The Arizona State Sun Devil men's basketball team (10-5; 0-2) plays at UCLA (Saturday, Jan. 9) on the Pac-12 Network. ASU is 7-3 in its past 10, with its losses in that time to two top-10 teams (Arizona and Kentucky) and at USC Thursday. Tim Healey and Kyle Dodd have the Sun Devil radio call on the Sun Devil Sports Radio Network (620 AM), presented by MidFirst. ASU fell at USC 75-65, as it fell behind by 17 midway through the second half but never quit and had the ball and chance to tie/go ahead with just over a minute left.
52,961: A four-game stretch to start December put ASU in a good shape. ASU played three road games plus a home game vs. #18 Texas A&M. ASU won at UNLV (Dec. 16) and Creighton (Dec. 2) and lost at #5 Kentucky (Dec. 12), playing in front 52,961 in those three games, while last year in its nine Pac-12 road games, ASU played in front of 69,519. The 67-54 win over No. 18 Texas A&M (in which ASU led by 25) was on Dec. 5, as A&M was coming off wins over Gonzaga and Texas.
QUICK FROM THURSDAY: The USC game marked the ninth time Tra Holder (21 points) led the team in scoring, after doing it just one time last season...Holder in the past six games is averaging 20.3 points. He is shooting 38-of-77 (.494) from the field and 14-of-29 (.483) from the three-point stripe in that time...Obinna Oleka made his first career start. It marked the third starting lineup combination this year (Willie Atwood, Gerry Blakes, Tra Holder, Eric Jacobsen and Oleka)...Tra Holder posted his third straight 20-point game with 21, as three of his top four scoring games have happened in the past three games...Willie Atwood (11 points) had his 11th game in double digits after doing it just twice last year...ASU is averaging 41.7 points in the second half...ASU was just 6-of-15 from the free throw line (shooting over 70 percent on the year).
EIGHT OF 75: There are 75 teams in the the "power five" hoops conferences and ASU was one of just eight to play at least three out-of-conference "true" road games (true being on the opponent home floor). Others to do it were Alabama, Auburn, Creighton, DePaul (4), Florida, Ole Miss (4) and Penn State.
WILLIE THEN AND NOW: Last season Willie Atwood averaged 11.6 minutes, scored 92 total points (3.0 per game) and was 11-of-31 (.355) from the three-point stripe. With a slimmed-down frame, he is a new player this year. He is averaging 28.1 minutes and is averaging 10.6 points and has three double-doubles. He has 11 double-digit scoring games on the year after posting just two last year (also had 15 games where he did not score).
TWEETABLES ABOUT @SUNDEVILHOOPS...
√ Tra Holder is averaging 18.8 points in past eight games
√ Six players have led the team in scoring
√ Five teams have outrebounded ASU in first 15 games
√ Willie Atwood: 13.3 ppg./32-of-36 (.889) FTs in past 6 games
√ Obi Oleka is averaging 10.4 points in the past five games
√ 236-of-327 (.722) from the free throw line in the past 14 games
√ Averaging 41.7 points in the second half
WAT A DIFFERENCE A YEAR MAKES: Take a look at Tra Holder's numbers last year on Jan. 8 and this year.
TRA HOLDER 2014-15 THROUGH JAN. 8
MPG: 18.5
FG: 15-49/.306
FT: 28-43/.651
3PT: 2-10/.200
RPG: 1.1
PPG: 4.6
DOUBLE-DIGIT SCORING GAMES: 3
TRA HOLDER IN 2015-16
MPG: 30.1
FG: 73-168/.435
FT: 67-88/.761
3PT: 21-56/.375
RPG: 3.9
PPG: 15.6
DOUBLE-DOUBLE DIGIT SCORING GAMES: 11