Skip to Content, Navigation, or Footer.

M Hoops: ASU starters to see more time


The ASU men's basketball team has not had a consistent spark off the bench this season, and it may be causing coach Rob Evans to lose confidence in his reserves.

Evans said he plans to give his starters more minutes this week against UCLA and USC.

"We haven't had much production lately out of our bench," he said. "And when we went to our bench we had a drop off."

In a 61-60 loss to the Bruins on Jan. 5, not a single ASU bench player scored. In the Sun Devils' last game against UA, junior guard Bryson Krueger had 14 points off the bench, but all but three came in the final 5:37 with the Wildcats in control.

Ice cold

In the last three games, all losses, ASU has been in the habit of falling out of offensive rhythm at some point for long stretches.

The Sun Devils were within striking distance until they went into a shooting drought.

ASU held a one-point lead against UA before going almost 11 minutes without a field goal and never really threatened again.

Similarly against California, the Sun Devils opened the second half 0-for-5 from the field with two turnovers in their first seven possessions.

"The biggest thing is lack of patience on the offensive end," Evans said. "You're not going to score if you don't get a look at the basket, so we need to take better care of the basketball."

In a 70-64 loss to Stanford, ASU watched an eight-point second half advantage disappear when it went seven minutes without a basket.

"We have to take every possession very seriously and buckle down on defense," sophomore point guard Antwi Atuahene said. "Offensively, if we cut harder and do the little things right, then we can make plays."

Heads held high

After the first run through the Pac-10, ASU finds itself at the bottom of the pile with a 1-8 record.

But with every team assured of a spot in the conference tournament for the first time in its history, the Sun Devils are not hanging their heads just yet.

"We still have something to play for," Evans said. "When you don't have anything to play for it's a little easier to throw the towel in and start pointing fingers. Our goal is still the same -- to win every basketball game we can and put ourselves in a position to get ready for the Pac-10 tournament."

Reach the reporter at derrik.miller@asu.edu.


Continue supporting student journalism and donate to The State Press today.

Subscribe to Pressing Matters



×

Notice

This website uses cookies to make your experience better and easier. By using this website you consent to our use of cookies. For more information, please see our Cookie Policy.