ASU Basketball: Sun Devils Set to Host Grambling

Dec 6, 2013; Rosemont, IL, USA; The Arizona State Sun Devils bench celebrates during the second half against the DePaul Blue Demons at Allstate Arena. Arizona State won 78-56. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports
 
The Arizona State men’s basketball team will host Grambling on Saturday, Dec. 14, at noon at Wells Fargo Arena. The game will be televised on the Pac-12 Network, and is the first of three Saturday afternoon contests to be played on the Tempe campus.

The Sun Devils are averaging 78.4 points per game in their 8-2 start to the 2013/2014 season. The team just completed a 10-game/29-day stretch to begin this year’s campaign. It opens Pac-12 play on Thursday, Jan. 2, versus the. Washington Huskies.

The good news for head coach Herb Sendek and his players: ASU’s next five games are at home, where it is 21-4 in the past two seasons including wins over 2013 NCAA Tournament teams Colorado, UCLA, Marquette and California.

Arizona State won at DePaul 78-56 last Friday, blocking 12 shots and holding the Blue Demons to .292 shooting (19-of-65) — its best defensive effort since it limited Oregon State to .246 (14-of-57) on Feb. 11, 2010, a span of 116 games. ASU shot 16-of-26 (.615) from the floor in the win, led by Jahii Carson’s 23 and Jermaine Marshall’s 20. Jordan Bachynski added eight blocks while Jonathan Gilling had 12 points six assists and four three-pointers.

The Sun Devils are 19-10 (.655) in the past six years when coach Sendek’s staff has at least five full days in between games, and seven of the wins have been against teams that would make the NCAA Tournament in that season. Most notable for ASU fans of late was an 87-80 win over the NCAA-bubble worthy Arizona Wildcats in the 2011-12 regular season finale.