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Walking into Desert Financial Arena for the ASU Men’s and Women’s Hoops season-opening double-header on Tuesday almost felt nostalgic. With 612 days passing since the Sun Devils’ last home basketball game, the long-awaited return to action was finally here. Finally, both the players and the fans had the opportunity to turn the page and close out the chapter relating to last year.
Approaching the glass doors for the entrance, sounds of the band echoed throughout the building; A noise so familiar yet so sweet to hear once again. Students packed into the stands surrounding the East tunnel, anxious for what would be their first experience at a collegiate basketball game. Like the students, many of the players on the court would be experiencing their first game of sorts, too. Only two players from both squads combined playing Tuesday were members of their respective 2019 Sun Devil rosters.
While it wasn’t always the prettiest or most disciplined basketball being played, both teams were able to walk away with a win. Following their performance on Tuesday, let’s take a look at key details from the game.
ASU Men’s Hoops defeat Portland 76-60
It was a relatively sloppy performance by Bobby Hurley’s Sun Devils in their 76-60 win over Portland. With four players out for Covid-19 protocols, their absence both on and around the court had an impact on the game. While Hurley acknowledged it wasn’t their best performance, he was pleased with how the team was able to overcome adversity in the win.
The squad will have a lot to work on as they prepare to face some elite competition soon, as the game left plenty of room for improvement.
Without key players, Sun Devils show ability to adjust on the fly
It was not announced until just before tipoff on Tuesday that the Sun Devils Men’s Basketball team would missing four players from the lineup. Of those players missing, one was junior Jalen Graham, who would normally be a starter. Graham was one of only two players on the roster in the team’s last home game on March 7, 2019. The other is Kimani Lawrence.
Alongside Graham in protocol was sophomore transfer Jay Heath and freshmen Justin Rochelin and Jordan Williams. Heath — the leading scorer for Boston College last season — is anticipated to have a significant impact on the team.
Despite the last-minute changes, the Sun Devils still showed an improved sense of overall communication. Opposed to last year, there appeared to be much more sharing of the ball and more being done by teammates to help set up plays.
“We’ve definitely got to do better,” Lawrence said. “We got the win, so that’s important. But we are a much better defensive team than we showed today and a much better offensive team than we showed today.”
Overall, the team shot 47-percent from Field Goal range, but just under 27-percent from behind the arc. There were moments in the game reminiscent of seasons’ past as the team continued trying to force threes when they weren’t falling.
“We shot way too many threes early in the first half. Too many quick ones, too,” Hurley said. “The success rate on those type of shots is not great unless you’re really in a good rhythm on offense and have a lot of momentum. Then those type of shots tend to go in. I think we took a lot of long ones early.”
Hurley also mentioned the team’s uncharacteristic struggles with giving the ball away, turning it over 19 times. The Sun Devils were able to out-rebound Portland 42 to 27, which was enough to make up for the errors in this situation.
“Just to score 76 the way we played, the way we shot it, I think is a really good sign,” Hurley said. “I don’t think there’s going to be too many nights where Luther (Muhammad) and Marreon (Jackson) go 1-of-11 from three. I mean, that’s not what I’ve been watching through the whole summer and the fall. “
Alonzo Gaffney brought the heat
Acting as an offensive catalyst for the Sun Devils on Tuesday, Gaffney did a great job of steeping up to fill Graham’s shoes as a starter. Knowing he usually will be playing off the bench, Gaffney’s performance puts him on the early-season watch-list for “Sixth-Man of the Year.” With 15 points off the bench, he was second on the night for overall points behind Lawrence’s 19.
“Just his activity,” Hurley said. “You can switch a lot of things with him and he can stay in front of the dribbler very well. He’s a presence in the paint with his length and can challenge shots, and he had some good moments on offense, too.”
When Gaffney would enter the game, he acted as a spark-plug for this team with both his energy and production. In addition to his 15 points, he had six rebounds, two steals, an assist, and a block, contributing all over. His presence made a vast impact on the outcome of the game, putting the Sun Devils back on track more than once.
“(Gaffney) hit a nice three, a momentum three, on the left wing in the second half. He just brings a lot of versatility to our team,” said Hurley.
Lawrence’s overall career improvement shows both in leadership and in stats
There was a time when people would pray Kimani Lawrence wasn’t the one putting up the shot in a game. Growing pains were a large aspect of Lawrence’s time, but he’s shown sizable improvements, specifically since the 2019-20 season. In the postgame presser, Lawrence said he’s been working a lot with Hurley on his handle. His increased control was noticeable, specifically as he was driving in the lane.
Last year, Lawrence accomplished a phenomenal feat, notching 21 points and 20 rebounds in the 80-72 victory against Washington State. His contributions in the game were coupled with former teammate Remy Martin. Martin, who dropped 30 points in the game while shooting 40-percent on threes, in a way overshadowed Lawrence’s success.
Three of Lawrence’s top-five scoring games of his career took place last year. Two of the performances were against Washington, where he put up 22 and 21 respectively. The other was against UCLA, where he had 18.
Lawrence spoke on how the overhauled roster now provides immense depth compared to last year. He mentioned it will be nice to have assistance on the court and expects many of the new players to help when it comes to offensive rebounding and second-chance points.
“It’s just a testament of Hurley bringing in some size to help us out this year. That was one of our weaknesses last year and he addressed that,” Lawrence said.
Lawrence’s performance on Tuesday signals things are continuing on the right path. Shooting 63.6-percent on Field Goals in the opener, it’s a 10-percent increase in his averages from the previous two seasons.
Lawrence kicked things off with a double-double finishing with 19 points and 10 rebounds, six of which came on offense. He also had two assists on the night.
