The bye week allowed me to gather some basketball information, not only regarding the scrimmage ASU won but also about the team's current state.
In the 70-65 scrimmage win over UC Irvine, ASU's starting lineup was:
Alston Mason
Adam Miler
Joson Sanon
Basheer Jihad
Jayden Quaintance
Hurley said that he wants to change it for the Duke game. This could mean that BJ Freeman starts over Miller, and I think Miller can be an asset off the bench. Or he can reward Shawn Phillips, who did look good in the scrimmage and the entire preseason, and have him start alongside Jayden Quaintance.
I know Hurley said that he was disappointed in a scrimmage both in the offense and the defense, but from what I'm hearing, the road to improving on offense is a shorter one than a defensive improvement. We've said a million times before that the talent on this roster is by far the best that Hurley has had, but we also acknowledge that some of his best teams in Tempe were ones able to complement a stout offense with a formidable defense. Right now, it does look like a team that's going to have to score in the mid-70s to win games (and has the firepower to do it) and one that is not going to go down as one of the better defensive squads we've seen in the last 10 years.
Here's my take on each of the ten players who I think will see the court the most:
Jayden Quaintance
The crown jewel of the 2024 recruiting class has had a strong preseason so far. Yes, he will have his freshman mistakes, and trying to keep up with the speed of the game has been an issue at times. But he's extremely athletic and versatile in his offensive skills, mature beyond his years, which shows in how active his hands are and how good of a passer he is. Another thing is as crazy talented as he is, and yes, I think his ceiling is still high, he does play within his talents and doesn’t stray away or try to outdo others.
Joson Sonon
As I said before, he doesn't look like a freshman or play like a freshman. Then again, when Hurley said that some freshmen struggled in the scrimmage, he didn't mention Sonon by name, but I know that he was one of those players. So, at times, the game may be moving a little faster for him.
Now, he will take the tough shots and make them usually with a high percentage. He doesn't really coddle the ball too much if that makes sense. He'll get the ball in his spot, and if he doesn't pull up, he will drive to the basket and finish well at the rim. Hurley said about all of his freshmen that even though they are high caliber of prospects that they are they all are very coachable and that's going to be very important in improving Sonon's defense. As much as he can make life hell for a lot of players defending him, he might have a hard time, at least at this stage of his career, imposing his will on the other end of the court as well.
The biggest question about him is how much pressure the team will actually put on him, or can veterans like Freeman and Miller allow Sonon to play freely on any given night? I don't know if there are many established starters on the eve of the season opener, but I would tend to think that Miller is probably somebody who will start games rather than come off the bench.
Shawn Phillips
He has made some significant strides since last year, and 7-footers who have a 40-inch vertical are players who are few and far in between in any league, especially in college. It’s important to keep him engaged and develop the mental side of his game. I could see him start on occasion alongside Quaintance, and that is one hell of an athletic frontcourt. He’s not the rim protector that Warren Washington was, and he doesn't have an arsenal of offensive moves in the paint. But he is definitely a lob threat and can do a better job than Basheer Jihad guarding quicker frontcourt players.
And not to jump to next season, but he may have the highest transfer value on the team, so keeping him in Tempe could be much harder than people think. His God-given skills are special.
Brandon Gardner
Pound for pound could be the most athletic player on the team and a classic stretch forward who has already displayed a great knack for draining the corner three-point shots. The fact that he redshirted his freshman year at USC and redshirting in basketball, as you may know, is almost unheard of makes him a very raw player but also somebody who, if he does stick around, I think we can see him improve leaps and bound each and every year. If he can be a better rebounder and defender overall, then I think he can challenge Phillips in terms of who comes off the bench first. Out of all the transfers, I think he's the one that intrigues me the most, even though he may not have a huge role when it's all said and done.
Ameir Ali
He’s almost a carbon copy of Grander in terms of his age and offensive skills. He's another 6-8 player who can shoot the three very well. He's not a prima donna freshman by any means, so being coachable should help him be a more well-rounded player, specifically a better defender using his frame to his advantage on his team’s end of the floor.
Adam Miller
When I hear about Freeman’s struggles, I want to change my X-Factor player prediction to Miller. But all jokes aside, there's little doubt that he's going to be counted on as the leader of this team, and so far, it's a role that he has embraced very well. He's the one player who will make the extra pass, the savvy move that only a veteran of high major teams like himself could make, and he displays a great attitude even when he comes off the bench. And I'm very curious to see what his role is going to be because, as I mentioned earlier, I really think he could be one hell of a sixth man for ASU. Can he fully buy into that role? That could be a crucial question to answer. He's someone who can take the pressure off of Freeman and/or Sanon if they struggle. I do like him more at the 3-spot because guarding smaller and quicker players at the 1-spot or the 2-spot might be a challenge. Miller is another solid catch-and-shoot player who is also deft in the one dribble pull-up. I wouldn't ask him to bring the ball up the court too often.
