Hall of Fame duel: Arizona State basketball team looks to rebound against UMass

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The Arizona State men’s basketball team saw its six-game win streak snapped against No. 7 Florida and will look to get back on the winning track with another special event game.

Coach Bobby Hurley’s team is playing in the Basketball Hall of Fame Classic at the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame against a team from nearby, the University of Massachusetts Minutemen.

It will be the Sun Devils’ last nonconference tuneup before starting Big 12 play after Christmas. It has been an exhausting start for ASU, making its third trip cross-country. This will mark the sixth state outside of Arizona in which the Sun Devils have played.

After Saturday’s matchup, ASU will have played only four of its 11 games at home.

A closer look:

Arizona State (8-2) vs. UMass (5-7)

Time/Site: Saturday, 2 p.m., Mass Mutual Center, Springfield, Mass.

TV/Radio: CBS Sports Network.

The matchup: UMass will play its fourth game against a power conference opponent. It is 0-3 against the major conferences with losses to West Virginia (75-69), Temple (87-80) and Florida State (92-59). ASU averages 78.6 points per game while UMass is at 75.3, although it has played a lesser schedule. The 66 points ASU scored in its loss to Florida last week was its lowest-scoring outing since its regular-season opener against Idaho State in which it won 55-48.

Injury updates: The Sun Devils are without backup PG Austin Nunez (foot) who is out for the season after playing in just four games.

About the Sun Devils: ASU has five players averaging double figures led by true freshman Joson Sanon (14.8 ppg), who struggled in ASU’s last outing, shooting 2-for-9 from the field. The others are Basheer Jihad (13.3 ppg, 5.5 rpg), Alston Mason (11.4 ppg) and Adam Miller (10.3 ppg), the latter coming off an 18-point showing. ASU’s other true freshman, Jayden Quaintance (8.4 ppg, 8 rpg) is tied for second in the country in blocked shots with 34, although he has played two fewer games than the national leader. Rebounding has been a key component for ASU….

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/hall-fame-duel-arizona-state-150018837.html

Author : AZCentral | The Arizona Republic

Publish date : 2024-12-20 15:00:00

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