Kimani’s defense was also stellar in the game against Portland. He had a block and three steals along with four defensive rebounds, making it a difficult night for the Pilots.
“Kimani was solid,” Hurley said. “Really, he probably played, outside of maybe Gaffney, the best game of anyone just with the offensive rebounding. I think he noticed we were missing so he went and got it.”
With the rate of change on the roster, the team desperately needed a leader, and Lawrence did a great job of stepping up. With Graham’s return to the lineup, the pressure on Lawrence to be “that guy” every night will subside. Without carrying the burden of his unique position alone, it will allow both of them to focus on additional ways to contribute.
ASU Women’s Hoops come alive in second half to blow past Northern Colorado University 71-41
Charli Turner Thorne and the Arizona State Women’s Basketball team were able to runaway with the victory in game two of the night. After the team got a little “undisciplined” offensively in the second quarter, Turner-Thorne said they needed to be more efficient with scoring before heading into the locker room.
It took a bit to make the adjustments in the third quarter. The Sun Devils came out to miss the first nine shots they put up and turn it over three times. With under five minutes left in the third quarter, the Bears had brought the game within nine. That was until senior Jade Loville brought a second-wind to the Sun Devils by drilling a three-point jumper. From there, Arizona State regrouped before dropping the hammer on the Bears in the fourth quarter to close out the game.
“We just need to get comfortable with being up and not taking our foot off the gas, because we did that in our close scrimmages as well,” Turner-Thorne said.
Sun Devils show tenacity and grit in return to defensive-minded identity
Turner-Thorne mentioned previously the team would be looking to return to its defensive mentality this season with its revamped roster. In the first game out of the blocks, the Sun Devils didn’t pull any punches, playing both physical and aggressive.
“We did a really good job of pressuring them… As disappointed as I am in our rebounding, I was really pleased with our defense in both halves,” Turner-Thorne said.
Graduate transfer Mael Gielles helped to lead the defensive charge. While she struggled with shooting on Tuesday, her contributions defensively were what stood out the most. Starting the game off with a defensive rebound and a steal within the first 60-seconds of regulation, Gielles helped set the tone early.
She finished the game with eight points, six rebounds, five steals, four blocks and two assists. With a handful of missed, uncontested shots, the possibility is still on the table for more growth to go with her already strong contributions.
Most notably from her stat-line are the five steals and four blocks. Using her size to her advantage, even working to play up, the six-foot-one forward was an absolute terror. In particular, she had more than one block that left the crowd speechless.
Gielles, along with sophomore Jaddan Simmons, were active in leading the full-court press defensive attack from the start. Turner-Thorne said before the season started that the team has no games on their schedule that are a “gimme,” not even Northern Colorado. Bringing out the full-court press at the start of the first game makes a statement: It shows a true effort towards playing a complete 40 minute game.
Simmons, who didn’t have the most explosive night offensively, kept her head down and continued to work. Alongside Gielles, she was seemingly everywhere on the court trying to create opportunities for her teammates.
Leaving a legacy on the mind of Simmons
When it was announced last week that Briann January’s no. 20 jersey would be retired on Friday at the game against Minnesota, it was a significant moment for the squad. A current member of the Connecticut Sun and a former member of Turner-Thorne’s coaching staff, her legacy with the program runs deep. As someone who still comes back to speak and work with the program, the current players have built a relationship with her.
For Turner-Thorne, the event is taking place at the perfect time. As the players focus on the season ahead, the legacy they want to leave behind can be used as extra motivation.
“To me, Bri is inspiring because she just is such an incredible leader. She has such great energy no matter what, whether she’s losing a game or is injured and can’t do something. She’s just someone who’s a real inspirational person,” Turner-Thorne said.
Following January’s talk with the team last week, Turner-Thorne spoke with them more in-depth about making a lasting impact. The conversation resinated with Simmons, who is coming off a strong freshman season despite a lack of supporting roles around her.
“She’s just confident and always worried about her teammates. She’s never worried about herself, even if she scores zero points. That same game she’ll probably have 12 assists,” Simmons said.
It’s the same mindset Simmons displayed on Tuesday night. While she struggled when it game to shooting from the floor, she still had a tremendous impact on the game. Comprehending the impact one can still have and being able to execute in some way is not common. It’s the difference from what makes a good player great.
Shooting only 12.5-percent from the field, Simmons didn’t let it discourage her. When she was fouled and at the line, she knocked down seven of her nine free throws. She also set her teammates up to score, with five assists and an offensive rebound. Defensively, she was physical and aggressive, coming up with five steals, two defensive rebounds and a block.
It’s something senior Taya Hanson mentioned helped the Sun Devils gain an offensive tempo in the game. “I think where we got our tempo was through our steals and offensive boards, being able to push the ball that way.”
Ayzhiana Basallo is the team’s secret offensive weapon
Turner-Thorne said in last week’s media availability she was excited to see Basallo get a chance at some action. At Moonlit Madness, Basallo showed off her ability to shoot from behind the arc in the three-point shooting competition. She put the same efforts on display Tuesday as she brought energy off the bench.
Playing 17 minutes, Basallo finished the night with ten points, one rebound, and one assist. The transfer from San Jose State has really not had a chance to play for almost two years due to the shutdown, but it was hard to tell by watching her.
Like a lot of the men’s team, Basallo and her teammates still have rust to knock off, too. As the former Mountain West Conference Newcomer of the Year, Basallo has the potential to be sneaky yet explosive. Expect to see her numbers continue to increase, especially as the continuously improved defensive efforts come with time.
Postgame Show
To catch yesterday’s postgame breakdown of the season-opening double-header, click here.
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