👋 GOOD MORNING
Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025 — Happy Thursday! Miss football already? You may have an opportunity to catch a playoff game at State Farm Stadium, after all. The NFL announced its contingency plan yesterday for the Vikings/Rams game due to the horribly tragic wildfires currently taking place in Los Angeles, indicating the game would be played right here in Glendale, if needed.
The fire is already the most destructive in the history of the city, and my thoughts are with everyone impacted by this disaster. Prior to publishing I was scanning a few local L.A. publications, and found a post highlighting organizations who are already on the front lines — both fighting fires and providing aid to evacuees. A few of those are below, if you feel so inclined to assist.
- California Fire Foundation Wildfire & Disaster Relief Fund
- World Central Kitchen
- Salvation Army
Every little bit helps during a time of need.
On to the show!
Shorthanded Sun Devils Overwhelmed in Lawrence
It was seven degrees in Lawrence, Kan. on Wednesday night.
Somehow, Arizona State’s second-half shooting was even colder.
Wednesday’s matchup against the storied Kansas Jayhawks was more than just a Big 12 matchup — it was an opportunity for the Sun Devils to finally topple a ranked opponent while making a statement that they deserve a hard, long look to go dancing in March. That said, the game against No. 11 Kansas came at a pretty lousy time for ASU, which was already shorthanded before losing five-star freshman Joson Sanon to an ankle injury.
That all added up to a 74-55 loss at Allen Fieldhouse to the Jayhawks, who improved to 11-3 on the season, and 2-1 in the Big 12. Arizona State is now 10-4 overall, and 1-2 in the conference.
Sun Devils Start with Strong First Half
The Sun Devils entered Wednesday’s game at 10-3, and two of those three losses came against ranked opponents (then-No. 6 Gonzaga and then-No. 9 Florida). And, of course, who could forget the 103-47 preseason thrashing at the hands of Duke?
Shorthanded or not, ASU went toe-to-toe with the mighty Jayhawks in the first half.
Though Jayden Quaintance commanded most of the attention heading into the matchup, he was limited to just four points. Still, he grabbed nine rebounds, while Alston Mason and B.J. Freeman combined for 25 points with 15 and 10, respectively. ASU shot 46.7 percent from the field, including 5-of-13 from beyond the arc, and looked like a team that was ready to compete in the second half, despite being short on the bench.
Then the scoring dried up.
Kansas Rocks, Chalks Sun Devils in the Second Half
Halftime, though, is where this happy story turned into a nightmare.
The Sun Devils had a disastrous start to the half after Kansas opened the half on a 20-3 run; Their hot shooting went cold (they scored just 13 points in the entire half), and didn’t record a basket until Adam Miller buried a three with 12:58 left to play. Just over a minute later coach Bobby Hurley had exhausted his third timeout of the half, and the game got so out of hand he never even bothered to call their final one the rest of the way.
There was no need.
Hurley was visibly frustrated, and the players were visibly flustered. Arizona State was just 1-for-11 on its 3-point attempts in the half, and the Jayhawks forced turnover after turnover, overwhelming the Sun Devils with a tenacious full-court press. Kansas finished the game having forced 18 turnovers — 13 of them steals.
Freeman didn’t record a single point in the second half, and Mason added just four to his total, finishing with a team-high 19. But the Sun Devils got just two points off of a very short bench, and were simply never able to recover from an ice-cold start.
What it Means Moving Forward
Now, before anyone overreacts, it must be mentioned again that Wednesday’s game was without Sanon, who is averaging 13.5 points per game and commands attention from the opposition.
Even so, the Sun Devils continue to search for a signature win this season (though their wins over St. Mary’s and New Mexico are looking better and better). Yes, they are 10-4 overall, but they’re beginning to look more and more like a bubble team given their record against quality opponents. The second half has been an issue for ASU in each of its losses, which was outscored 50-42 in the second half against Gonzaga, 42-34 in the second half against the Gators, and 45-30 in the second half against BYU.
The beauty of playing in the Big 12, though, is an opportunity for redemption is just around the corner. A fully-healthy Sun Devils team still has plenty of opportunity to make some noise, especially with three ranked opponents still on their schedule.
Don’t cross March off that calendar just yet — there’s still plenty of basketball to be played.
🧢 TIP OF THE HAT BY BRANDED BILLS
Who doesn’t love an OT winner?! Nice win for the Caps over Vancouver last night.
