For only the second time in program history, Arizona State (8-2 overall) will host the top-ranked team in the country when Kansas comes to Tempe for a Saturday night showdown between top-20 teams.
The Sun Devils, who are currently ranked 18th in the AP Poll, are hoping for back-to-back wins against the blue-blood program. The two teams met last season in Lawrence, and ASU stunned the then-ranked No. 2 Jayhawks at Allen Fieldhouse. Behind a combined 58 points from Shannon Evans, Tra Holder and Kodi Justice, the Sun Devils escaped with a dramatic 95-85 win.
The aforementioned trio is long gone, so ASU will rely on a new cast of characters this time around, including freshman standout Luguentz Dort, who leads the team in scoring (19.8 per game). The athletic 6-4 guard has been terrific early in the season but is coming off his worst game as a collegiate.
He tallied a season-low 10 points on 3-of-13 shooting and committed three turnovers in Monday’s 81-65 loss at Vanderbilt. It was a frustrating night for Dort, who was whistled for a technical foul in the closing minutes of the game after he expressed his displeasure with the officiating.
As a team, the Sun Devils didn’t fare much better. They shot a season-low 32.3 percent from the field, including 7-of-24 from beyond the arc. ASU’s offense looked out-of-sync for most of the night, and coach Bobby Hurley knows his team will need a better performance against Kansas if they hope to pull off the upset.
“We have to put some work in this week on offense,” Hurley said in a radio interview on 98.7 FM on Thursday. “We’re gonna try to clean some things up offensively and play a little better on that end of the floor.”
A silver lining in the Vanderbilt loss: the play of shooting guard Rob Edwards. The redshirt junior had his best game as a Sun Devil, pumping in 14 points off the bench. Edwards, who was considered one of the team’s top offensive players heading into the season, missed six games after injuring his back in the season opener on Nov. 6 against Cal State-Fullerton.
He is slowly getting healthy and returning to form, which is a positive sign for the Sun Devils, who will need all the production they can get if they hope to upset the top-ranked Jayhawks in front of more than two dozen NBA scouts and several celebrities.
Kansas (10-0) enters Saturday’s contest in familiar territory. Sitting atop the polls is nothing new for the Jayhawks, who have won 14 (!) consecutive Big-12 titles. Unlike recent years, however, this year’s squad has not looked as formidable on the court.
In fact, the Jayhawks have had a number of close calls early in the season. They needed overtime to beat Tennessee and almost lost at home against lesser opponents like Stanford, New Mexico State, and Villanova.
And yet, Kansas has managed to survive the “scares” and trot into Tempe with an unblemished record. They are looking to add another win to an already impressive résumé, which includes victories over Michigan State, Tennessee, and Marquette.
The Jayhawks’ roster features a few holdovers from last season’s team, but this year’s group also includes a number of highly-touted freshmen and transfers, including junior Dedric Lawson, who sat out last season after transferring from Memphis.
Lawson, who was selected as a preseason All-American, has proven to be worth the wait. The 6-9 forward is averaging a team-high 19.7 points and 11.1 rebounds per game and has been a matchup nightmare for opposing big men.
The emotional leader of the team, however, is senior guard Lagerald Vick. A role player during first three seasons at Kansas, Vick has emerged as a bonafide star for the Jayhawks this year. He is averaging 17.1 points per game while shooting 52.5 percent from the floor.
If that’s not impressive enough, the 6-5 wing is connecting on (a ridiculous) 54 percent of his 3-point attempts this season, which ranks fifth best among all Division-1 players with enough attempts to be considered.
In the backcourt, Kansas starts a pair of freshmen in Devin Dotson and Quentin Grimes. Both were McDonald’s All-Americans in high school and arrived in Lawrence with a ton of hype. The duo has had solid—but not great—rookie campaigns thus far. Grimes, in particular, has struggled at times this season and is still trying to find his footing.
Junior center Udoka Azubuike usually rounds out the starting five, however, he has missed the last three games with an ankle injury. On Thursday, Kansas head coach Bill Self told reporters that Azubuike is “doubtful” for Saturday’s contest.
If Azubuike does not play, look for Self to go with a smaller lineup. Sophomore guard Marcus Garrett has started in the absence of the Jayhawks’ star big man.
Kansas has quality depth and typically goes ten deep, with Garrett and sophomore guard Charlie Moore getting the bulk of the minutes off the bench. Reserve forwards Mitch Lightfoot and K.J. Lawson (Dedric’s younger brother) also factor into the rotation. Don’t be surprised to see freshman center David McCormack get more action on Saturday, especially if Azubuike is unable to play.
Probable Starters:
G – Remy Martin (11.6 PPG, 3.8 APG) / G – Devon Dotson (10.7 PPG, 2.8 APG)
G – Luguentz Dort (19.8 PPG, 5.5 RPG) / G – Quentin Grimes (7.3 PPG, 2.2 RPG)
F – Kimani Lawrence (13.1 PPG, 4.3 RPG) / G – Marcus Garrett (6 PPG, 3.4 RPG)
F – Zylan Cheatham (11.9 PPG, 10.1 RPG) / G – Lagerald Vick (17.1 PPG, 4.4 RPG)
F – Romello White (8.1 PPG, 5.4 RPG) / F – Dedric Lawson (19.7 PPG, 11.1 RPG)
Why ASU Can Win: Despite the Sun Devils’ recent struggles on the offensive end—they have shot only 37.7 percent over the last three games—the team continues to control the glass and play tough defense. In fact, the Sun Devils have been out-rebounded only once this season (against Utah State), and their rebounding margin of plus-10.7 per game ranks 11th best in the nation.
The Sun Devils have also taken better care of the ball in recent weeks. In the first eight games of the season, they averaged 15.1 turnovers per contest. In the last two, they have committed only 11 per game.
If ASU wins the battle on the boards, minimizes the number of turnovers and re-discovers its shooting touch, a win over the top-ranked Jayhawks is not out of the question. The Sun Devils should also benefit from a significant home-court advantage. With an expected sell-out on Saturday, “The Bank” should be rocking for this marquee matchup.
Why Kansas Can Win: With its talent, size, depth, and athleticism, the Jayhawks can match up against anyone in the country. This is a well-balanced team that does not have any glaring weakness. According to KenPom, Kansas is ranked in the top-10 nationally in both adjusted offensive efficiency and adjusted defensive efficiency.
Translation: this team is good.
It also helps that Kansas has two of the best players in college basketball in Lawson and Vick. If it’s a tight game, this dynamic duo has the ability to take over and secure the win. That’s a luxury that most teams do not possess.
Key Stat: This game marks the tenth time in program history that ASU has played the top-ranked team in the nation. The Sun Devils have an all-time record of 1-8 in these contests. The lone win came in Corvallis on Mar. 7, 1981, when ASU upset Oregon State 87-67.
X-Factor: Getting Dort back on track. The freshman phenom had a rough road trip this past week, averaging 11 points per game while shooting only 5-of-23 from the field. If the Sun Devils have any chance of winning Saturday’s contest, they will need a big performance from its star guard.
Prediction: ASU 77, Kansas 74
Game Info:
When: 7:00 pm MST
Where: Wells Fargo Arena – Tempe, Ariz.
TV/Radio: ESPN2 / 620 AM
