ASU's challenging non-conference slate reached its peak in the third game of the season when they traveled to Spokane, Wash., to face No.6 Gonzaga in one of the most hostile environments in college basketball. It was a contest that, despite resulting in an 88-80 loss, showcased a much better effort than its season opener versus Idaho State as the Sun Devils (2-1) can draw some confidence going toe-to-toe with the Bulldogs (2-0) in their first loss of the season.
Improving game-by-game
Going into Sunday’s afternoon, the Bulldogs had won 33 straight home openers, coming off a dominating win on a neutral court over No.8 Baylor 101-63. This only stacked the odds that much more against the Sun Devils trying to record an upset in an arena where Gonzaga has a 278-18 record at home in its last 296 home games, winning 94% since 2004-05.
“Tough environment; we probably lost four or five possessions on offense just because we could not hear anything and we couldn’t get everybody on the same page,” ASU head coach Bobby Hurley said. “So in situations like that, I think this is an opportunity to grow from it. I think our players recognized that if we could compete and play against a team like that at this level, it's going to be a lot of hope that we could become a really good basketball team.
“Gonzaga, what they did to Baylor in their first game and what people were saying about them, as a final four caliber team to go toe-to-toe with them and to be right there in a tie game with five minutes left on the road, it’s gotta show you if you stay with your work and keep getting better we got a chance to be a really good basketball team.”
Just two weeks removed from their 103-47 catastrophe at Cameron Indoor Stadium against Duke in an exhibition game, Arizona State has rapidly improved in three consecutive appearances, now scoring 80 points in back-to-back games.
Losing by just eight points and leading for 12 minutes of action, leading as late as 7:21 left in the game, ASU appeared to be anything but a team that had lost by 56 points just 14 days prior. The resounding defeat in Durham provided the Sun Devils a taste of what the highest level of collegiate basketball looks like, and as painful as that experience was, it proved to be one that ASU did learn much from, which was demonstrated in their play.
“They played fearlessly. I thought they all stepped up in different spots,” Hurley said. “They’re a very difficult matchup because they have very good interior players and great shooters.”
Frontcourt growth evident
Against Idaho State, starting forwards freshman five-star prospect Jayden Quaintance and senior transfer Basheer Jihad shot a combined 0-13 from the field, with Quaintance hitting two second-half free throws to notch the only points the duo would score. Conversely, against Gonzaga, the two combined for 31 points, taking the reins in either half and keeping the Sun Devils at arm’s length during the contest.
Jihad recorded his best game as a Sun Devil, scoring 22 points on 7-14 shooting and coupling that with a team-high 10 rebounds. The 6-foot-9 forward displayed the most impressive showing of the game, as seemingly all of his points required immense skill and patience. As a three-level scorer, he put up numbers in isolation, from post-ups to the dribble drive, showing off his versatile skill set at the highest level.
“I was very happy with his play because he’d been struggling our first couple just trying to find a rhythm in the offense,” Hurley remarked. “He really battled on the backboard, did a lot of dirty work, and he came up with a lot of really tough baskets and got to the free throw line a little bit he had a really nice game.”
For Quaintance, the freshman started off hot with nine first-half points, yet he did teeter out, going scoreless in the second half as the 17-year-old didn’t even take a shot during that period as the Bulldogs made stopping him a point of emphasis. In his debut, Quaintance shot and missed two three-pointers in the game's opening moments, halting his rhythm and derailing his offensive performance. On Sunday, though, the 6-foot-10 forward started off working inside out, making two shots from within five feet in the first four minutes. This contest proved that the talented newcomer is beginning to progress in his young career.
Outside shooting remains inconsistent
Against the Blue Devils, ASU shot just 28% from the field and 25% from 3-point range, and after the loss, Hurley noted his team's shooting ability was better than advertised in that exhibition game. Through three games, the Sun Devils have improved their three-point percentage. In their season opener, they shot 29%, converting seven baskets from long range. Against Santa Clara, they shot 41%, hitting 15 three-pointers, and today, they posted 31% shooting, making nine baskets.
With a desire to improve their shooting ability from 2023-24, ASU has showcased a multitude of players who are capable of being weapons beyond the arch. Seven different players have hit three-pointers through three games.
“I thought they all at difference points took advantage of things, particularly on the offensive end,” Hurley said about his players. “I think we’re getting multiple contributions from different players. I think we have a lot of weapons on offense that we can go to.”
Defensive identity is still a work in progress
In any matchup, conceding 88 points would hardly appear as an achievement. However, against a top-10 team in the nation that recently scored 101 points against No. 8 Baylor, holding the Bulldogs to just 8-24 shooting from three is a success, even in a loss.
The Sun Devils managed to lock down their opponents in spurts throughout the game and, at one point, went on a 10-0 run in the first half, thanks to its athletic and versatile roster. Gonzaga head coach Mark Few told media before the game that his team has yet to face an opponent with ASU’s length on the defensive end. Arizona State’s collective skill set allows them to switch and rotate quickly along with mixing lineups featuring true frontcourt players Shaun Phillips Jr. and Quaintance sharing the floor together or flipping the script and using Jihad as the ‘center’ alongside freshman forward Ameir Ali.
Nonetheless, the most difficult issue for the Sun Devils on defense was the fast break points, yielding 19, and overall, Gonzaga’s inside-the-arch field goals were converted at a 61% clip, thanks in part to their incredible bench performance, led by backup center Braden Huff scored a team-high 21 points on 9-13 shooting.
ASU can hang its hat on limiting Idaho State to 25% shooting in a game that was too close to comfort, as well as building on a defensive effort that in the first half saw Santa Clara shoot just 37%, which negated a better second half by that opponent. With several quality foes on its non-conference schedule, Arizona State will have to step their efforts on this end of the court because they don’t appear as a team that is gladly going to enter shootouts.
Reel in the sloppy sequences.
Gonzaga pulled away for victory thanks to late-game execution. Senior point guard Ryan Nembhard led the way for the Bulldogs, providing 13 points and 11 assists as the offense continued to string together valuable possessions in the waning moments of the contest.
“They have great guard play,” Hurley said. “Nembhard is one of the best point guards in the country; 11 assists and no turnovers are outstanding. We pressured him, and we tried to turn it over, but we just couldn’t do it. I think we just try and grow from it I think we just lost to a team that's projected to go to the final four potentially.
The second half was dominated by the Bulldogs Kalif Battle. The 6-foot-5 guard scored a game-high 19 points in the second half, including three critical threes, which set his team apart. His nine-point push with five minutes to play spearheaded the closing run for Gonzaga as they outmatched ASU 17-9 to close out the ball game.
“I just think we withstood a lot of adversity we didn’t retreat at any point,” Hurley said. “They made surges, we were able to come back and make plays to keep the game in a winnable range, and unfortunately, in those last four minutes, we just didn’t get enough stops, and on our end of the floor, we just didn’t connect a couple of times, but we had our chances.”
Join your fellow Sun Devil fans on our premium message board, the Devils’ Huddle, run by the longest-tenured Sun Devil sports beat writer, to discuss this article and other ASU football, basketball, and recruiting topics. Not a member yet? Sign up today and get your daily fix of Sun Devil news!
