TODAY’S HIGHLIGHT
Big men combine to score 43 points in rout of NAU
ASU guard Kodi Justice fouls NAU’s Gino Littles in the first half of Friday’s game at Wells Fargo Arena in Tempe. The Sun Devils won, 97-62, to improve to 3-0 on the young season.
Romello White and De’Quon Lake exited the Arizona State huddle and walked onto the court after a timeout Friday night. White stuck out his hand to his teammate. Lake slapped him five.
Three games in, no one knows how this college basketball season will unfold. Well, Bill Walton, maybe. But here in Tempe, White and Lake already have made a lot of fans consider the possibilities. This is a change from the recent past when shortcomings were obvious and ceilings lowered.
The Pac-12 at this point appears top heavy. You have Top 10 teams in Arizona and USC. Then you have a bunch of teams fighting for position and respect. Put any qualifier on it you want, but the Sun Devils this first month have looked as good as any among this second group.
White and Lake are significant reasons, and they continued to show as much in Friday’s 97-62 win over overwhelmed Northern Arizona in front of 6,189 fans at Wells Fargo Arena. The Sun Devils improved to 3-0. They have scored 90 points in three consecutive games for the first time since 1993.
“We just wanted to show everybody it wasn’t a fluke last game,” said White, referring to ASU’s win over San Diego State.
Next week more answers will come in the Continental Tire Invitational in Las Vegas, where ASU will open against Kansas State and could meet No. 15 Xavier. But for now, coach Bobby Hurley has something he didn’t have last season – offensive balance and, more importantly, early season promise.
A week ago, the 6-8 White was somewhat of a mystery. He sat out last season as an academic-redshirt. He missed two exhibition contests and the season opener because of rules violations. Then, in his first game, he grabbed 15 rebounds against San Diego State, a number no one reached against the Aztecs last season.
Did Hurley expect White to play so well so early? “Yes,” he said.
Even after not playing at all last season?
“You never know,” Hurley said. “You see things happening on the practice floor and in the preseason and on our foreign trip and you’re saying, ‘Wow, I hope this carries over to the competition we’re playing.’ So far, it’s a small sample, and he has to prove he can do it consistently, but just based on what I’ve been watching, (that’s why) I was so excited to get him on the floor.”
Against NAU, White showed off his offensive skill. He scored off a righthand hook in the lane. He scored off a spin move near the baseline. He scored off a one-handed put-back while drawing a foul. White finished with 25 points on 10-of-12 shooting. He also had six rebounds and two blocked shots.
The 6-10 Lake isn’t as polished, but he has two things going for him: A 7foot-2 wingspan and a mindset that makes him want to dunk every time he touches the ball. The junior-college transfer dunked five times Friday, two coming off put-backs in transition. Over three games, 12 of Lake’s 22 field goals have been dunks. He’s shooting 22 of 25 from the field. He had 17 points and 12 rebounds against NAU.
During these pre-turkey days, it makes for a nice starting point.
“We’re in a good place right now with our balance,” Hurley said. “Now the schedule is going to get much more difficult. More challenges are ahead. ”