ASU’s current five starters average between 26 and 33 minutes a game. No reserve for the Sun Devils has logged more than 12 minutes per contest. Keeping his roster fresh is perhaps the biggest hurdle facing head coach Bobby Hurley, who’s team begins conference play on Friday at Stanford, followed by a visit to Cal on Sunday.
Even in a proverbial blowout game just prior to Christmas break versus Central Arkansas, each of Arizona State’s starters played 33 minutes or more in a game that was never in doubt. Yes, that is the reality the team faces as its three scholarship reserve players in that contest were all newcomers going through the natural rigors of acclimation to Division I basketball.
“Roster management, knowing we are not extremely deep right now,” Hurley listed as his team’s biggest challenge in Pac-12 play. “Giving them the reps in practice yet keeping them healthy. There is renewed excitement with starting conference play. The guys had a nice little break and a solid practice yesterday. We are looking forward to getting better day by day.”
ASU could have a ninth scholarship player, junior guard Maurice O’Field, available this week assuming that he will be out of the concussion protocol that has sidelined him for the last three games.
“Maurice practiced yesterday,” Hurley commented, “he’s still going to get reevaluated tomorrow. So his status is still up in the air.”
Hurley added that he does expect his starting lineup to be fluid the rest of the season. There will be times where freshman forward Jethro Tshisumpa could be in the starting five to add size and counter the opponents’ strengths.
“Our rotation will be pretty tight regardless,” Hurley said. “Jethro will get his opportunities. If he’s able to play the way he has in certain non-conference games he adds a real positive dimension to our team.
“Otherwise we do have the flexibility of going smaller.”
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Senior Torian Graham who sat out last season due to NCAA transfer rules, and at one point was suspended from the team, entered this year as an unknown commodity. Throughout the season, the guard has emerged as one of the team’s leading scorer averaging 17.8 points per game as well as pacing the team with 36 made three pointers and pacing the Sun Devils shooting 46.8 percent overall from the field.
“Torian was always a very talented guy,” Hurley described. “He was a highly regarded player in high school that took the JUCO route and was off the scene for a while. He’s put it all together this year in terms of his approach. He’s pushed himself every day in practice and has been very dependable. He’s one of our best perimeter defenders and rebounders.
“He’s always had a natural ability to score. I’m very, very pleased with what he has been able to do for us this year.”
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Arizona State’s conference opener versus Stanford will showcase an 8-4 Cardinal team that isn’t necessarily an explosive posting 68.5 points per game, but also one that has limited its opponents to 65.0 ppg.
“They have a deep roster and a number of players returning last year with good experience,” Hurley stated. “Reid Travis is one of the best interior players in the conference. He’s very physical and can also step away from the basket and is a great rebounder. So he’s a guy that has certainly changed their team, and (Robert) Cartwright at the point guard position also.
“They are very disciplined in their offense, they get good shots. They are holding opponents to a low field goal percentage and had some quality wins in non-conference play. It will be a very difficult game.”
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As ASU scouted one of its non-conference opponents this year, San Diego State, they also became more familiar with Cal who the Sun Devils will face in the second game of their Bay Area road trip this week. The Golden Bears’ center Ivan Raab and his impact on the team’s interior game are naturally the focal point of that squad.
“The presence he has inside,” Hurley stated, “and the play of Charlie Moore at point guard has been terrific. They have that inside-outside balance. Cuonzo (head coach Cuonzo Martin) gets those guys to play hard. It’s going to be an extremely difficult game.”
ASU will face Stanford on Thursday at 7 p.m. MT, and tip-off at Cal Sunday at 8 p.m. MT. Both games will air on the Pac-12 Networks.
