Aiming to keep its momentum flowing, Arizona State (10-3, 1-1 Big 12) showed bounds of progress in its second game of conference play, dominating visitors Colorado en route to an 81-61 win. Now, head coach Bobby Hurley attempts to repeat his team's quality performance against fierce Blue Blood No. 11 Kansas (10-3, 1-1 Big 12).

After an underwhelming performance against BYU on New Year’s Eve, a bounce-back game was necessary for the Sun Devils to stay the course amid lofty expectations for the 2024-25 season. They did just that on Saturday, dominating the Buffs on both ends, led by senior guard BJ Freeman’s 19 points on 8-12 shooting. His execution was coupled with a double-double from five-star freshman phenom Jayden Quaintance. The 17-year-old finished with 11 points and 10 rebounds, along with three blocks. He remains second in the country in blocks per game at 3.15.

ASU managed its impressive win despite the absence of its leading scorer, freshman guard Joson Sanon, who suffered a mild ankle sprain against BYU. On Tuesday, Hurley provided a hopeful update on Sanon’s progression ahead of the Kansas showdown.

With Sanon’s status unknown for Wednesday, the Jayhawks will feel primed for another impressive performance after steamrolling UCF 99-48, notching the second-largest margin of victory in program history. Led by 7-foot-2 graduate Hunter Dickinson’s 27-point night, Kansas has been a dominant force all season, defeating No. 4 Duke as well as No. 16 Michigan State in neutral-site matchups leading into conference play.

Offensively, Bill Self’s side doesn’t jump off the page in any statistical category, barring assists. The team's 19 assists per game are second in the Big 12, as the Jayhawks' assist totals have proven a telltale sign of success. They’re undefeated when tallying 17 assists or more and winless when failing to generate more than 13 assists.

“They looked like a top-five team against UCF on the road in their last game,” ASU head coach Bobby Hurley said. “Their defense was outstanding. They have better players, guard play, obviously interior play. So they're the real deal. It's scary because they've lost a tough one against West Virginia at home. I don't know if they've ever lost two in a row at Allen Fieldhouse. We're going to go in and give everything we've got tomorrow (Wednesday) night.”

Reflective of the Big 12 conference’s approach, Kansas dominates games on the defensive end of the floor, holding opponents to 64.3 points per game, the fourth-best mark in the Big 12, as just one opponent has reached the 75-point mark on the Jayhawks all season. This is an obvious area of concern for the Sun Devils, who average 77 points per game.

Dickinson leads the way for Kansas on both ends of the floor. The 24-year-old averages team highs in points per game (16), rebounds per game (10.5), and blocks per game (1.5), anchoring the painted area on both ends.

Using his large frame and years of collegiate experience, expect Dickinson to attack Quaintance on the low block, aiming to overpower him and bait the often overeager shot blocker into foul trouble. This will seemingly be Quaintance's most challenging battle since stepping foot in Tempe. Still, signs indicate consistent improvement, as his 11 points against Colorado marked his seventh double-figure scoring night in nine outings.

Loaded with experience, expect senior guard Dajuan Harris Jr. to attack ASU for all 40 minutes. As the Jayhawks' third-leading scorer, the crafty 6-foot-2 playmaker averages a team-high 5.5 assists and 1.5 steals per game. Harris aims to get downhill and find Dickinson inside or kick out to shooters, but don’t expect any primary defenders to test his range as a willing three-point shooter. Harris shoots over 30% from beyond the arc.

A matchup nightmare for any defense appears in Kansas’ second-leading scorer, senior guard Zeke Mayo. A Lawrence, Kansas, native, Mayo spent the first three seasons of his collegiate career at South Dakota State, winning the 2024 Summit League Player of the Year.

In his new threads, the hometown scorer continues to excel on all three levels, averaging 14 points per game with 46/36/86 splits. Mayo’s impact wasn't needed in their merciless win over UCF; however, in the three games prior to that, he averaged 26 points per game. Mayo leads Kansas in 25-point scoring nights with three.

ESPN’s matchup predictor gives ASU a mere 9.7% chance to walk out of Allen Fieldhouse victorious on Wednesday—an unsurprising total when disclosing its 1-3 record against Quad 1 opponents while potentially missing a five-star freshman and leading scorer in Sanon. So, what do the Sun Devils need to defeat their first Blue Blood as a member of the Big 12?

ASU must shoot the ball well from the outside on Wednesday. All three of its defeats occurred when shooting under 40% from three-point range. On the season, Hurley’s side converts 37.6% of its shots beyond the arc, including eight games over 40%.

The second marker of success will be dictated by the battle between Quaintance and Dickinson. While hinting at ways the elder Dickinson will likely exploit a young Quaintance, it’s probable Hurley throws more than one defender at the Jayhawks' leading scorer, utilizing backup big man 7-foot junior Shawn Phillips Jr., who played 17 minutes against the Buffs. Hurley has resorted to a Quaintance and Phillips Jr. frontcourt in nearly every game in the 2024-25 season for lengthy stretches, and that will likely increase with a matchup nightmare like Dickinson patrolling the lane.

The final key for the Sun Devils is, as ever, taking care of the basketball. They’re committing the third-most turnovers per game in the conference with 13, a far cry from Kansas’ 10.2 per contest, which is the fourth-best mark. This ratio becomes ever more noteworthy as ASU is also last in the conference in steals per game, with just six. So, if they fail to create turnovers defensively, they cannot afford to play self-sabotaging basketball by committing turnovers as well.

Playing the Jayhawks on the road is a matchup circled on the calendar for any team in the country. Now part of the Big 12 Conference, these are the occasions that every Sun Devil basketball fan awaits. A win against Kansas appears highly unlikely; however, this matchup could place ASU on the national map if they can come away with the improbable victory.

The game will tip off on Wednesday, January 8, at 7 p.m. on ESPN+.

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