Shorthanded Arizona State Basketball Squeaks By Colorado: 3 Takeaways

Arizona State basketball picked up its third Big 12 win of the season with a 70-68 road victory over Colorad0 on Tuesday night.

A steep challenge awaited the Sun Devils as they entered the Rocky Mountain foothills. They were without freshman forward Jayden Quaintance, who had tweaked his ankle before Saturday’s game against No. 3 Iowa State. Senior guard/forward BJ Freeman added himself to the shortlist after three minutes.

While they played a Colorado side that was winless in conference play, the Buffaloes came with energy, looking to take advantage. The Maroon and Gold needed this win to stay in the bubble for the NCAA tournament.

Tensions boiled inside CU Events Center, as the home side had a few chances to take the lead in the final minute. After redshirt senior guard Adam Miller missed both free throws that would have given Arizona State basketball a four-point lead, Colorado’s freshman forward Sebastian Rancik made two out of three free throws.

Miller had another miscue–a travel–with 11 seconds remaining. Once again, the Buffaloes could not fully convert with Rancik. Despite a Shawn Phillips rebound, Tad Boyle’s side still held hope as graduate forward Andrej Jakimovski heaved a half-court shot for the win.

It fell wide, and Sun Devil nation could finally exhale.

Here are three takeaways from the win.

Takeaway #1: Backcourt, Phillips step up without two starters

Arizona State basketball has not been playing at full strength ever since junior guard Austin Nunez exited the Nov. 14 contest against Grand Canyon. It reached a season-high on Tuesday night.

Although freshman guard Trevor Best made a cameo, the Sun Devils essentially used a seven-man rotation, which chiseled to six as Freeman transitioned to street clothes to start the second half.  Bobby Hurley had to manage senior forward Basheer Jihad, who dealt with foul trouble throughout, and junior center Shawn Phillips Jr., who bossed the paint with 13 points in Quaintance’s absence.

Hurley once again had to rely on his guards for minutes and manufacturing. Senior guard Alston Mason had 17 points. Miller, despite his follies late, led the way with 18 points. Both were on the court for 39 minutes. Additionally, freshman guard/forward Amier Ali with a career-high 27 minutes. His previous high was 18 minutes against Cal Poly on Nov. 20.

While some players were fatigued, others, like Miller with his triples and Phillips who continued his two-handed slams, stepped up to continue a strong fast pace.

Perfect? No. A winning formula on a Tuesday night in Boulder? Yes.

Takeaway #2: Sharpshooting, free throws save Sun Devils when turnovers don’t

Not only did Arizona State basketball create solid offensive opportunities, they also limited the Buffaloes from retaking/sustaining the lead multiple times. The visitors won the field goal percentage battle by 1.8%, helped by their 7-for-22 production from beyond the arc. It was better than the hosts going 4-for-17, which includes going 1-for-11 in a second half where they tried to complete a double-digit rally.

Free throws went to the victors as well in a game where both teams were in the bonus by the under-8 media timeout in the second half. The Sun Devils shot 19-for-26 from the line, driving to the basket and collecting rebounds on both ends. Jihad led the way, going 9-for-11 on his free throws. The Buffaloes went 14-for-20.

However, Arizona State basketball still struggled in one category: turnovers. After 18 on Saturday afternoon, it made 17 on Tuesday night. Colorado more than doubled the Maroon and Gold on points off turnovers, with 28. If not for the strong defense and seeing the Buffaloes’ missed shots late, the Sun Devils would have seen another second half struggle.

Takeaway #3: Baskin once again torments the Sun Devils

Sun Devils should have known about Trevor Baskin. If not, he gave them another reminder.

The graduate forward, who transferred from Division II Colorado-Mesa, has put up a combined 42 points against the Maroon and Gold this season–23 in Tempe and 19 in Boulder. The 19 from Tuesday saw him snake to the basket while also picking up four rebounds and four steals. He scored a second-chance layup to tie the game at 43 and finish a 15-5 run that created a stingy battle down the stretch.

Despite his success against Arizona State basketball, Baskin has only reached double figures in five games this season. He had 39 points combined in the six games between the contests against the Sun Devils. It is not ideal for a team looking for a consistent spark off the bench, but also help up front in general.  Graduate center Elijah Malone has not reached double figures in conference play, and was held scoreless on Tuesday night.

However, Baskin’s play shows what can be possible when utilizing a rotation that can get the Buffaloes some conference wins as the season progresses.

Up next for Arizona State (12-8, 3-6 Big 12): vs. Arizona (14-6, 8-1 Big 12) – Feb. 1 at 1 p.m. EST

Up next for Colorado (9-11, 0-9 Big 12): at TCU (10-9, 3-5 Big 12) – Feb. 2 at 4 p.m. EST