Arizona State (7-9 overall, 4-6 in conference) hits the road this week for a critical two-game stand, which kicks off with a Wednesday night showdown against No. 17 USC.
ASU, who has won three of its last four, has played some of its best basketball of the season in recent weeks. And although there is still plenty of room for improvement, the Sun Devils seem to be trending in the right direction as the regular season draws to a conclusion.
In what has become an all-too-familiar refrain for ASU this season, the team had to overcome a short-handed roster in its latest win on Sunday. With only seven scholarship players available, the Sun Devils were able to eek out a 75-73 win against a solid Oregon State squad.
Remy Martin once again led the way for ASU, scoring a game-high 23 points. The senior guard only shot 5-of-18 from the field but nailed a clutch 3-pointer with 37 seconds remaining, which proved to be the difference.
Jalen Graham also played a key role in the win, notching his second career double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds. It was another impressive performance from the rising sophomore, who has elevated his play in recent weeks. Over the last six games, Graham is averaging 11.7 points and 6.8 rebounds per game while shooting 68 percent from the field.
Alonzo Verge (15 points) and Holland Woods (10 points)—who both started in place of injured ASU players Marcus Bagley and Josh Christopher—also scored in double-digits for the Sun Devils.
Sunday’s win continued a positive trend for ASU, who has done a much better job of finishing out close games. In fact, the Sun Devils’ last three wins—versus Cal, Stanford, and Oregon State—have all been by four points or less. That’s a stark contrast from earlier in the season, when the Sun Devils lost a trio of narrow contests versus UCLA, Arizona, and (at) Oregon State.
“Being in a lot of close games, you learn how to make enough winning plays,” Bobby Hurley said during his weekly radio interview with Doug & Wolf on Tuesday.
“I thought we did a nice job of executing [down the stretch on Sunday]…Remy made a big three, Jaelen House had an excellent drive and dish to Jalen Graham (for a dunk), and Remy (also) made some free throws, so we did some nice things at the end to close that game out.”
Hurley is hopeful his squad can carry that momentum into Los Angeles, where the Sun Devils face against a formidable Trojan team.
“USC is going to present a big challenge for us,” Hurley said.
“They’re one of the biggest teams in the country. In our first matchup, we really struggled even to get some shots off. They got some great size and guys that can block shots in the frontcourt. So we gotta be really good with our ball movement and make the extra pass.”
If ASU hopes to pull off the upset at the Galen Center on Wednesday; it could really benefit from getting some of its players back into the fold.
Hurley said that Bagley (ankle) and Josh Christopher (lower back contusion) are considered day-to-day. He said both players would likely be held out of Tuesday’s practice but would be traveling with the team to Los Angeles.
However, Hurley did not comment on the status of forward Pavlo Dziuba, who has been out for a couple of weeks due to COVID protocols, or guard Caleb Christopher, who missed Sunday’s game due to personal reasons. Junior Taeshon Cherry, who has only played in seven games this season, continues to take time away from the team for personal reasons.
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USC (17-3 overall, 11-2 conference) enters Wednesday’s contest as one of the country's hottest teams. The Trojans have won six straight and 12 of its last 13 games.
Heading into the season, nobody questioned the talent on USC’s roster. But with only three scholarship players returning from last year’s squad, many pundits questioned if the Trojans would have chemistry issues with so many newcomers in the fold.
Well, it’s safe to say USC has silenced the critics.
The Trojans, who currently sit atop the Pac-12 standings, look like a legitimate threat to make a deep run in March. They have all the necessary elements for postseason success: talent, size, athleticism, experience, defense, and rebounding.
Contrary to other USC teams during the Andy Enfield era, this squad has actually made its living on the defensive end of the floor.
Their defensive efficiency is ranked 10th in the country, according to KenPom, and the Trojans are holding Pac-12 opponents to a measly 63.2 points per game on 39 percent shooting, both of which are league-low marks.
USC, which has one of the tallest rosters in the nation, has utilized its size to suffocate opponents on the defensive end. On the season, the Trojans rank in the top-15 nationally in total rebounds (40.7 per game), blocked shots (5.7), and defensive field goal percentage (.379).
