After a 12-0 nonconference record a season ago with wins over No. 15 Xavier and No. 2 Kansas, No. 20 ASU basketball will look to once again go undefeated in non-conference play.
The Sun Devils have dominated through their first seven games as they currently hold the only undefeated record in the Pac-12 while also being the only ranked team in the conference.
ASU will put this unblemished record of 7-0 on the line as they face their tallest task of the season against No. 6 Nevada.
The Wolf Pack enter the matchup with their own perfect record at 8-0 behind a high-octane offense and pair of all-conference twins. The team currently sits in the top-15 in scoring at 88 points per game, including an outing of 110 points in a contest against Massachusetts.
The matchup will be a neutral site thriller for both teams as they will participate in the Basketball Hall of Fame Classic in Los Angeles at the Staples Center.
Here’s a look at how the two undefeated teams match up.
KEY PLAYERS
Arizona State’s Newcomers
For the Sun Devils, it will be a pair of fresh faces that weren’t on the team during their 12-0 run last season. The first part of the duo includes freshman phenom Luguentz Dort, who has been vital in the team’s 7-0 run to start the season.
The freshman from Quebec currently leads the team in points per game at of 21.7 along with 6.6 rebounds per game. Dort’s first seven games have provided electrifying dunks, impressive defense evident in his team-high 15 steals, and a nomination as both the Pac-12 and NCAA Player of the Week.
While Dort’s start to the season has caught the eye of many, the play of senior transfer Zylan Cheatham has been equally as impressive. The 6-foot-8-inch forward has provided sparks in a variety of areas for the Sun Devils as he is currently averaging 12.4 points per game and 9.6 rebounds while leading the team in assists with 5.1.
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During ASU’s most recent game against Texas Southern, Cheatham secured only the second triple-double in Sun Devil history with 14 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 of his team-high 36 assists on the year.
The twosome will be an essential part of the Maroon and Gold’s success on both the offensive and defensive end as they look to slow down the dangerous duo of Nevada.
Nevada’s Treacherous Twins
The dangerous duo, the treacherous twins, however you want to put it – Nevada’s set of senior twins are a primary reason the team has started 8-0. The duo of Caleb Martin and Cody Martin are two of the seven seniors featured on the Wolf Pack’s roster with both being highly experienced.
The pair knows what it takes to not only have a successful regular season, but also how to make a run in the tournament. Last season, the Wolf Pack made a run to the Sweet 16 behind the Martins, who averaged 32.9 points per game combined while accounting for 38.9 percent of the team’s total output.
After falling in the Sweet 16 to Loyola Chicago, the twins have dominated in their first eight games on the year. On the offensive end, it’s Caleb that has done the majority of the work as he leads the team with 19.9 points per game. Caleb was selected to the AP preseason All-America team after also being selected as the Mountain West Player of the Year for the 2017-18 season.
On the other end, it’s Cody who has held down the defense after being selected as the Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year last season. The senior is currently tied for first in blocks with eight while coming in at second on the team in steals with nine.
While Cody specializes on the defensive side of the ball, he is also a key part of the offense, averaging 9.9 points per game while leading the team in assists at 52, with the next closest player being his twin Caleb at 24.
X-FACTOR
The Sun Devils’ Health
The 7-0 start for the Sun Devils has come while largely using mix and matched lineups due to a slew of injuries. The biggest injury holding back ASU right now is one to transfer Rob Edwards. The junior only played in one game against Cal State Fullerton where he scored 14 points on 4-of-15 shooting.
Joining Edwards on the injured list is sophomore guard Remy Martin and junior forward Mickey Mitchell. The pair of both Martin and Mitchell have not played in the last two games but should be expected to play against Nevada.
While Martin and Mitchell are expected to play in the matchup, the addition of the scoring prowess from Edwards could be a key player in the game if he is healthy enough to play.
Nevada’s Three-Point Shooting
Entering the matchup against a long and talented Arizona State team, the Wolf Pack will be expected to convert from beyond the arc at a high rate in order to maintain their unblemished record.
Through eight games, shooting the 3-ball has not been a problem for Nevada as they currently are shooting 38.7 percent from the 3-point line compared to ASU’s 36.2 percent.
Most of the attempts come from Caleb Martin, who leads the team in attempts with 67 on the year, but the Wolf Pack is led by junior guard Jazz Johnson from beyond the arc. Johnson currently leads the team in 3-point percentage at .568 percent and has converted three or more 3-point attempts in all but two games this year.
CONCLUSION
The matchup of undefeated teams will be the high point for the Wolf Pack’s non-conference schedule while it is only the beginning of an uphill battle for the Sun Devils.
Following the matchup, Nevada will round out their non-conference schedule against Grand Canyon, South Dakota State, Akron and Utah. On the flip side, the matchup will be the start of a three-game road trip for the Sun Devils as they will follow with matchups against Georgia and Vanderbilt before returning for a home matchup against No. 2 Kansas.