On Thursday at 6:00 PM PT on ESPN2, Stanford men’s basketball will take on the Arizona State Sun Devils on the road in Tempe. Stanford comes in at 10-9 overall and 5-4 in the Pac-12 while Arizona State comes in at 11-9 overall and 5-4 in the Pac-12.
Last time out: Stanford had a heart breaking two point loss at Cal on Friday.
RECAP: Stanford MBB bumbles opportunity in Berkeley
On Arizona State: The Sun Devils got off to a hot 4-0 start in league play but have since cooled off, losing two games in a row. They opened up league play by sweeping Stanford and Cal on the road, winning both games after trailing in the second half. They are coming off a disappointing road trip at Oregon and Oregon State in which they got swept.
Junior guard Frankie Collins (13.7 points & 4.7 rebounds) and graduate student guard Jose Perez (13.4 points & 4.2 rebounds) continue to lead the Sun Devils while redshirt junior guard Adam Miller (11.4 points) and junior guard/forward Jamiya Neal (10.8 points) remain double digit scorers on average.
As a team, the Sun Devils average 69.4 points per game on 41.7% shooting from the field, 30.0% shooting from 3-point range, and 65.5% shooting from the foul line. They average 33.3 rebounds, 12.0 assists, 8.6 steals, 4.0 blocks, and 10.4 turnovers per game. They also average a -8.4 rebound margin and a +3.9 turnover margin per game. Their opponents average 71.6 points per game on 43.7% shooting from the field, 31.9% shooting from 3-point range, and 67.9% shooting from the foul line.
Keys to the game: For Stanford, the first thing they need to do is win the battle inside. Stanford averages a -0.2 rebound margin per game, which is better than Arizona State’s margin. If Stanford out-rebounds Arizona State and is more physical in the paint, they’ll have an edge.
Secondly, Stanford needs to take care of the ball. Arizona State is used to speeding teams up and forcing turnovers. That’s part of what led to their disappointing loss at home to the Sun Devils earlier this season. If Stanford takes better care of the ball and doesn’t get sped up, they should be fine.
Finally, Stanford needs to get their 3-ball going. Stanford tends to rely too much on 3-pointers, but with the way they play, they’re kinda designed to take a lot of threes. With that being the case, they need to make their threes and create good looks for each other. If they do, they’ll be well positioned to win.
Prediction: I got Arizona State winning by a final score of 77-76. It’s a game I could see going either way, but I’ll give the Sun Devils the edge since they are playing in their building.
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