If that’s not scary enough, the Trojans also have a top-30 offense as well.
The team shoots a respectable clip from the field (.467), but what makes them so dangerous is their ability to get to the free throw line (23.2 FT attempts per game) and manufacture second-chance points via offensive rebounds. They average a league-best 12.5 offensive boards per game.
Leading the way for USC is freshman sensation, Evan Mobley. The 7-foot forward, who is a projected top-5 pick in this summer’s NBA Draft, has been an absolute stud this season. He is averaging 16.6 points per game on 58.8 percent shooting, and leads the conference in rebounds (9.0) and blocks (3.1). Mobley is currently the odds-on favorite to win the Pac-12 POY award.
Starting alongside Evan in the frontcourt is his older brother, Isaiah, a 6-foot-10 forward. The elder Mobley is enjoying a solid sophomore campaign, averaging 9.3 points and 7.6 rebounds per game. Like his brother, Isaiah is quick and agile, which also makes him an outstanding defender.
In the backcourt, USC has leaned heavily on a trio of transfers – Tahj Eaddy, Drew Peterson, and Isaiah White.
Eaddy, a grad transfer from Santa Clara, took the reins of USC’s offense when Ethan Anderson went down with a back injury in early December. Eaddy, who was utilized more as a combo guard during his time at Santa Clara has flourished as USC’s starting point guard this season. He scored a season-high 29 points in the Trojans’ win over Washington State on Saturday.
Peterson, a transfer from Rice, has been an instrumental part of the Trojan attack this season. The 6-foot-8 shooting guard is extremely long, versatile, and skilled. Peterson, a junior, possesses a high basketball IQ and sweet outside shot (35.2 percent from beyond the arc), which has NBA scouts salivating over his long-term potential.
White, a grad transfer from Utah Valley, rounds out USC’s starting five. Like Eaddy and Peterson, he made the jump from a smaller conference (WAC) and has flourished in the Pac-12 this season. The 6-foot-7 wing is known for his athleticism, versatility, and defensive instincts. Although he was a capable scorer at Utah Valley, White has embraced his role as a glue guy and defensive stopper for the Trojans.
USC also has a solid second unit. Enfield typically utilizes a nine-man rotation, with a bulk of the bench minutes going to sophomore guard Ethan Anderson (6.2 PPG) and senior forward Chevez Goodwin (6.2 PPG, 4.1 RPG).
Rounding out the Trojans’ regular rotation is junior guard Noah Baumann (4.5 PPG) and sophomore wing Max Agbonkpolo (3.9 PPG).
Probable Starters:
ASU
G Remy Martin, 6-0, Sr. (19.2 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 4 APG)
G Alonzo Verge, 6-3, Sr. (13.1 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 3.5 APG)
F Marcus Bagley, 6-8, Fr. (11.8 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 1.2 APG)
F Kimani Lawrence, 6-8, Sr. (4.9 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 0.4 APG)
F Jalen Graham, 6-9, Jr. (8.4 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 1.8 BPG)
USC
G Tahj Eaddy, 6-2, R-Sr. (13.5 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 2.6 APG)
G Drew Peterson, 6-8, Jr. (9.2 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 3.1 APG)
G/F Isaiah White, 6-7, R-Sr. (7.7 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 0.9 SPG)
F Isaiah Mobley, 6-10, So. (9.3 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 1.0 BPG)
F Evan Mobley, 7-0, Fr. (16.6 PPG, 9.0 RPG, 3.1 BPG)
Key Stat: Remy Martin has taken his game up a notch in recent weeks. Over the last five games, the senior is averaging 23.8 points per game.
X-Factor: ASU’s speed vs. USC’s size - The Trojans have an undeniable advantage in the paint with its surplus of bigs (Mobley brothers, Goodwin, Coulibaly), but if there’s an area where USC is vulnerable, it’s on the perimeter.
They’ve struggled to contain smaller and quicker guards, which of course, the Sun Devils have in spades. Whichever team can exploit its strength on Wednesday could walk away with the victory.
Prediction: USC 67, ASU 62
Game Info:
When: 6:00 pm MST
Where: Galen Center – Los Angeles, Calif.
TV/Radio: ESPN2 / 98.7 FM
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