The Sun Devil men's basketball team (1-0) hosts Cal Poly (0-1) Sunday at 7 p.m. on the Pac-12 Network.
ASU 88, PORTLAND STATE 70 (NOV. 11, 2016): Tra Holder (9-of-11 free throws) and Torian Graham (9-of-11 from the field) led ASU with 23 points, while Shannon Evans added 19 in the 88-70 win over Portland State to open the season. ASU hit nine three pointers, and Obi Oleka added eight points and 13 rebounds. Portland State led early for about the first six minutes, but ASU pulled away to lead 44-30 at the half and never looked back. ASU beat the Vikings 47-32 on the boards and got 30 points from its bench, led by Graham's 23.
TRA HOLDER 8 20-POINT SCORING GAMES
26 at UCLA (1/9/16)
24 vs. #8 Arizona (1/3/16)
23 vs. Portland State (11/11/16)
23 vs. CSU-Bakersfield (12/28/15)
22 vs. North Carolina State (11/23/15)
21 at USC (1/7/16)
20 vs. #23 USC (2/12/16)
20 vs. Washington State (1/16/16)
MOST ASU POINTS OFF BENCH PAST 20 SEASONS (1997-98 TO PRESENT)
31-Steve Moore, 2/10/05 at UCLA
29-Shawn Redhage, 2/8/03 at Washington
24-Savon Goodman, 12/20/14 vs Lehigh
24-Tommy Smith, 2/10/01 vs. Washington
24-Tanner Shell, 1/20/00 at USC
23-Torian Graham, 11/11/16 vs Portland State
MOST SUN DEVIL INDIVIDUAL POINTS UNDER BOBBY HURLEY
26, Tra Holder at UCLA (1/9/16)
24, Tra Holder at Arizona (1/3/16)
23, Torian Graham vs. Portland State (11/11/16)
23, Tra Holder vs. Portland State (11/11/16)
23, Tra Holder vs. Cal State Bakersfield (12/28/15)
23, Savon Goodman at Creighton (12/2/15)
MOST SUN DEVIL POINTS UNDER BOBBY HURLEY
ASU 98, Houston Baptist 79 (12/19/15)
ASU 91, Kennesaw State 53 (11/18/15)
ASU 88, Portland State 70 (11/11/16)
ASU 86, Oregon State 68 (1/28/15)
BEST THING ABOUT FRESHMAN IS THEY BECOME SOPHOMORES: Tra Holder averaged 14.2 points in 2015-16 after averaging 7.0 in his freshman season. A look at ASU's records shows that the 7.2 increase is the best from first year to second year by a Sun Devil since Jeremy Veal went from 7.4 in 1994-95 to 18.9 in 1995-96 ( 11.5). BIGGEST SUN DEVIL SCORING IMPROVEMENTS (FIRST SEASON TO SECOND SEASON)
Jeremy Veal, 11.5 (7.4 in 1994-95 to 18.9 in 1995-96)
Dennis Hamilton, 11.1 (6.2 in 1963-64 to 17.3 in 1964-65)
Art Becker, 10.1 (9.0 in 1961-62 to 19.1 in 1962-63)
Arthur Thomas, 9.4 (4.3 in 1984-85 to 13.7 in 1985-86)
Tra Holder, 7.2 (7.0 in 2014-15 to 14.2 in 2015-16)
Kurt Nimphius, 7.0 (1.5 in 1976-77 to 8.5 in 1977-78)
OBI ONE TO KEEP AN EYE ON: It was the Jan. 14 WSU game where now senior forward Obinna Oleka (Oh-BEE-nah Oh-LEH-ka) began to emerge last season. Obi was in double figures in 13 of the final 16 games and averaged 11.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and was 41-of-49 (.837) from the free throw line in that time. He also had three of his four double-doubles in that span. Oleka had no points and one rebound in the first two games, but because he only played five games for State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota the previous two seasons and didn't play in 2014-15, a slow start was expected. Consider this: Before he took the court in the opener Nov. 13 last year, his previous official game was Dec. 7, 2013...a 705-day break between games.
OBI OLEKA FIRST 10 CAREER GAMES/PAST 23
MPG: 19.0/27.6
FG: 22-61 (.361)/85-212 (.400)
3PT: 3-16 (.188)/25-74 (.338)
FT: 17-27 (.630)/57-69 (.826)
RPG: 4.9/6.9
PPG: 6.4/10.9
LET'S ADD UP THE MILES: The Sun Devils last year had a very tough out-of-conference schedule, playing three OOC road games for just the fifth time in past seasons. This year, it has one true "road" game but its travel schedule is even tougher. ASU between Nov. 16 (travel day) and Dec. 10 (game at San Diego State) will travel 12,900 miles and sleep in a hotel in 11 of 25 nights.
