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Oregon State Basketball: Opponent Preview - Arizona State Sun Devils (Game 20)

Oregon State looks to snap a two-game skid on the road at Arizona State.

By The_Coach
NCAA Basketball: Stanford at Arizona State Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Arizona State Sun Devils (6-9, 3-6)

  • Head Coach: Bobby Hurley (6th Season, Overall: 98–77)
  • Points For: 74.8 PPG (T-115th)
  • Points Against: 76.8 PPG (302nd)
  • Last Game/Streak: 75-64 Loss vs. Oregon (1L)

The Skinny

NCAA Basketball: California at Arizona State Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
  • Remy Martin (18.9 PPG)
  • Josh Christopher (14.3 PPG)
  • Alonzo Verge Jr. (12.9 PPG)
  • Marcus Bagley (11.8 PPG)
  • Jalen Graham (7.9 PPG)
  • Holland Woods (5.5 PPG)
  • Kimani Lawrence (4.8 PPG)
  • Jaelen House (3.6 PPG)

What a long, strange trip it’s been this season for head coach Bobby Hurley and Arizona State.

The Sun Devils were projected in the preseason as Pac-12 favorites and potentially even the type of team who could make a run deep into the NCAA Tournament, if all the stars aligned. Fast-forward to February though and Arizona State is sitting tied for 9th in the Pac-12 and having lost seven of their last nine contests overall.

What went wrong, where it went wrong and how it gets fixed are all questions that likely can’t and won’t be answered anytime soon, but Hurley’s passionate demeanor continues to try and will his team, despite the circumstances.

Obviously, as it feel like it’s been forever now, the top of the pile for Arizona State is still point guard Remy Martin, who tallied 14 points and dished out 8 assists in a January win over the Beavers and has been prolific offensively most of the year. He’s the undisputed leader of the Sun Devils’ roster and has been critical in how guards like Josh Christopher and Alonzo Verge Jr. have settled into the roles on the team. It’s just the victories that have eluded this group.

With the status of big man Marcus Bagley still in the air due to an ankle injury, Arizona State may be a bit short-handed up front, meaning their 6’ 9” duo of Jalen Graham and Kimani Lawrence may be asked to do a bit on the interior. If the Beavers can wear down the Sun Devils on the board and get what has been a shorthanded unit all season for Hurley and company into some sort of foul trouble, they may make their Valentine’s Day in the desert a whole lot easier.

Game Info

  • Date: Sunday, February 14th
  • Time: 4:00 PM PT
  • Location: Desert Financial Arena (Tempe, Arizona)
  • Coverage: ESPN2