The 2016-17 Sun Devil men's basketball team (3-2) hosts a matinee vs. Citadel (Wednesday, Nov. 23 at 2 p.m. MT) on Pac-12 Network before hitting the road for another Eastern Time Zone game as it travels to the Bahamas to face top-ranked Kentucky on Monday, Nov. 28, at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2. ASU went 1-2 in the Tire Pros Invitational Nov. 17-20, topping Tulane and losing to Northern Iowa and Davidson. The Sun Devils return two starters (Tra Holder and Obi Oleka) and four total lettermen from last year's squad that posted eight wins against top-100 RPI teams in Bobby Hurley's first season. Tim Healey and Kyle Dodd have the call on the Sun Devil Sports Radio Network, presented by MidFirst.
THROUGH FIVE GAMES: Junior Tra Holder leads ASU in scoring (17.2 ppg.) and is 26-of-36 (.722) from the fre throw line on the year. He is 248-of-345 (.719) from the charity stripe in his 69-game career...senior Torian Graham is 15-of-33 (.455) from the three-point stripe and has two 20-point games...Shannon Evans II is 21-of-24 (.875) from the free throw line on the year. He made his first 20 to start the season. He is 205-of-255 (.804) from the free throw line in his career...Obi Oleka is 13-of-17 (.765) from the free throw line and is averaging 10.6 points and 9.4 rebounds...Kodi Justice has made 80 three-pointers in 55 career games...ASU is 84-of-115 (.730) from the free throw line...seven players are averaging more than 16 minutes per game and four players are averaging double digits.
WHOA: Starting with its Nov. 28 game vs. top-ranked Kentucky, ASU will play six games in 23 days that are...well...challenging. Check out the six games and the basketball history of each opponent.
SUPER TOUGH SIX IN A ROW
Monday, Nov. 28 vs. #1 Kentucky at Bahamas (8-time NCAA champion)
Saturday, Dec. 3 vs. UNLV (6 NCAA Tournaments in past 10 seasons)
Tuesday, Dec. 6 vs. #17 Purdue at New York City (8 NCAA Tournaments past 10 seasons)
Saturday, Dec. 10 at San Diego State (7 NCAA Tournaments past 11 seasons)
Saturday, Dec. 17 vs. New Mexico State (4 NCAA Tournaments past 5 seasons)
Tuesday, Dec. 20 vs. #12 Creighton (10 NCAA Tournaments past 18 seasons)
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 38 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
FINAL FOUR IN 2017: ASU and Glendale/Phoenix host the 2017 Final Four, the first Final Four held west of Texas since Seattle in 1995. It will be held at University of Phoenix Stadium, home of the Arizona Cardinals. The 2017 Final Four will also marks the 25th anniversary of Bobby Hurley earning 1992 MOP.
HISTORY LESSON: ASU could have an opportunity to play the top-ranked team for the tenth time. Its lone win was in Corvallis on March 7, 1981. ASU, coached by 2003 Pac-10 Hall of Honor inductee Ned Wulk, travelled to Corvallis and led 40-20 at the half against top-ranked and undefeated Oregon State and won 87-67 on the final day of the regular season. All five ASU starters (Sam Williams, Paul Williams, Alton Lister, Byron Scott and Fat Lever) in that game were future NBA first- or second-round draft picks.
ASU 96, CAL POLY 74 (11/13/16): ASU led just 39-38 at the half as Cal Poly hit seven threes in the first half, but ASU's guards became hard to guard as the Sun Devils scored 57 in the second half and raced to a 96-74 win. Tra Holder posted 24 points, while Shannon Evans II added 20 and Torian Graham had 18 off the bench. Evans II became the first Sun Devil since Ike Diogu (Jan. 17, 2004 vs. USC) to go perfect in at least 12 free throw attempts, while ASU's 57 second-half points was the most in a half since it scored 58 vs. San Francisco on Nov. 20, 2009.
ASU 88, PORTLAND STATE 70 (11/11/16): Tra Holder (9-of-11 free throws) and Torian Graham (9-of-11 FGs off the bench) 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 threes, and Obi Oleka added 13 rebounds. PSU led for most of the first six minutes, but ASU pulled away to lead 44-30 at the half. ASU beat the Vikings 47-32 on the boards and got 30 points from its bench. Graham's 23 points marked the most by a Sun Devil in a career debut since Jerren Shipp had 23 on Nov. 13, 2006.
MOST POINTS IN ASU DEBUT (1987-88 TO PRESENT)
28-Isaac Burton, Jr.,/ASU 106, BYU 95 (Nov. 27, 1993)
26-Steve Moore, Jr./ASU 80, Arkanas-Little Rock 72 (Nov. 22, 2003)
23-Torian Graham, Sr./ASU 88, Portland State 70 (Nov. 11, 2016)
23-Jerren Shipp, Fr./NAU 75, ASU 71 (Nov. 13, 2006)
23-Gee Gervin, Fr. /ASU 111, Jacksonville 69 (Nov. 22, 1996)
MOST ASU POINTS OFF BENCH (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
THREE-POINT NOTE: Entering 2016-17 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 527 games.
OBI ONE TO KEEP AN EYE ON: It was the Jan. 14 WSU game where 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, his previous official game was Dec. 7, 2013...a 705-day break between games.
