Late in the first half, freshman guard Jaelen House drove from the top of the key, trying to use his speed and athleticism to find some space. With 6-foot-10 forward Tyrel Bladen approaching, he threw up a floater from the free-throw line.
Swatted.
Rider forward Frederick Scott controlled the rebound, then began running up the court for what seemed like a high-percentage transition opportunity.
And it was, until House sprinted out of nowhere and pick-pocketed Scott, almost like a quarterback forcing a fumble after throwing an interception.
“I got blocked, so I just tried to hustle back and make a good play for my team,” House said, playing it off.
But the sequence accounted for one of ASU’s 16 steals and 29 forced turnovers, the most since 2009 and 2003, respectively. And in Arizona State’s (2-1) 92-55 win over Rider, the turnovers just seemed to be a product of the Devils’ desired style.
ASU wants to play fast. It seems that’s been the notion since Bobby Hurley took the reins of the program in 2015. Every offseason is filled with the same chatter about a team that has improved defensively and upped its pace.
Problem was, there wasn’t enough depth to sustain it.
Over the last two seasons, the Sun Devils have turned games and mounted pretty substantial runs when pressed, when they pressured the ball like their hair was on fire. It’s the style Hurley likes. But eventually, guys get tired, fresh bodies get thin.
In 2019, though, Hurley has more capable, quick and athletic bodies lining his bench than any year he’s been in Tempe. In essence, the Sun Devils can press and pressure for much longer than they could in the past.
Sunday was exhibit one. And it was relentless.
ASU seemed to be in a full-court press or some time type of press for more than half the game. Granted, it was down early to a much inferior opponent, a spark was needed early. But the Devils kept pressuring and pressurizing -- even when their cushion started to exceed 20.
Now, yes, this was Rider. This wasn’t Oregon, or Arizona, or even Cal. But it shows how ASU wants to play, what ASU looks like when it's playing its best. It’s fast, it’s pesky and it’s incredibly effective.
After all, this is what Hurley recruited for, why guys like House, junior college transfer Alonzo Verge and freshman forward Jalen Graham are in Tempe.
“Our fast pace is definitely the reason that I feel like we got the type of players we did,” senior guard Rob Edwards said in the preseason. “Caleb (Christopher), Khalid (Thomas) and Zo (Verge), they play fast-paced. Then House, he’s one of the fastest guys with the basketball in his hands.”
In a full-court press, House looks like the Tasmanian Devil. He gets opposing guards into trouble. He makes them turn what seems like a dozen times before they cross midcourt. And he forces them into a hoard of turnovers.
Pair that with the tenacity and speed of Verge, Martin and Rob Edwards alongside him, it becomes a challenge for any team to just set up their offense.
“It’s not fun when someone is that quick with their footwork that can turn you that frequently and make it very difficult to get the ball across half court,” Hurley said of House, who posted a ridiculous +/- of +34. “He’s a problem.”
On Sunday, Martin said Hurley called for the press at some points, but a lot of the time it was a player-led initiative, the guys on the court feeling they needed to speed up the game. This happened last year too, but only for spurts.
“It’s very effective,” Martin said. Not too many programs do that and I think that when we play other programs I think it’s going to be a different look for them and I think it’s going to throw them off a little bit more.”
On one play, Martin got a steal near the baseline, then chucked the ball up court to House, who only needed a dribble to score. It was an example that, in a way, the pressure and attitude ASU has in a full-court press translates even after the ball reaches midcourt.
“It energizes us,” Hurley said. “We were able to score in bunches when we got those live-ball turnovers.”
The question that ASU now faces is how its pressure will translate against a higher-caliber opponent. Now, the Sun Devils did have some success against Colorado, mounting a comeback in large part because of the press employed by House, Verge, and Martin.
The Sun Devils will play St. John’s on Saturday and then either UMass or defending-champion Virginia on Sunday, as part of the Hall of Fame Tip-Off Tournament in Connecticut.
“I just think because of our depth at multiple positions, we can maintain that type of pressure,” Hurley said. “Coming up is going to be kind of a litmus test for us to see how it’s going to translate.”
Join us on our premium message board, the Devils’ Huddle, to discuss this article and other ASU football and recruiting topics. Not a member yet? Sign up today here and join your fellow Sun Devil fans!
