrage of treys SMU was converting for a large stretch of the first half. While Arizona State did make their first two attempts in the first minute or so of the game, they were 2-14 the rest of the period, which allowed SMU to lead for 17.5 minutes in the first half.
Ironically, when ASU wasn't seeking three-point shots with high regularity, that is when they made their aforementioned run to end the first half.
The second half I thought, showcased an incredibly controlled effort taking only eight shot attempts from beyond the arc and converting six of them. ASU still scored 18 points in the paint and overall displayed a much better shot selection that allowed them to be in full control of the second half en route to this road victory.
The game film will definitely prove a valuable lesson of not rushing three-point shots just to try to match your foe's exploits in that area and utilizing better ball movement on offense. Case in point, 11 of ASU's 15 field goals were assisted, which set them up to take better shots as it is.
It's no coincidence that the only other time this year that ASU made double-digit three-point shot attempts was another blowout win and the most impressive one to date, an 87-62 victory over Michigan.
Confidence Builds up Towards Creighton Showdown
Winning now seven games in a row, two of the last three on the road, does set up nicely for what should be the toughest non-conference matchup of the entire season against no. 21 Crieghton. It's a team that may have fallen 14 spots in the latest AP poll following three consecutive losses yet is a squad that certainly has the capability of challenging ASU like no other team has so far in this 2022-23 season. The game will be on a neutral court in Las Vegas, and ASU's ability so far to win all of its games but one away from Tempe should help them in this formidable matchup.
There are undoubtedly some ASU fans, maybe some of its players and staff as well, that would like to have the recognition of being ranked in the top 25. Some may think that the Sun Devils already should have earned that recognition in this week's poll.
As any coach will tell you, the more games you win, the better chance you have of those victories taking care of themselves and placing you in that exclusive company. Either way, ASU has an excellent opportunity for what could be its biggest statement game of the non-conference slate. The way they have played in the last couple of weeks again, even though they are not playing a complete basketball game on most nights, surely gives Arizona State a level of confidence that is hardly false and showcasing it is capable of pulling off an upset.
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