Basheer Jihad
Great pick-and-pop game and an above-average outside shooter for a frontcourt player. Doesn’t jump out of the gym, and that can hurt his rebounding and guarding quicker frontcourt players. But as a veteran, he uses his experience and basketball IQ to overcome his opponent.
Alston Mason
Honestly, he's somebody who is more of a solid combo guard than an above-average point guard. To his credit, he has been navigating the team well, so it's not like he's the lesser of two evils. But I think he will remind a lot of you guys of DJ Horne, albeit a step less athletic and someone who is not as good of a defender. But if you are talking about a solid catch-and-shoot player, then yes, he is definitely capable of fulfilling that role. For the ASU fans who weren't too crazy about Frankie Collins and his struggles shooting the ball, let alone his atrocious free throw shooting, Mason is going to be a welcome change.
Austin Nunez
According to Hurley, he was out three weeks due to a knee injury but has been almost a week back now. Even off the bench, as the backup point guard, he is a great leader, and the solid on-ball defending he displayed as a freshman is back on display in Tempe. He is a better ball-handler than Mason and has a non-stop motor. He is a great distributor, especially in lob passes, but he still needs to be better at the rim and in his shot selection.
BJ Freeman
I know I went on record saying that he may be the x Factor of this team because out of all the transfers, he is a proven volume scorer. If you recall, he had to sit out a good chunk of the off-season due to a back injury and the team being extra cautious with the senior. He only returned to full practices in early September, and it really has been a struggle for him to play at the high level that he was expected to. I'm hearing there's a lot of frustration on his part that the process has not been smoother, and that may have affected the mental component of his game. I don't think we're anywhere close to calling him a bust, but if he is going to come (very) slow out of the gates, then there is a reason for that. I still think that he is really going to have to elevate his game when conference play starts in order for ASU to have what would be considered a good season objectively.
***
The bottom line is that the level of defense will dictate how successful this ASU team will be. This team definitely has the talent to beat almost anyone on its crazy, tough schedule, especially if all players on that 8 or 9-player rotation live up to their potential.
I know that this Duke game has a chance to be a blowout loss, although I think out of respect for Hurley, the Blue Devils will call off the dogs when it gets to a 20-point gap. Playing such an elite caliber team in your first “real game” of the year may not be a true indicator of how good this ASU team can/will be.
That tough stretch, which is much more of an early true litmus test for the Sun Devils, comes in games two through four of the year, Santa Clara in Las Vegas, on the road at Gonzaga, and in the Suns arena against Grand Canyon. If they go 2-1, with the probable loss taking place at Gonzaga, maybe this team can be really special.
In the 70-65 scrimmage win over UC Irvine, ASU's starting lineup was:
Alston Mason
Adam Miler
Joson Sanon
Basheer Jihad
Jayden Quaintance
Hurley said that he wants to change it for the Duke game. This could mean that BJ Freeman starts over Miller, and I think Miller can be an asset off the bench. Or he can reward Shawn Phillips, who did look good in the scrimmage and the entire preseason, and have him start alongside Jayden Quaintance.
I know Hurley said that he was disappointed in a scrimmage both in the offense and the defense, but from what I'm hearing, the road to improving on offense is a shorter one than a defensive improvement. We've said a million times before that the talent on this roster is by far the best that Hurley has had, but we also acknowledge that some of his best teams in Tempe were ones able to complement a stout offense with a formidable defense. Right now, it does look like a team that's going to have to score in the mid-70s to win games (and has the firepower to do it) and one that is not going to go down as one of the better defensive squads we've seen in the last 10 years.
Here's my take on each of the ten players who I think will see the court the most:
Jayden Quaintance
The crown jewel of the 2024 recruiting class has had a strong preseason so far. Yes, he will have his freshman mistakes, and trying to keep up with the speed of the game has been an issue at times. But he's extremely athletic and versatile in his offensive skills, mature beyond his years, which shows in how active his hands are and how good of a passer he is. Another thing is as crazy talented as he is, and yes, I think his ceiling is still high, he does play within his talents and doesn’t stray away or try to outdo others.
Joson Sonon
As I said before, he doesn't look like a freshman or play like a freshman. Then again, when Hurley said that some freshmen struggled in the scrimmage, he didn't mention Sonon by name, but I know that he was one of those players. So, at times, the game may be moving a little faster for him.
Now, he will take the tough shots and make them usually with a high percentage. He doesn't really coddle the ball too much if that makes sense. He'll get the ball in his spot, and if he doesn't pull up, he will drive to the basket and finish well at the rim. Hurley said about all of his freshmen that even though they are high caliber of prospects that they are they all are very coachable and that's going to be very important in improving Sonon's defense. As much as he can make life hell for a lot of players defending him, he might have a hard time, at least at this stage of his career, imposing his will on the other end of the court as well.
The biggest question about him is how much pressure the team will actually put on him, or can veterans like Freeman and Miller allow Sonon to play freely on any given night? I don't know if there are many established starters on the eve of the season opener, but I would tend to think that Miller is probably somebody who will start games rather than come off the bench.
