The second half of the semester is upon us and basketball season is beginning as the Southern Utah University men’s basketball team heads to Tempe, Arizona to face Arizona State University in the Desert Financial Arena on Tuesday, Nov. 4 at 7 p.m.
This game will also be streamed live on ESPN+.
Last season, SUU had a 12-19 record and a 4-12 conference record, while ASU had a 13-20 record and a 4-16 standing in their conference. Both teams finished the season on a cold streak, as SUU ended on a 3-11 run and ASU ended on a 1-12 run.
However, both teams are almost entirely remade this season. There are only three returning T-Birds and two returning Sun Devils from last year.
SUU retains three seniors in point guard Lorenzo Abellar, center Kai Burdick and guard Langston Binns, who didn’t record any minutes last year. ASU keeps sophomore guards Trevor Best, a non-starter in 11 games, and Quentin McCoy, who recorded just five minutes.
Southern Utah
With a brand-new team, SUU is looking to make a statement in their final year in the Western Athletic Conference and aim to win it all.
Last season, the T-Birds were in the bottom fifth of Division One in points per game and field goal percentage, and were even farther behind in three-point percentage.
To combat this, SUU added a few sharpshooters in the offseason, including one of their most notable new players, guard Zach Bell. The junior transfer from Jacksonville University averaged 46.6% from the field in 32 starts last year.
Other shooter additions include Tanner Hayhurst, Dylan Jones and Cale Barclay. Hayhurst, a junior guard, had 10 games with at least two three-pointers last year. Jones, a senior guard, led the Northeast Conference in made threes last year. Barclay, a freshman forward, shot 44% from three last year.
SUU also struggled with the possession battle on both sides of the ball, with 3.5 more turnovers per game than opponents, far fewer forced turnovers and steals than opponents and less than one assist per turnover.
On top of building a roster that fills gaps in their game, SUU will aim to further their advantage in blocks and rebounding with a tall roster filled with capable bigs. They have their sights set on an opening game victory to set the tone for the season.
Arizona State
The Sun Devils were in the top half of Division One scoring offenses last year, but three-pointers and blocks were the only categories where they outperformed opponents.
ASU added a few key players to help power their offense. They include:
— Forward Marcus Adams Jr., who averaged 16.5 points and five rebounds with great shooting splits.
— 7-foot-1-inch freshman center Massamba Diop, who averaged 16 points and eight rebounds in Spain.
— 6-foot-11-inch forward Andrija Grbović, who averaged 46% from three in Montenegro.
— Guard Adante’ Holiman, who led Georgia Southern in points and threes, making an all-conference team.
— 7-foot-1-inch freshman center Dame Salane, who averaged 12 rebounds and three blocks in Switzerland.
With some tough competition in the Big 12, the Sun Devils went all-out on talent acquisition and look to be a formidable opponent this year. With a shorter lineup than SUU, the T-Birds could still look to out-rebound and out-block them, but the offensive battle will be an important gauge of both teams’ expectations for this season.
SUU is 0-5 against ASU all-time. Their last contest came in 2005 in an 82-62 victory for the Sun Devils. All of their matchups have been in Arizona.
Author: Payson Davis
Photographer: SUU Athletics
Editor: Jack Paul