ROAD TRIP(S)!!! ROUND TRIP MILES FROM PHOENIX
Orlando/Tire Pros Invitational (Nov. 17-20)=3,680
Bahamas vs. #2 Kentucky (Nov. 28)=4,320
Jimmy V Classic @NYC vs. #15 Purdue (Dec. 6)=4,300
San Diego @SDSU (Dec. 10)=600
ABOUT THAT OOC SCHEDULE: Last year's Sun Devil non-conference schedule was the 13th-best in the nation, and this year expect the same. In non-conference action, ASU will face Associated Press preseason top-25 teams Kentucky (#2), Purdue (#15) and Creighton (#22). ASU will face Kentucky in the Bahamas on Nov. 28, play in the Jimmy V Classic against Purdue on Dec. 6 and host Creighton at 7 p.m. MT on ESPN2 on Dec. 20. ASU is one of four Pac-12 teams hosting an preseason AP Top-25 team on its home court this year.
PAC-12 SCHOOLS HOSTING AP PRESEASON TOP-25 TEAMS
#17 Saint Mary's at Stanford, Nov. 30
#7 Xavier at Colorado, Dec. 7
#22 Creighton at Arizona State, Dec. 20
#8 Virginia at Cal, Dec. 21
THREE!: Sun Devil coach Bobby Hurley has said that with his three-guard lineup, we can expect a lot of threes being tossed up. Last year ASU made 254 three-pointers, fifth-most in Sun Devil history, and took 756, third-most and most since 2008-09. SUN DEVIL THREE-POINTERS MADE
288/2009
271/2010
268/2014
263/1993
254/2016
SUN DEVIL THREE-POINTERS ATTEMPTED
778/2009
772/1993
756/2016
ABOUT THE TIRE PROS INVITATIONAL: ASU will compete in the Tire Pros Invitational Nov. 17, 18 and 20 in Orlando and will open with Northern Iowa on Thursday, Nov. 17 at 4:30 ET/2:30 MT on ESPNU. ASU will then play either Tulane or Oklahoma on Friday (Nov. 18), with the winner's bracket game at 7 p.m. ET/5 p.m. MT, and the loser's bracket game tipping at 5 p.m. ET/3 p.m. MT, with both games on ESPNU. Also in the field are Xavier, Davidson, Clemson and Missouri.
FIRST GAME FRESHMAN STARTER: Sam Cunliffe joined Jahii Carson and Tra Holder as the only freshman Sun Devil opening game starters in the past nine seasons (2008-09 to 2016-17) against Portland State on Nov. 11. Holder started the first game of the 2014-15 against Chicago State while Jahii did the same in 2012-13. Prior to Jahii, an ASU freshman hadn't started the first game since Nov. 19, 2007, when Ty Abbott, James Harden and Jamelle McMillan all got the starting nod in the Maui Invitational. SUN DEVIL FRESHMAN OPENING NIGHT STARTERS
1972-1973: Gary Jackson
1976-1977: Johnny Nash
1979-1980: Bryon Scott
1984-1985: Chris Sandle
1985-1986: Alex Austin
1981-1982: Shawn Holiday
1986-1987: Tyrone Mitchell
1990-1991: Jamal Faulkner, Stevin Smith
1991-1992: Mario Bennett, Tony Ronaldson
1992-1993: Ron Riley
1999-2000: Donnell Knight
2002-2003: Ike Diogu
2003-2004: Tron Smith, Keith Wooden
2006-2007: Christian Polk, Jerren Shipp
2007-2008: Ty Abbott, James Harden, Jamelle McMillan
2012-2013: Jahii Carson
2014-2015: Tra Holder
2016-2017: Sam Cunliffe
RANDOM THREE-POINT NOTE: Entering the 2016-17 season ASU had made a three-pointer in 522 straight games. The last time ASU did not make a three-pointer was in an 89-57 win over Washington in Tempe on Feb. 10, 2001. That streak is now up to 523 with nine vs. Portland State on Nov. 11.
