After winning its conference opener last week, Arizona State (3-1 overall, 1-0 conference) returns to the court for a top-25 matchup against San Diego State on Thursday night.
The Sun Devils, which jumped two spots to No. 23 in this week’s AP Poll, had to overcome a few obstacles to secure the road win at Cal.
ASU was without senior guard Alonzo Verge, who missed his second consecutive game due to contract-tracing protocols and multiple members of the coaching staff, including associate head coach Rashon Burno and director of team operations Eric Brown.
In his weekly radio interview with Doug & Wolf on 98.7 FM, Bobby Hurley referred to his coaching staff as a ‘skeleton crew’ and admitted it was a challenge not being at full strength against Cal.
Luckily for Hurley, his senior point guard, Remy Martin, did make the trip to Berkeley, and the Preseason All-American was fantastic.
In one of the best performances of his Sun Devil career, Martin had an extremely efficient 22 points on 8-of-11 shooting from the field and 6-of-7 from the charity stripe. He also chipped in five assists, four rebounds, and two steals.
And in typical fashion, Martin once again delivered in crunch time, which drew high praise from his coach.
“He has been so special since he walked in the door,” Hurley said of Martin. “He just has all the right qualities you look for in a leader and worker. He’s a guy that wants to be great at what he’s doing.”
“He’s made some subtle adjustments to his game. He’s really focusing more on finding his teammates, understanding that he’s got so much talent around him, he’s trying to make guys better. But at the same time, when the chips are down in crunch time, he’s there and usually delivers in those situations.”
Martin’s performance was nearly overshadowed by a late-game injury to Marcus Bagley. In real time, it appeared the freshman forward sustained an Achilles injury, and some feared the worst.
Luckily, an MRI revealed no structural damage to the Achilles tendon or any other tendons. It was eventually ruled a mild calf strain, and Bagley is considered a game-time decision for Thursday’s contest.
However, in a Zoom call with media members on Wednesday, Hurley did not sound overly confident that the freshman would be able to play. If Bagley is unavailable, look for junior Taeshon Cherry or senior Kimani Lawrence to take his spot in the starting lineup.
Although ASU may have to go to battle without Bagley, they should have Verge's services, who was recently cleared to play and is expected to assume his role in the starting five.
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San Diego State (4-0) enters Thursday’s matchup on the heels of a massive comeback win over Pepperdine this past Sunday. They trailed by as many as 16 points against the Waves but stormed back to secure a 65-60 victory.
It continues an impressive start for the Aztecs, who cracked this week’s AP Poll at No. 24.
Despite losing three starters from last year’s squad—including consensus All-American Malachi Flynn—SDSU has looked formidable thus far. They handily beat Pac-12 favorite UCLA by 15 in their season opener and have not looked back.
Much of the Aztec’s early-season success can be attributed to its suffocating defense, which has held opponents to 54.3 points per game, the 9th fewest in the country. According to KenPom, the team’s defensive efficiency ranks in the top-25 nationally.
On the other end of the floor, SDSU has benefitted from a well-balanced scoring attack with nine players averaging at least six points per game.
Hurley has the utmost respect for the Aztecs, who he said would provide a challenging early-season test for the Sun Devils.
“I really respect, as a coach, how San Diego State plays,” Hurley explained in a Zoom call on Wednesday. “How they defend, how unselfish they play, they’re a very deep team, they play together, they play to win -- and those are great habits.”
“You can tell there’s a really good culture there, and they have a physicality and mental toughness about them that is noticeable when you watch them. So if you’re weak-minded, or if you’re not strong with the ball, in a game like this, they can really expose you.”
The Aztecs are also a veteran-laden group, with eight of its ten rotation players being upperclassmen. Second-year head coach Brian Dutcher has leaned heavily on a pair of seniors—Jordan Schakel and Matt Mitchell—to set the tone for this year’s team.
Schakel, a 6-foot-6 wing, leads the team in scoring (12.8 points per game) and is one of the top shooters in the Mountain West Conference. Over the course of his career, he’s connected on 41 percent of his 3-point attempts.
Mitchell, a sturdy 6-foot-6 forward, was an All-Mountain West First Team selection last season. He has been a four-year starter during his Aztec career and is considered one of the most versatile players in the country.
Fellow senior Trey Pulliam replaced Flynn as the team’s starting point guard and has been solid in that capacity. He has an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.7 and is a steadying presence in the backcourt.
Rounding out the starting five is a pair of juniors Nathan Mensah and Aguek Arop. Mensah, an athletic 6-foot-10 center, is known for his rebounding and shot blocking ability, while Arop, a 6-foot-6 wing, is a gritty defender and a solid rebounder for his size.
In addition to being an experienced group, SDSU has plenty of depth on its roster, and Dutcher has used (at least) a 10-man rotation in most games this season.
The Aztecs’ second unit is led by a trio of seniors –Terrell Gomez, Joshua Tomaic, and Adam Seiko – who provide scoring and experience off the bench. The rotation is rounded out by sophomore wing Keshad Johnson and freshman guard Lamont Butler.
Probable Starters:
G Remy Martin (17.3 PPG, 4 APG) / G Trey Pulliam (6.3 PPG, 3.5 APG)
G Alonzo Verge (15 PPG, 5.5 RPG / G Jordan Schackel (12.8 PPG, 3.3 RPG)
G Josh Christopher (17.5 PPG, 4.3 RPG) / F Aguek Arop (7.3 PPG, 5 RPG)
F Taeshon Cherry (5.3 PPG, 2 RPG) / F Matt Mitchell (12.3 PPG, 3.8 RPG)
F Jalen Graham (4.5 PPG, 2.8 RPG) / C Nathan Mensah (7 PPG, 6.3 RPG)
Key Stat: In the previous 37 seasons before Hurley was hired, ASU won a total of six non-conference games against ranked opponents. However, since Hurley has been the Sun Devil head coach, the program has already won five such games and aims for a sixth on Thursday night.
X-Factor: Which team can dictate the tempo? Thursday’s game is a matchup of contrasting styles, and the outcome could be decided by which team controls the tempo. It’s no secret that ASU would prefer a track meet, while San Diego State is perfectly content to grind it out and make it a half-court game.
According to KenPom, the Sun Devils average 75.9 possessions per 40 minutes, which is the country's 15th-fastest tempo. Conversely, the Aztecs average only 68.8 possessions, which ranks 327th nationally (out of 357 teams).
Prediction: ASU 68, San Diego State 63
Game Info:
When: 8:00 pm MST
Where: Desert Financial Arena – Tempe, Ariz.
TV: FS1
Radio: 98.7 FM / Sirius 137 / XM 97
Up Next: ASU will play at Grand Canyon on Sunday, Dec. 13.
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