Much has been said and written about the gauntlet of a schedule that ASU basketball will encounter in the Big 12, and on Wednesday night, they do meet not only No. 11 Kansas but also a foe that just eight years ago was upset by the Sun Devils in Lawrence. Just more reason, perhaps, for the already animated Allen Field House to turn up the noise level several more decibels.
“It's on par with all the top venues really, it's really loud,” Said ASU head coach Bobby Hurley. “You've got to take care of the ball. You can't make loud mistakes and get the crowd going. Momentum plays - you've got to try and avoid it if possible.
“We've worked on a lot more of hand signals, and just overall, having our players recognize they've got to look to the bench more and just be able to get the play calls so we're on the same page.”
This is why Arizona State’s upset win 95-85 on December 10, 2017, against then-No. 2 Kansas was perhaps a tad more special, due to that game night environment than the Sun Devils’ 80-76 win against the Jayhawks in Tempe on December 22, 2018. The headline-grabbing road win was, in essence, the birth of the ‘Guard U’ for ASU, as its trio of guards, Tra Holder. Shannon Evans and Remy Martin combined for 72 points that evening.
“We were off to a great start, playing with a lot of confidence,” Hurley recalled, “playing at a pretty high level. You never know what you're getting into when you go to a place like that against a team like that. So, it was a little bit of uncertainty and got behind early. I was thinking, ‘Uh-oh,’ and we kind of clawed our way back in. That group was really fun to coach. They were fearless, just how they competed. Their shot-making that day was off the charts. Individual performances that's what it takes to beat a team like Kansas.
“It’s a very knowledgeable crowd (at Kansas) who understands the game. It's no surprise, that’s the history in that building. I think the fans are super classy, too. Some places you go, and it's really loud, and you get this really classless vibe to it. But not there. The fans in Kansas were very complimentary of our players after that game. I couldn't believe how many people came up and said, ‘You guys really played a great game.’ That's what it's about, too: sportsmanship. Some places don't have it, but certainly Kansas does.”
A false report on the Barstool Arizona Instagram page stated that due to the fact that the ASU docuseries that was supposed to take place this season and fuel the program's NIL budget for the team didn’t materialize, that ASU wasn't able to meet its financial obligations namely to freshmen Jayden Quaintance and Joson Sanon. That report was debunked by both Quaintance’s father and Sanon himself, as Hurley felt confident that the program’s NIL structure wasn't only sufficient for this season but would continue to be in years to come.
“A lot of times in business, negotiations break down, and you don't get a deal done,” Hurley remarked. “So, we didn't get the deal that we hoped we could get with that. We're going to explore and be creative and try and find ways to maximize our NIL program, and we'll still continue to talk to people if we find a situation that makes sense. We have young, exciting players like Joson and JQ, and hopefully, guys that we're recruiting that could tell an amazing story if the right situation (docuseries) comes up and the deal comes up. Otherwise, I have an (ESPN feature) E60 myself, so I don't need extra publicity. I'm good.
“You saw it with the responses - we honor our commitments here. We've had great people support our NIL, like the Hobbs family and Nap Lawrence, just to name a few. Those guys have been great to me in trying to put together this team and really develop a strong NIL. They've been very supportive of Kenny (Dillingham) and what football is doing. So, we have it going right now, and there's great momentum. There are a lot of people that want to support our program and what we're doing here.
"I just feel like from an NIL standpoint, we could be very competitive. We're having a solid season. There's a lot more work to be done. Our young players are playing very well. I want to have a blended roster. I want to have portal guys, returning players, and I'm not going to abandon top high school recruits. We're going to try and get guys like JJQand Joson to come in here and help us win and be immediate impact guys and guys that are going to go on to the NBA. That's been our blueprint, to get a couple of high-level high school guys that can impact things right away and then supplement that and support them with experienced players.”
Sanon, who suffered an ankle injury in the December 31 game at BYU and sat out the game against Colorado last Saturday, has been progressing at a good rate, which gives him a chance to see the court on Wednesday night.
“I would say Joson would be game-time (decision),” Hurley noted. “He was a partial participant the last two days, but he was out there not for the entirety of our practice. We're just going to see what he looks like tomorrow at the shootaround in the morning and then make a determination in the afternoon. Initially, we thought it would take more time. He's really healed quickly, and he's worked very hard with his rehab to even have a chance to play tomorrow. He desperately wants to play, but we have to see that he's moving the right way, and he looks like himself out there.”
Hurley added that mid-year addition Trevor Best, who arrived on campus last week, will need to go through an acclimation period before he sees the floor.
“Trevor's very athletic, and he can shoot it,” Hurley described. He's played with Jayden, so they have a good relationship already. We're going to take it slow and allow him to learn. But we're excited about the future and what he can bring. He's a change-of-pace type of guy and has got great athleticism.”
Jayden Quaintance has grown more and more comfortable in his starting role, averaging 11.1 points and 9.7 rebounds in the past nine games. His 11 points and 10 rebounds in the win over Colorado marked his fourth double-double of the season. He is one of only five Big 12 players with four or more double-doubles this year. His 41 blocks thus far place him in the top 5 in the nation, as he surpassed Pac-12 career blocks leader Jordan Bachynski on the ASU freshman single-season blocks list and has posted six 4-plus block performances this season. He is also on pace to become the program's all-time leader in rebounds per game by a freshman, a record previously held by Ike Diogu back in 2002-03.
“Defensively, I've started off pretty well,” Quaintance described. “I've still been trying to find my way offensively, find a little bit more consistency with my jump shot and with my free throws. But I feel like we started all right so far and just trying to keep it going, keep winning, keep the momentum.
“I had to kind of slow down a little bit (offensively), trust my shot a little bit more, and trust the work I've been putting in trying to find my way into offense. I feel like I've been doing that well, especially over the last couple of games, finding my rhythm, finding my tempo. There are two sides of the court. You've got to be able to play both and, in fact, win on both sides. You can't just impact offensively or defensively, so you've got to take pride in the whole thing.”
The freshman admitted that guarding ball screens is the one aspect of his game where he improved the most from the beginning of the year. He also said that encountering various styles of plays by opponents this season has helped him hone that skill and his overall skills.
Quaintance is excited to reunite with his Raleigh (NC ) Word of God Christian Academy teammate Trevor Best and looks forward to rekindling their chemistry from that season in Tempe.
“He's a really athletic player, really good slasher,” Quaintance said. “He's also able to be a good shooter. He's real versatile, and he's one of the biggest competitors I've played with. He's always looking to win and just kind of always had that chip on his shoulder. I feel like he’s going to bring a lot to the team, and that's going to help us win for sure. We talked about adapting to the college lifestyle, and I know what the adjustment is like, especially coming from there (same high school). So, I’m just trying to help him with that a little bit, get him acclimated.”
The success of Quaintance's adaptation process has naturally improved his performance on the court, and he appreciates the support he has received from his fan base.
“It's been great seeing the love that they have for us,” Quaintance commented, “and trying to keep it going, keep it building off what football had. We know that if we do what we're supposed to do, we can bring the community together. So, it's been fun seeing that transpire so far, and I look forward to keeping it going.
“I've been trying to enjoy the process as much as I can, try different things, and put myself in positions to learn and improve. So, it's been a great experience so far, for sure.”
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