SHANNON EVANS II TOP SCORING GAMES
33 vs. Cornell (1/3/15)
25 at Ball State (2/4/15)
24 at UT-Arlington (11/18/14)
23 at Western Michigan (1/10/15)
23 at Grand Canyon (11/25/14)
21 at Kent State (2/28/15)
21 at St. Bonaventure (12/3/14)
20 vs. Niagara (12/19/14)
20 vs. Manhattan (12/21/13)
19 vs. Portland State (11/11/16)
19 at Bowling Green (2/21/15)
19 at Central Michigan (2/8/14)
ASU 88, PORTLAND STATE 70 (NOV. 11, 2016): Tra Holder (9-of-11 free throws) and Torian Graham (9-of-11 from the field) led ASU with 23 points, while Shannon Evans added 19 in the 88-70 win over Portland State to open the season. ASU hit nine three pointers, and Obi Oleka added eight points and 13 rebounds. Portland State led early for about the first six minutes, but ASU pulled away to lead 44-30 at the half and never looked back. ASU beat the Vikings 47-32 on the boards and got 30 points from its bench, led by Graham's 23.
TRA HOLDER 8 20-POINT SCORING GAMES
26 at UCLA (1/9/16)
24 vs. #8 Arizona (1/3/16)
23 vs. Portland State (11/11/16)
23 vs. CSU-Bakersfield (12/28/15)
22 vs. North Carolina State (11/23/15)
21 at USC (1/7/16)
20 vs. #23 USC (2/12/16)
20 vs. Washington State (1/16/16)
MOST ASU POINTS OFF BENCH PAST 20 SEASONS (1997-98 TO PRESENT)
31-Steve Moore, 2/10/05 at UCLA
29-Shawn Redhage, 2/8/03 at Washington
24-Savon Goodman, 12/20/14 vs Lehigh
24-Tommy Smith, 2/10/01 vs. Washington
24-Tanner Shell, 1/20/00 at USC
23-Torian Graham, 11/11/16 vs Portland State
MOST SUN DEVIL INDIVIDUAL POINTS UNDER BOBBY HURLEY
26, Tra Holder at UCLA (1/9/16)
24, Tra Holder at Arizona (1/3/16)
23, Torian Graham vs. Portland State (11/11/16)
23, Tra Holder vs. Portland State (11/11/16)
23, Tra Holder vs. Cal State Bakersfield (12/28/15)
23, Savon Goodman at Creighton (12/2/15)
MOST SUN DEVIL POINTS UNDER BOBBY HURLEY
ASU 98, Houston Baptist 79 (12/19/15)
ASU 91, Kennesaw State 53 (11/18/15)
ASU 88, Portland State 70 (11/11/16)
ASU 86, Oregon State 68 (1/28/15)
BEST THING ABOUT FRESHMAN IS THEY BECOME SOPHOMORES: Tra Holder averaged 14.2 points in 2015-16 after averaging 7.0 in his freshman season. A look at ASU's records shows that the 7.2 increase is the best from first year to second year by a Sun Devil since Jeremy Veal went from 7.4 in 1994-95 to 18.9 in 1995-96 ( 11.5). BIGGEST SUN DEVIL SCORING IMPROVEMENTS (FIRST SEASON TO SECOND SEASON)
Jeremy Veal, 11.5 (7.4 in 1994-95 to 18.9 in 1995-96)
Dennis Hamilton, 11.1 (6.2 in 1963-64 to 17.3 in 1964-65)
Art Becker, 10.1 (9.0 in 1961-62 to 19.1 in 1962-63)
Arthur Thomas, 9.4 (4.3 in 1984-85 to 13.7 in 1985-86)
Tra Holder, 7.2 (7.0 in 2014-15 to 14.2 in 2015-16)
Kurt Nimphius, 7.0 (1.5 in 1976-77 to 8.5 in 1977-78)
OBI ONE TO KEEP AN EYE ON: It was the Jan. 14 WSU game where now senior forward Obinna Oleka (Oh-BEE-nah Oh-LEH-ka) began to emerge last season. Obi was in double figures in 13 of the final 16 games and averaged 11.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and was 41-of-49 (.837) from the free throw line in that time. He also had three of his four double-doubles in that span. Oleka had no points and one rebound in the first two games, but because he only played five games for State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota the previous two seasons and didn't play in 2014-15, a slow start was expected. Consider this: Before he took the court in the opener Nov. 13 last year, his previous official game was Dec. 7, 2013...a 705-day break between games.
OBI OLEKA FIRST 10 CAREER GAMES/PAST 23
MPG: 19.0/27.6
FG: 22-61 (.361)/85-212 (.400)
3PT: 3-16 (.188)/25-74 (.338)
FT: 17-27 (.630)/57-69 (.826)
RPG: 4.9/6.9
PPG: 6.4/10.9
LET'S ADD UP THE MILES: The Sun Devils last year had a very tough out-of-conference schedule, playing three OOC road games for just the fifth time in past seasons. This year, it has one true "road" game but its travel schedule is even tougher. ASU between Nov. 16 (travel day) and Dec. 10 (game at San Diego State) will travel 12,900 miles and sleep in a hotel in 11 of 25 nights.
