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Joson Sanon returns as offense looks for a spark

The focus shifts to Arizona as the injury bug continues to loom

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ASU men’s basketball head coach Bobby Hurley reacts to a call at Desert Financial Arena on Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2024, in Tempe. ASU lost 68-66.

As we approach the latter months of the college basketball season, the Sun Devils are in a tough spot. Since Big 12 play began, their record is 3-6, good for 12th in the conference standings.

It's life in the Big 12. Winning is hard. It's even harder to win when one of your best players has been sidelined, nursing an injury for the better half of games played in 2025.  

Freshman guard Joson Sanon returned Saturday against Iowa State from an ankle sprain that has seen him miss five of ASU's last eight games. In their win on Tuesday against Colorado, Sanon played in back-to-back games for the first time since their conference opener. When he's on the court, the five-star hooper is the focal point of the Sun Devil offense and produces nearly 12 points a game on about 45% from deep. 

One of the Sun Devils' biggest issues this year has been maintaining a consistent offensive flow. As they enter Big 12 play, this has amplified due to the glaring increase in competition, with the 6th hardest strength of schedule per kenpom, and the absence of one of their most prolific scorers. 

In the sparse action seen from Sanon in this new year, he's looked good but has been lacking in some key areas, shooting the ball with high efficiency but at a much lower volume than he did in the non-conference. When Sanon scores in double figures, they're 8-0. When he doesn't, they are just 2-5. That volume should steadily rise as he gets healthier and gets more games under his belt.

Sanon is an elite-level scorer. He does just about everything. He has good driving ability, but where he's at his best is off the pull-up. Whether it be a mid-range jumper or a three, his ability to create space is next level. Even when he pulls up with a hand in his face, it never seems to matter.

"When he shoots (and) it leaves his hand, it looks like it's going in just about every time," head coach Bobby Hurley said in a press conference.


And Hurley's not wrong. The ball goes in a lot, with Sanon carrying one of the highest 3-point percentages in the country. 

One of the few positives of Sanon's absence has been the emergence of senior guard BJ Freeman as a true go-to guy. When the Sun Devils are desperate for a bucket, it always seems like he gets the job done. But of course, not everything can be peaches and cream for ASU as Freeman left the Colorado game Tuesday with an injury. 

The injury bug has been a major issue this season, shortening an already small rotation. As Sanon returned, the other five-star freshman, forward Jayden Quaintance, had a tweak and didn't travel to the Colorado game. Both Freeman and Quaintance look to be short-term fixes and could potentially play in the game against the University of Arizona on Saturday. 

Getting healthy is a necessity as the Sun Devils turn the page to February. The opportunities for big, seed-shifting wins are running thin, and the best way to achieve them is to have your best guys on the court. 

Edited by Henry Smardo, Abigail Beck and Katrina Michalak. 


Reach the reporter at jkmccar2@asu.edu and follow @jackmccarthyasu on X.

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Jack McCarthySports Reporter

Jack is a junior studying sports journalism with a minor in business. This is his first semester with The State Press. He has also worked at his high school paper.


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