TODAY’S HIGHLIGHT
Sun Devils make 30.5 percent from field
The Sun Devils confirmed they have an identity. In one sentence, it’s this: The Sun Devils are terrible at shooting the basketball.
TUCSON – Uneven performances in non-conference games prompted legitimate questions about what kind of team Bobby Hurley had in his fifth season as Arizona State’s basketball coach. ❚ Turns out, it’s not a mystery. On Saturday night at the McKale Center, the Sun Devils confirmed they have an identity. In one sentence, it’s this: The Sun Devils are terrible at shooting the basketball. ❚ It cost them games in the non-conference schedule, and it cost them Saturday in the first Pac-12 game of the season. Instead of shooting themselves out of a slump, the Sun Devils plunged deeper into the abyss in the 75-47 loss.
They shot just 30.5 percent, including missing 18 of 21 three-point attempts. They missed their first six free throws and made only 11 of 22.
Losing in Tucson is no disgrace, especially since the Sun Devils swept Arizona a year ago.
Hurley and the Sun Devils were all smiles after that game, but Saturday Hurley had the look of man trying to fix a transmission with only a screwdriver in his toolbox.
“The only positive is it’s only one game,” Hurley said, “and there are 17 more.”
Given the way the Sun Devils played offense on Saturday, that’s an ominous thought, because as Arizona coach Sean Miller noted, the Pac-12 appears to be improved over last year.
“From top to bottom, it’s deeper. It’s stronger.”
The Sun Devils are not. They didn’t shoot the ball well last year either, but the athleticism of Lu Dort and Zylan Cheatham helped compensate.
They’re in the NBA now, and this team doesn’t look like it has anyone who can consistently make up for missed shots with steals, offensive rebounds and trips to the foul line.
Entering the season, Hurley thought this team would be decent at shooting the ball, and he’s as surprised as anyone by how much some of his players are struggling.
Starting guard Rob Edwards scored two points, made one of five shots and missed both of his three-point attempts. Over the last six games, he’s 2 of 22 from three-point range.
Freshman Jaelen House was 0-for-4 from three-point range and is shooting 31 percent from there this season. Starter Alonzo Verge, Jr., missed both his attempts and is shooting 20 percent from three-point range this season.
That dubious list of names goes on and on for the Sun Devils, which leaves Hurley scrambling for solutions.
“Once you’re down the road from a personnel standpoint, it’s kind of difficult to change gears,” he said. “We got to ride it out.”
The ride could be turbulent. The Sun Devils have one effective post player, Romello White, and he played Saturday on a sore ankle. So it’s not like ASU could pound the ball inside while it waits for outside shots to fall.
Arizona, meanwhile, appears to have reverted to form. They’re deep, they’re young and it’s a team that should improve over the next month. Miller noted that of the 10 players he used Saturday, seven of them didn’t play for Arizona a year ago.
“We have a team of guys on offense who can do a lot of things,” he said.
The Wildcats have had their struggles too, including losing three of their last four games in December.
Saturday’s game was their first since Dec. 21, and Miller said the Wildcats benefited from breaking for Christmas and practicing for two weeks.
“I probably did a better job over the break of clarifying roles,” he said.
Hurley would like to do the same, but outside of point guard Remy Martin and White, it’s hard to know what to expect of the other Sun Devils.
White suggested improved ball movement would help everyone. Twice in a short interview, he noted the Sun Devils had just two assists.
“Our offense is just sticking one side,” he said. “We’re not moving. We’re not changing sides. Two assists. We can’t do that. We’re not going to win like that.”
Arizona took advantage of ASU’s lack of inside presence throughout the game, but especially so in the first half. On almost every possession, the Wildcats passed the ball inside first. It worked and they outscored ASU, 5018, in the paint.
That had more to do with ASU’s lack of offense than defensive breakdowns, Hurley said.
“I think we had a fair amount of open looks,” Hurley said. “If we go 3 for 21 from three, then this is what we’re going to be looking at.”