Devils in Detail
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ASU MBB: Penultimate Home Game vs. USC is Crucial

By Zach Pekale

Feb 11, 2017; Tempe, AZ, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils guard Shannon Evans II (11) dribbles against the Stanford Cardinal during the first half at Wells-Fargo Arena. The Sun Devils won 75-69. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 11, 2017; Tempe, AZ, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils guard Shannon Evans II (11) dribbles against the Stanford Cardinal during the first half at Wells-Fargo Arena. The Sun Devils won 75-69. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports /
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Sandwiched between games against No. 5 UCLA and No. 4 Arizona, ASU Basketball faces USC in the second game of its three-game home stand.

The Arizona State men’s basketball team (13-16, 6-10) concludes its regular season with a difficult stretch of games as the program played UCLA on Feb 23. and will take on Arizona on March 4. In between the matchups with the perennial powerhouses, the Sun Devils take on the USC Trojans (21-7, 8-7).

Head coach Bobby Hurley’s team has had two days to recover after his starters played all but 81 seconds against the Bruins. It is likely Hurley will resort to another short bench against USC if he chooses to make any substitutions.

In the previous meeting between the two teams in Los Angeles, the Trojans survived a late rally by ASU to win 82-79 without forward Bennie Boatwright. Guard Elijah Stewart led all scorers with 29 points and made seven threes.

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Boatwright is averaging 18.3 points per game in his return from a knee injury that caused him to miss 10 weeks. In that time, junior Jordan McLaughlin carried the Trojans and has been one of the more efficient guards in the Pac-12, shooting over 40 percent from deep and 80 percent at the free throw line.

For the Sun Devils, Torian Graham has been the primary scorer for this team but make no mistake, ASU is potent offensively as an entire team. Arizona State averages nearly 10 made three-pointers a game and is third nationally in made threes amongst Power 5 teams with 287.

While Hurley’s team has made strides defensively, a lack of size in the front court has killed the Sun Devils on the glass. To beat USC, forward Obinna Oleka can’t be the only player for ASU with more than five rebounds. Boatwright and Chimezie Metu are both capable post players and will be able to do damage with second and third chances under the basket.

Additionally, when the Sun Devils win the turnover battle, their field goal percentage benefits as does their confidence offensively. ASU has to capitalize on fast-break opportunities to get open shots and electrify the home crowd.

For the Trojans, a win today puts their season back on track after a three-game skid put them on the bubble of the NCAA Tournament. Formerly listed as a 10-seed, USC lost to Oregon, UCLA and Arizona in a 12-day period.

Next: ASU Basketball Runs Out of Gas vs. UCLA

Tip off between Arizona State and USC will be at 4:30 p.m. MST from Wells Fargo Arena. The game can be seen on the Pac-12 Network.

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