ROAD TRIP(S)!!! ROUND TRIP MILES FROM PHOENIX
Orlando/Tire Pros Invitational (Nov. 17-20)=3,680
Bahamas vs. #2 Kentucky (Nov. 28)=4,320
Jimmy V Classic @NYC vs. #15 Purdue (Dec. 6)=4,300
San Diego @SDSU (Dec. 10)=600
ABOUT THAT OOC SCHEDULE: Last year's Sun Devil non-conference schedule was the 13th-best in the nation, and this year expect the same. In non-conference action, ASU will face Associated Press preseason top-25 teams Kentucky (#2), Purdue (#15) and Creighton (#22). ASU will face Kentucky in the Bahamas on Nov. 28, play in the Jimmy V Classic against Purdue on Dec. 6 and host Creighton at 7 p.m. MT on ESPN2 on Dec. 20. ASU is one of four Pac-12 teams hosting an preseason AP Top-25 team on its home court this year.
PAC-12 SCHOOLS HOSTING AP PRESEASON TOP-25 TEAMS
#17 Saint Mary's at Stanford, Nov. 30
#7 Xavier at Colorado, Dec. 7
#22 Creighton at Arizona State, Dec. 20
#8 Virginia at Cal, Dec. 21
THREE!: Sun Devil coach Bobby Hurley has said that with his three-guard lineup, we can expect a lot of threes being tossed up. Last year ASU made 254 three-pointers, fifth-most in Sun Devil history, and took 756, third-most and most since 2008-09. SUN DEVIL THREE-POINTERS MADE
288/2009
271/2010
268/2014
263/1993
254/2016
SUN DEVIL THREE-POINTERS ATTEMPTED
778/2009
772/1993
756/2016
ABOUT THE TIRE PROS INVITATIONAL: ASU will compete in the Tire Pros Invitational Nov. 17, 18 and 20 in Orlando and will open with Northern Iowa on Thursday, Nov. 17 at 4:30 ET/2:30 MT on ESPNU. ASU will then play either Tulane or Oklahoma on Friday (Nov. 18), with the winner's bracket game at 7 p.m. ET/5 p.m. MT, and the loser's bracket game tipping at 5 p.m. ET/3 p.m. MT, with both games on ESPNU. Also in the field are Xavier, Davidson, Clemson and Missouri.
FIRST GAME FRESHMAN STARTER: Sam Cunliffe joined Jahii Carson and Tra Holder as the only freshman Sun Devil opening game starters in the past nine seasons (2008-09 to 2016-17) against Portland State on Nov. 11. Holder started the first game of the 2014-15 against Chicago State while Jahii did the same in 2012-13. Prior to Jahii, an ASU freshman hadn't started the first game since Nov. 19, 2007, when Ty Abbott, James Harden and Jamelle McMillan all got the starting nod in the Maui Invitational. SUN DEVIL FRESHMAN OPENING NIGHT STARTERS
1972-1973: Gary Jackson
1976-1977: Johnny Nash
1979-1980: Bryon Scott
1984-1985: Chris Sandle
1985-1986: Alex Austin
1981-1982: Shawn Holiday
1986-1987: Tyrone Mitchell
1990-1991: Jamal Faulkner, Stevin Smith
1991-1992: Mario Bennett, Tony Ronaldson
1992-1993: Ron Riley
1999-2000: Donnell Knight
2002-2003: Ike Diogu
2003-2004: Tron Smith, Keith Wooden
2006-2007: Christian Polk, Jerren Shipp
2007-2008: Ty Abbott, James Harden, Jamelle McMillan
2012-2013: Jahii Carson
2014-2015: Tra Holder
2016-2017: Sam Cunliffe
RANDOM THREE-POINT NOTE: Entering the 2016-17 season ASU had made a three-pointer in 522 straight games. The last time ASU did not make a three-pointer was in an 89-57 win over Washington in Tempe on Feb. 10, 2001. That streak is now up to 523 with nine vs. Portland State on Nov. 11.
SHANNON EVANS II TOP SCORING GAMES
33 vs. Cornell (1/3/15)
25 at Ball State (2/4/15)
24 at UT-Arlington (11/18/14)
23 at Western Michigan (1/10/15)
23 at Grand Canyon (11/25/14)
21 at Kent State (2/28/15)
21 at St. Bonaventure (12/3/14)
20 vs. Niagara (12/19/14)
20 vs. Manhattan (12/21/13)
19 vs. Portland State (11/11/16)
19 at Bowling Green (2/21/15)
19 at Central Michigan (2/8/14)