Just minutes after Arizona State escaped with a 102-94 double-overtime win over Cal State Fullerton, Zylan Cheatham made his post-game emergence from the Sun Devil locker room for the first time.

The Phoenix native walked up a flight of stairs and into the arms of his jubilant corps of friends and family on the concourse of Wells Fargo Arena. Cheatham, who went to high school at Phoenix South Mountain, indulged his supporters with dozens of joyous pictures and hugs.

After a few minutes, they began to disperse. But Cheatham remained.

By his side was his mentor, Gabe Stevens. The two hardly moved for nearly an hour, demonstrating different basketball stances and moves while discussing Cheatham’s 12-point, nine-rebound opening night in which he fouled out.

“He’s been my mentor since, basically, I really started getting serious about basketball,” Cheatham said of Stevens. “He’s been in my corner. I talk to him every day. We discuss everything. He’s a great basketball mind, he gives good insights.

“We were just discussing casual plays, things I could do better, ways I could impact the game better, as a team, different concepts we could adapt to.”

Stevens didn’t quite like what he saw from Cheatham in his first game in the maroon and gold. He didn’t like Cheatham’s energy going to the glass. He thought he only played good in spurts but failed to put together a full game.

The two put together a better game plan for the Devils’ second opponent, McNeese State.

“You can impact the game a lot more running the floor and doing little stuff like that,” Cheatham said Stevens told him. “We’ve meshed so well together because he keeps it real with me. When I play bad, he lets me know, ‘You played bad in this area.’ When I play good he gives me praise and tells me what I can do better.”

For the next two days, Cheatham couldn’t escape Stevens’ comments. He put the film on repeat and shut everything else out. Uncharacteristically, he stayed quiet, hardly speaking to his teammates.

Cheatham walked off the court following his first game for the Sun Devils since transferring from San Diego State in April 2017 and knew he hadn’t met his, nor Stevens’, standards. It left a “feeling,” something he would do anything to subside.

“I was just so locked in since the end of that game and trying to figure out a way to fix it -- fix that feeling,” Cheatham said. “That’s not a feeling I want to have after a game.”

On Friday night, Cheatham ran back out on the same ASU’s court he did on Tuesday. The jitters, which had him saying, “Please don’t airball,” on his first two shots, were out. His criticism had been analyzed and processed for days.

It was time to “empty the tank.”

Steven’s notes and suggestions seemed to morph into Cheatham like someone had created him on NBA 2K and just notched up the skills they wanted to with ease. If you wanted to see Cheatham on Friday, all you had to do was watch the rim. His head was the closest to it on most rebound opportunities.

In the second half of ASU’s 80-55 win, Cheatham closed out the Sun Devils’ 16-3 run with a pair of athletic steals that led to four points, seemingly stemming straight from Stevens’ advice to “be more aggressive.”

Just a few minutes prior, ASU head coach Bobby Hurley was chewing out his team for their lack of energy and effort in a game that should have been an early blowout. As one of ASU’s resident “high-energy” guys, Cheatham knew a flip had to be switched. So he turned on the lights.

He walked up to freshman guard Luguentz Dort. They exchanged “the look,” before the upperclassman shouted to the youngster, “Turn up.”

“They had a ‘4’ man taking it out and I knew he didn’t want to dribble so I was like, ‘Let’s make it a living hell for them to get it across half court,’” Cheatham said. “I’m sure he felt out wrath.”

The quick-thinking decision led to an ASU barrage highlighted by a windmill dunk from Cheatham. The 8,515 rose, applauding their hometown player as the game fell out of reach for a McNeese State team that hung with ASU for over a half.

Right before he reached the press-conference podium, Cheatham set his backpack down and threw his black hoodie on the short table. He pulled a brush out and started gliding it through his hair. Friday was a performance to remember, one to make an example of. He needed to look good.

Cheatham finished the game with 16 points on 4-8 shooting with 12 rebounds, six assists, two steals and a block in 28 minutes on the floor. He was aggressive but not reckless. He set his teammates up instead of forcing a contested look.

And, perhaps most important to Stevens, he was aggressive.

Cheatham stood his ground when Hurley moved him to the post, then dashed through defenders and into the lane when he played point forward for stretches. He recorded a +/- of +28 after seeming non-productive with a -2 against Cal State Fullerton.

Hurley has seen similar rough starts before. Two years ago, he watched guard Shannon Evans II struggle from beyond the arc in his first ASU game after transferring from Buffalo and then go on to average 15 points a game for the season.

Cheatham may be no different.

“Anytime you sit out and lose that much time, you’re just so juiced to play that sometimes you play and you’re rushing things a little too much or have a little bit of nerves,” Hurley said.

“But he bounced back.”

Indeed he did.