OBI OLEKA FIRST 10 CAREER GAMES/PAST 27
MPG: 19.0/28.5
3PT: 3-16 (.188)/28-88 (.318)
FT: 17-27 (.630)/69-84 (.821)
RPG: 4.9/7.3
PPG: 6.4/10.7
TOP SCORING GAMES FOR OBINNA OLEKA
19 vs. Kennesaw State (11/18/15)
17 vs. Cal Poly (11/13/16)
17 vs. #23 Oregon (1/31/16)
17 vs. Oregon State (1/28/16)
17 vs. #8 Arizona (1/3/16)
OOC SCHEDULE: Last year's Sun Devil OOC schedule was 13th-best in the nation, and this year expect the same. ASU will face AP preseason top-25 teams #2 Kentucky in Bahamas on Nov. 28, Purdue (#15) in the Jimmy V Classic on Dec. 6 and host #22 Creighton at 7 p.m. MT on ESPN2 on Dec. 20. ASU is one of four Pac-12 teams hosting a preseason AP Top-25 team.
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.
HE CAN PLAY: Transfer Shannon Evans II arrived at ASU after having spent two seasons under Coach Hurley at Buffalo. As a sophomore in 2014-15 he averaged 15.4 points, 3.2 rebounds and 4.6 assists and led the Bulls to the NCAA Tournament as he earned second-team All-MAC honors. As a freshman, he averaged 8.5 points and 3.3 assists per game and was named to the All-MAC Freshman Team. He sat the 2015-16 season but has two years to play starting in 2016-17.
SHANNON EVANS II 20-POINT SCORING GAMES (11)
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 vs. Tulane (11/18/16)
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)
20 vs. Cal Poly (11/13/16)
FIVE QUESTIONS WITH SHANNON EVANS
Most upset you have ever been on the court: Losing the NCAA tournament.
Happiest you have ever been on the court: Winning the MAC championship.
You can go watch a past sporting event live...which one? 1991 Duke vs UNLV
Past Sun Devil (any sport) you wish you could have watched compete: Pat Tillman.
Who has been the biggest influence on your career? Mom, dad, and Coach Hurley
FALL SIGNINGS: From one coast to the other one, Bobby Hurley's staff signed a pair of top-100 players for the second straight fall, as 6-6 swingman Kimani Lawrence (New Hampton School in New Hampton, N.H.) and 6-2 guard Remy Martin of Chatsworth (Calif.) Sierra Canyon, will join the Sun Devil program in 2017-18. A four-star signee according to Scout, Martin averaged 14.5 points as a junior. Lawrence, a four-star small forward from The New Hampton School in New Hampton, N.H., is the nation's 54th overall prospect according to ESPN, while Scout.com lists him as the nation's No. 11 small forward. ASU had signed five ESPN top-100 players in the previous nine years, but now has signed five in its 2016 and 2017 classes. Last year marked the first time in the Scout.com recruiting era (2002-present) ASU signed three four-star players, as next year Coach Hurley is expected to have at least five top-100 players on the roster. ASU had signed eight top-100 players in the previous 15 years, but signed two in the Scout top-100 in Sam Cunliffe (45) and Romello White (81), with Lawrence (54) and Martin (98) now in the fold.
SCOUT.COM SUN DEVIL TOP-100 RECRUITS (2002-PRESENT)
23. James Harden, 2007
34. Jahii Carson, 2011
45. Sam Cunliffe, 2016
54. Kimani Lawrence, 2017
55. Ike Diogu, 2002
79. Keala King, 2010
81. Romello White, 2016
84. Keith Wooden, 2003
96. Jamelle McMillan, 2007
98. Trent Lockett, 2009
98. Remy Martin, 2017
100. Tra Holder, 2014
WHOA: Buffalo was 285-369 (.436) in 22 seasons after going Division I (1991-2013). Under Bobby Hurley the Bulls were 42-20 (.678) in his two seasons.
TRA'S TREYS AND OTHER THINGS: In his freshman season after the Jan. 15 Utah game Tra Holder was shooting below 30 percent, had 15 buckets, two three-pointers and was averaging just over four points. Last year he averaged a team-best 14.2 points and made 49 three-pointers. He led the team in scoring in 16 games last year and had seven 20-point games. He became the first Sun Devil to post five straight 20-point games since James Harden did it in his freshman season of 2007-08 and the first Pac-12 player to open league play with four straight 20-point games since Cal's Patrick Christopher in 2008-09 last season.
TRA HOLDER 9 20+ SCORING GAMES
26 at UCLA (1/9/16)
24 vs. #8 Arizona (1/3/16)
24 vs. Cal Poly (11/13/16)
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)
JUSTICE SERVED: Kodi Justice has made 80 three pointers in 55 career games. He suffered a fractured navicular bone in his left foot on Jan. 25, 2015 (freshman year) and missed the remainder of that season, but bounced back with a solid sophomore season. His injury happened the game following a season-high 16 points at California, so he was just starting to get in the groove, and then adapted to a new coaching staff in the summer of 2015 while getting healthy. He posted 10 double-digit scoring games last year (three in 18 games in 2014-15). He was tied for second on the team in assists with 76 and third in steals with 30.
KODI JUSTICE TOP SCORING GAMES
20 vs. Houston Baptist (12/19/15)
17 vs. Washington (1/16/16)
16 vs. Washington State (1/14/16)
16 at California (1/22/15)
14 at Washington (2/3/16)
FIVE QUESTIONS WITH KODI JUSTICE
You can pick the brain of any coach, who is it?: John Wooden.
Happiest you have ever been on the court: My first game at ASU.
You can go watch a past sporting event live...which one? Rumble in the Jungle
Past Sun Devil (any sport) you wish you could have watched compete: Pat Tillman.
Biggest challenge in my life: Being dyslexic.