The final week of the regular season is here -- and Arizona State (10-11 overall, 7-8 conference) wraps up the 2020-21 campaign with a road swing against the Mountain schools.
The surging Sun Devils, who have won three in a row, kick off the road trip with a Thursday night matchup against No. 24 Colorado.
ASU is coming off a thrilling 77-74 overtime win over Washington State on Saturday, thanks to the heroics of Remy Martin. The senior guard, who has been on a tear in recent weeks, hit a three-pointer as time expired to give the Sun Devils the victory.
Martin scored a game-high 23 points, and in the process, tied a school-record with his eighth consecutive game of 20 or more points.
The Sun Devils also got big contributions from its starting frontcourt of Kimani Lawrence and Jalen Graham. Lawrence tallied 14 points and 5 rebounds, while Graham had his third double-double of the season with 11 and 12.
Jaelen House chipped in with 10 points off the bench.
ASU was supposed to face Washington State again on Monday afternoon. However, the game was canceled just hours before the scheduled tip-off due to COVID issues within the Cougars’ program.
In his weekly radio interview with 98.7 FM, Bobby Hurley admitted the cancellation caught him off-guard and was a source of disappointment considering ASU had some momentum from Saturday’s win.
Hurley, however, was able to find a silver lining with the last-minute cancellation.
He said it was “only fitting” that Martin’s last shot in what is likely his final home game in Desert Financial Arena was a game-winner. (Remember, there is an outside chance Martin could return next season, thanks to the NCAA’s recent rule, which gives every current collegiate player an extra year of eligibility due to COVID.)
After a bumpy start to this season, Martin has responded by playing some of the best basketball of his career over the last month averaging nearly 27 points in February.
“He’s really gotten back to the core of who he is,” Hurley explained.
“And he’s having fun playing basketball; He’s playing freely. He’s making plays out there. And he’s doing what Remy Martin does. He’s a closer. I wouldn’t trade him for anyone else in college basketball.”
Hurley said the unexpected cancellation of Monday’s game also gave his squad some extra time to recover from their injuries and illnesses.
Walk-on John Olmsted is back after missing Saturday’s game with an illness, as is freshman forward Pavlo Dziuba, who had missed the last few weeks due to COVID protocols. Hurley also said Jaelen House’s back injury seems to be better.
The most significant development, however, is the return of Marcus Bagley, who was a full-participant in Tuesday’s practice. Hurley said the freshman forward looked good in practice and should be available for Thursday night’s game in Boulder.
Even if the Sun Devils have more bodies to throw on the court; Hurley knows their next opponent presents an enormous challenge.
“This is going to be a litmus test for us,” Hurley said. “If we have any designs on trying to win [the Pac-12] tournament next week … then we have to see where we truly stand against a team like Colorado. That’s why this game on Thursday is such an important game for us – to see where we are heading into Vegas next week. “
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Colorado (19-7 overall, 13-6 conference) enters Thursday’s matchup as one of the conference’s hottest teams. The Buffaloes, who cracked the AP Top 25 this week, have won three straight games – and six of its last eight.
Last week, Colorado impressively swept the L.A. schools behind the brilliant play of McKinley Wright, who was named the Pac-12 Player of the Week for his efforts. Wright tallied 15 points and a career-high 14 assists against USC on Thursday and followed it up with 26-point, six-assist effort versus UCLA on Saturday.
Wright’s impressive week is hardly a shocker, considering the senior point guard has been the driving force all season for a talented and experienced Colorado team, which is a lock to make its first NCAA Tournament in five years. (*Note: The Buffs were projected to make last season’s tourney, which was canceled due to the pandemic.)
What makes Colorado so formidable is its efficiency on both ends of the floor.
The team’s defense, which ranks 28th nationally according to KenPom, has been particularly effective this season. The Buffs have allowed the fewest points (65.1 per game) in league play and held opponents to a mere 43 percent shooting.
If that’s not impressive enough, Colorado has taken its defense to another level in recent weeks. In the last seven games, the Buffs have stifled Pac-12 opponents, limiting them to 58.7 points on 39 percent shooting.
