Arizona State Bobby Hurley said so in his first media availability of the 2016-17 season – his second bunch of Sun Devils had a chance to be “special” from behind the arc. At times, they have been.
Then, there have been days like Saturday.
The Sun Devils (9-8, 2-2 Pac-12) shot just 29.6 percent from the 3-point line on 27 attempts against the Utah Utes (11-4, 2-1), all but sealing the deal in an 88-82 home loss in front of 6,501 at Wells Fargo Arena in Tempe.
Given their obvious deficits in size, the pace they play and a number of gifted shooters they have, it made sense on paper for the Sun Devils to benefit from pushing the outside shots. They’ve done so effectively, taking 20 or more 3-point attempts in all but two of their 17 games this season.
What has happened as a consequence, however, is a make-or-break result being dependent on just one stat line in the box score.
Saturday, the Utes' strong second half that included shooting 50 percent from deep for the game and going 5-for-8 in the second half alone. They would shoot 69 percent from the floor overall in the second half, taking advantage of a pressing ASU defense for some easy dunks along the way.
The Sun Devils, leading 45-40 early in the second half, suddenly fell cold and allowed Utah to take control. They hit just two of their 11 attempts (18.2 percent) from behind the 3-point line in the second half. Only two players, Torian Graham and Kodi Justice, finished with multiple made 3s for the game.
It was much like the Cal game – another loss – where a suddenly stagnant ASU offense appeared in the second half.
“I just think sometimes we didn’t penetrate and find where the hole in their defense was and who was open,” Hurley said. “We need to do a better job of that, being aggressive, getting to spots and finding our open teammates.”
As has been the case seemingly all season, the wins have been dependent on the team’s 3-point shooting.
“They made shots and we didn't and that's what it came down to,” Justice said. “They hit open shots and we missed them. When we shoot a lower percentage from three, we usually have a hard time winning games. We didn't shoot well and they shot really well today.”
It’s more than just a two-game trend. In the team’s nine wins through Saturday’s game, the Sun Devils have hit 122 of their 261 attempts – a percentage of 46.7. In all but two of those games (their two season-opening wins against Portland State and Cal Poly), their number of made 3s was in double digits. Twice they tied the school record with 18 made 3s, against UNLV on Dec. 3 and versus Central Arkansas on Dec. 22.
The results in the losses, on the other hand, have been abhorrent. Twice they made as few as four 3-pointers, not once hitting double digits as they shot 55-for-199 – a percentage of 27.6.
“If you look at our box scores at the end of the game for most of the games we’ve played this year, if we shoot a fairly good percentage from three, then we have a really good chance to win,” Hurley said. “It seems that when we’re not quite there with our percentages from distance, then we struggle to win games. We’ve got to figure out how to do that a little better, more consistently. I think we have the potential to do that on a more consistent basis.”
A few of those losses – including Saturday’s Utah loss – have been kept close due to admirable defensive performances or just flat-out effort. But what ASU needs to do to avoid its bouts of streakiness is develop an offensive game that expands beyond just outside shots and drive-and-kicks. They struggle even with getting to the free-throw line, doing so just 22 total times over their recent two-game home stretch. Their opponents have attempted 40 shots in that same stretch.
“That’s not great,” Hurley said.
What ASU needs to do is evolve, and stop using their obvious lack of size and depth as a crutch to continue to jack up quick, inefficient shots and not run a full offense. With gifted guard play in Tra Holder and Shannon Evans to go with the scoring presence of Graham and Justice and Obinna Oleka’s versatile game, it’s certainly possible.
