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ASU Basketball: Jayde Van Hyfte providing important minutes off bench

By Sam Ficarro

TEMPE, AZ - OCTOBER 10: Arizona State Sun Devils mascot Sparky performs on the field during the fourth quarter of the college football game against the Colorado Buffaloes at Sun Devil Stadium on October 10, 2015 in Tempe, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images)
TEMPE, AZ - OCTOBER 10: Arizona State Sun Devils mascot Sparky performs on the field during the fourth quarter of the college football game against the Colorado Buffaloes at Sun Devil Stadium on October 10, 2015 in Tempe, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images) /
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Freshman Jayde Van Hyfte has seen a spike in her minutes during the second half of the season, becoming a key post player for ASU basketball.

The first game of the Pac-12 Women’s Basketball Tournament featured Arizona State, the fifth seed in the tournament, versus Colorado, the 12th seed in the tournament.

On paper, the Sun Devils were expected to win big considering they swept the Buffaloes in the regular season and they were facing a banged up Colorado team.

Guard Alexis Robinson had a valiant performance posting 19 points, 14 in the second half, as Colorado made it a one possession game heading to the fourth quarter after trailing by as many as 18 points.

In the end, the Sun Devils pulled through thanks to a big fourth quarter, but if this game proved anything, it’s that the Pac-12 is the best women’s basketball conference.

With center Charnea Johnson-Chapman in foul trouble, forward Jayde Van Hyfte played nine minutes scoring four points and providing solid defense.

The box score doesn’t jump out, but she’s provided quality production during the second half of the season, taking some of the pressure off of Johnson-Chapman and forward Sophia Elenga have had to bear inside.

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“Jayde (Van Hyfte) just gives us energy,” head coach Charli Turner Thorne said. “She plays so hard, and she’ll rebound, she’ll get a steal, she’ll get her put-backs, she’ll be in the right place at the right time.”

Van Hyfte believes her confidence has increased along with her minutes.

“Charli (Turner Thorne) has been more confident in me and that has boosted my confidence in myself also,” Van Hyfte said. “I think I’m playing better with the team, especially defensive wise, I’m getting the rotations down.”

The added minutes, Van Hyfte said, has allowed her to gain more practice time which has been important for her development.

“Gaining more minutes and having to practice more and go against great players like Kianna (Ibis) and Nea (Charnea Johnson-Chapman) has definitely helped me improve my game on both ends of the floor,” Van Hyfte said.”

According to Her Hoops Stats, Van Hyfte ranks in the top third of all qualified players nationally in offensive rebound percentage (9.7 percent) and in block percentage (2.4 percent).

Learning from the other post players has proved to be beneficial for Van Hyfte considering the experience they have under their belts.

“They’ve helped me so much. I’ve learned so much from our starters, Ki (Kianna Ibis), Nea (Charnea Johnson-Chapman) and even Sophia (Elenga) and all of them are so different,” Van Hyfte said. “They’ve taught so many different things, especially offensively, playing against them every day has definitely made me better.”

With Ibis, Johnson-Chapman and Elenga all seniors and playing their final collegiate season, we could be seeing a passing of the torch.

Next. ASU Basketball: Sun Devils dominant from three-point line. dark

“Moving forward, we’re going to lose a lot of production in the post,” Turner Thorne said. “Jayde the Jet is going to be a force to be reckoned with in the further the way she is.”

All quotes in this article were obtained firsthand by Devils in Detail unless otherwise noted.