Cheatham, Edwards lead ASU to exhibition rout
ASU men’s basketball had some ups and downs last season but with two key players sitting out after transferring, the Sun Devils were looking forward to a promising 2018-19 season.
Senior forward Zylan Cheatham and junior guard Rob Edwards showed why there has been so much buzz, delivering in their unofficial debuts as the Sun Devils cruised past visiting Arizona Christian 104-76 Tuesday night in exhibition play at Wells Fargo Arena.
Cheatham, a Phoenix native who transferred in from San Diego State, was the star attraction, finishing with 14 points, 11 rebounds and six assists in his 24 minutes.
His array of buckets included a pair of dunks in the opening half, the first coming when he poked the ball away from an ACU player, scooped it up and dribbled in for a two-handed dunk that made it 33-21 with 7:35 left in the half.
In the second half, he made a nifty backdoor pass to a cutting Taeshon Cherry who went in for an easy layup. The 6-foot-8 Cheatham was used some in point-guard capacity.
“We have a lot of versatility with him,” coach Bobby Hurley said. “Obviously we have his athleticism and length in the paint when we need it but he is also an unselfish player and he can pass it.”
Edwards, a newcomer from Cleveland State, was stellar too, finishing with 12 points, four rebounds and three assists.
It was a balanced effort, though, as six players finished in double figures. Cherry, a freshman, had a team-high 17 points with eight rebounds.
Freshman point guard Luguentz Dort, playing in place of injured starter Remy Martin, contributed 16 points with Kimani Lawrence and Romello White adding 15 each.
The scoring was a plus but Hurley was most critical of his team’s defensive play, something he thought would be a strong suit.
“We gave up 49 3-point shots and that’s way too many,” he said. “I didn’t like the way we defended, especially in the second half. I expect better than that and that was my message to them.”
The Sun Devils, coming off a 20-12 season, were not quite at full strength as Hurley chose to rest Martin, who has been slowed by an ankle injury but is expected to play in the regular-season opener.
Several others who have dealt with early season injuries played in a limited capacity. That group included Cherry, senior forward De’Quon Lake (knee) and junior Mickey Mitchell (back).
The Firestorm, looking to replace their three leading scorers from a team that went 15-13 last season, were led by junior guard Shane Carney with 22 points, five assists and two steals. Junior guard Terence Shelby added 14 points and six rebounds.
ASU starts the regular season on Nov. 6 with a 6 p.m. home game against Cal State Fullerton, last year’s Big West Conference Tournament champion.