ASU MBB: ASU vs. Arizona By the Numbers
Houses will once again stand divided as ASU basketball travels to take on the No. 13 Arizona Wildcats in a Thursday night rivalry game.
The Wildcats lead the all-time series record with a healthy 148-83 lead, including a pair of wins against the Sun Devils last season. The Wildcats, currently 15-2 overall with 4-0 record in the Pac-12, have losses to No. 7 Gonzaga and No. 13 Butler. Another competitive team will be a big test for 9-8 (2-2) ASU. Here’s the breakdown:
The Sun Devils currently shoot 44.4 percent from the field, 36.3 percent from the three-point line in addition to 75.4 percent from the free throw line. On numbers alone, it’s clear that the Wildcats have the advantage, averaging 47.3 percent from the field, 38.9 from deep and 76.1 percent from the free throw line.
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Taking on a majority of the ASU scoring load is the backcourt tandem of Tra Holder, Shannon Evans II and Torian Graham, all of whom will be key for the Sun Devils.
Holder, a junior, averages 16.7 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.4 assists per contest; Evans is averaging 15.9 points and shooting 87.5 percent from the free throw line. The duo will start for ASU and are very capable of leading a potent offense.
Graham is an explosive weapon for the Sun Devils, averaging 18.1 points, 4.3 rebounds and shooting 83.3 percent from the free throw line while coming off the bench.
Wildcat guards Rawle Alkins and Kadeem Allen will also be factors in tomorrow night’s contest.
Alkins currently posts a line of 12.3 points and 5.6 rebounds while connecting on 73.8 percent of his free throws. Allen is more of a deep threat who averages 9.5 points and 4.3 rebounds. His greatest attribute is 51.4 percent shooting from beyond the arc.
In the front court, ASU will be tasked with handling Lauri Markkanen. The seven-foot-tall freshman leads the Wildcats with 15.9 points, 7.4 rebounds and an 84.2 percent clip at the free throw line.
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Sun Devils forward Obinna Oleka averages a double-double of 13.1 points and 10.4 rebounds and will have a tall task to limit the production of Arizona’s Finnish phenom.
The stamina of ASU will be tested against an experienced Arizona team. The Wildcats use a steady number of experienced frontcourt players on their roster, with junior forward Keanu Pinder and centers Dusan Ristic and Chance Comanche all averaging more than 15 minutes a game.
The Sun Devils have freshmen forwards Ramon Vila, averaging 12.3 minutes a game, and Jethro Tshisumpa, who plays 8.4 minutes a game, to come in and provide a quick spark in the frontcourt. Head coach Bobby Hurley will need big games from both of his young big men if he wants his team to have a chance of pulling a major upset this evening.
The game can be seen live on ESPN 2 at 7:00 MST and can be streamed through WatchESPN.