At the other end of the floor, the Buffs are equally dangerous and boast a top-20 offense. Colorado doesn’t necessarily score a ton of points (72.1 per game in league play), but that’s mostly a byproduct of their slow style of play.
The Buffs, however, have an extremely efficient offense, thanks in large part to their impressive shooting numbers. On the season, they’ve hit 46 percent from the field, 37 percent from 3-point range, and an eye-popping 83 percent at the free throw line – which leads the nation. Equally important, they take great care of the ball and average only 11.2 turnovers per game.
Wright, who recently became the program’s all-time assist leader, orchestrates Colorado’s uber-efficient offense. The savvy floor general is enjoying a banner senior season. In addition to being the league’s assist leader (5.8 per game), he also ranks in the top-10 in scoring (15.0) and free throw percentage (.843). When it’s all said and done, Wright will undoubtedly go down as one of the greatest players in program history.
Joining Wright in the starting backcourt is fellow senior D’Shawn Schwartz. The athletic 6-7 wing has struggled with his shot this season (38.8 percent), but provides versatility and experience on the perimeter. Also starting in the backcourt is junior Eli Parquet. After being a role player during his first two seasons in Boulder, Parquet has become a key member of this year’s squad. The 6-3 shooting guard is one of the better 3-and-D players in the Pac-12.
In the frontcourt, Colorado leans heavily on redshirt junior Evan Battey. The versatile 6-8 power forward looks like he should be a defensive lineman for CU’s football squad but instead anchors the Buffs’ front line. Battey, who averages 10 points and 5.2 rebounds per game, is a crafty big man with soft hands and agile feet.
Rounding out the starting five is redshirt senior Dallas Walton. The 7-foot center doesn’t log a ton of minutes (15.7 per game) but is an efficient shooter (56 percent) on offense and provides a shot blocking presence on the other end of the floor.
Colorado also has one of the better benches in the Pac-12.
The Buffs’ second unit is led by Jeriah Horne, a grad transfer from Tulsa. In addition to being one of the top-scoring reserves in the conference (11.5 per game), he also leads the team in rebounding (5.7). When Horne is on the court; he gives Colorado’s offense a different dynamic with his shooting ability. He’s one of the few 50-40-90 shooters in all of college basketball.
The Buffs also get significant bench contributions from senior wing Maddox Daniels (5.9 PPG) and freshman forward Jabari Walker (7.7 PPG). Freshmen Keeshawn Barthelemy and Tristan da Silva round out the rotation.
Probable Starters:
ASU
G Remy Martin, 6-0, Sr. (21.3 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 3.8 APG)
G Holland Woods, 6-1, Sr. (6.1 PPG, 2.2 RPG, 1.9 APG)
G Alonzo Verge, 6-3, Sr. (12.9 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 4.1 APG)
F Kimani Lawrence, 6-8, Sr. (8.2 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 0.7 APG)
F Jalen Graham, 6-9, Jr. (8.1 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 1.8 BPG)
Colorado
G McKinley Wright IV, 6-0, Sr. (15.0 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 5.8 APG)
G Eli Parquet, 6-3, Jr. (5.7 PPG, 2.0 RPG, 44.7% 3PT)
G D’Shawn Schwartz, 6-7, Sr. (8.7 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 1.2 APG)
F Evan Battey, 6-8, R-Jr. (10.0 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 1.0 APG)
C Dallas Walton, 7-0, R-Sr. (7.3 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 55.8% FG)
Key Stat: Remy Martin has scored 20 or more points in eight consecutive games, which ties the school-record (along with former ASU standout Eddie House). The senior guard is looking to make history on Thursday night against Colorado.
X-Factor: Can ASU continue its hot 3-point shooting? The Sun Devils’ early-season struggles from beyond the arc were well documented. Through the first 16 games of the season, ASU shot only 31.9 percent from 3-point range.
In the last five games, however, the Sun Devils have been red-hot from beyond the arc, hitting nearly 41 percent of their 3-point attempts.
Prediction: Colorado 72, ASU 65
Game Info:
Time: 7:00 pm MST
Where: CU Events Center – Boulder, Colo.
TV/Radio: ESPN2 / 620 AM