Shawn Phillips
He has made some significant strides since last year, and 7-footers who have a 40-inch vertical are players who are few and far in between in any league, especially in college. It’s important to keep him engaged and develop the mental side of his game. I could see him start on occasion alongside Quaintance, and that is one hell of an athletic frontcourt. He’s not the rim protector that Warren Washington was, and he doesn't have an arsenal of offensive moves in the paint. But he is definitely a lob threat and can do a better job than Basheer Jihad guarding quicker frontcourt players.
And not to jump to next season, but he may have the highest transfer value on the team, so keeping him in Tempe could be much harder than people think. His God-given skills are special.
Brandon Gardner
Pound for pound could be the most athletic player on the team and a classic stretch forward who has already displayed a great knack for draining the corner three-point shots. The fact that he redshirted his freshman year at USC and redshirting in basketball, as you may know, is almost unheard of makes him a very raw player but also somebody who, if he does stick around, I think we can see him improve leaps and bound each and every year. If he can be a better rebounder and defender overall, then I think he can challenge Phillips in terms of who comes off the bench first. Out of all the transfers, I think he's the one that intrigues me the most, even though he may not have a huge role when it's all said and done.
Ameir Ali
He’s almost a carbon copy of Grander in terms of his age and offensive skills. He's another 6-8 player who can shoot the three very well. He's not a prima donna freshman by any means, so being coachable should help him be a more well-rounded player, specifically a better defender using his frame to his advantage on his team’s end of the floor.
Adam Miller
When I hear about Freeman’s struggles, I want to change my X-Factor player prediction to Miller. But all jokes aside, there's little doubt that he's going to be counted on as the leader of this team, and so far, it's a role that he has embraced very well. He's the one player who will make the extra pass, the savvy move that only a veteran of high major teams like himself could make, and he displays a great attitude even when he comes off the bench. And I'm very curious to see what his role is going to be because, as I mentioned earlier, I really think he could be one hell of a sixth man for ASU. Can he fully buy into that role? That could be a crucial question to answer. He's someone who can take the pressure off of Freeman and/or Sanon if they struggle. I do like him more at the 3-spot because guarding smaller and quicker players at the 1-spot or the 2-spot might be a challenge. Miller is another solid catch-and-shoot player who is also deft in the one dribble pull-up. I wouldn't ask him to bring the ball up the court too often.
Basheer Jihad
Great pick-and-pop game and an above-average outside shooter for a frontcourt player. Doesn’t jump out of the gym, and that can hurt his rebounding and guarding quicker frontcourt players. But as a veteran, he uses his experience and basketball IQ to overcome his opponent.
Alston Mason
Honestly, he's somebody who is more of a solid combo guard than an above-average point guard. To his credit, he has been navigating the team well, so it's not like he's the lesser of two evils. But I think he will remind a lot of you guys of DJ Horne, albeit a step less athletic and someone who is not as good of a defender. But if you are talking about a solid catch-and-shoot player, then yes, he is definitely capable of fulfilling that role. For the ASU fans who weren't too crazy about Frankie Collins and his struggles shooting the ball, let alone his atrocious free throw shooting, Mason is going to be a welcome change.
Austin Nunez
According to Hurley, he was out three weeks due to a knee injury but has been almost a week back now. Even off the bench, as the backup point guard, he is a great leader, and the solid on-ball defending he displayed as a freshman is back on display in Tempe. He is a better ball-handler than Mason and has a non-stop motor. He is a great distributor, especially in lob passes, but he still needs to be better at the rim and in his shot selection.
BJ Freeman
I know I went on record saying that he may be the x Factor of this team because out of all the transfers, he is a proven volume scorer. If you recall, he had to sit out a good chunk of the off-season due to a back injury and the team being extra cautious with the senior. He only returned to full practices in early September, and it really has been a struggle for him to play at the high level that he was expected to. I'm hearing there's a lot of frustration on his part that the process has not been smoother, and that may have affected the mental component of his game. I don't think we're anywhere close to calling him a bust, but if he is going to come (very) slow out of the gates, then there is a reason for that. I still think that he is really going to have to elevate his game when conference play starts in order for ASU to have what would be considered a good season objectively.
***
The bottom line is that the level of defense will dictate how successful this ASU team will be. This team definitely has the talent to beat almost anyone on its crazy, tough schedule, especially if all players on that 8 or 9-player rotation live up to their potential.
I know that this Duke game has a chance to be a blowout loss, although I think out of respect for Hurley, the Blue Devils will call off the dogs when it gets to a 20-point gap. Playing such an elite caliber team in your first “real game” of the year may not be a true indicator of how good this ASU team can/will be.
That tough stretch, which is much more of an early true litmus test for the Sun Devils, comes in games two through four of the year, Santa Clara in Las Vegas, on the road at Gonzaga, and in the Suns arena against Grand Canyon. If they go 2-1, with the probable loss taking place at Gonzaga, maybe this team can be really special.
