The 2016-17 Sun Devil men's basketball team (6-6) zig-zagged across North America three times (Orlando, Bahamas and New York City), got a solid road win at San Diego State on Dec. 10 and now hosts Central Arkansas on Thursday, Dec. 22, at 1 p.m. before it opens Pac-12 play on the road on Friday, Dec. 30 at 6 p.m. at Stanford. ASU is 62-16 (.795) at home in the past five seasons, with wins over five ranked teams in the past four seasons The Sun Devils returned 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.
FREE THROW THREE-DOT DATA: The Sun Devils are making free throws at a rate that is third-best school history, as ASU is shooting 194-of-258 (.752) from the charity stripe. ASU shot .756 in 1977-78 and .754 in 1954-55 for its best seasons...ASU went 12-of-12 in the second half of a tight win at San Diego State on Dec. 10 and was 16-of-18 for the game to seal that road tilt...junior Tra Holder is 281-of-385 (.730) from the charity stripe in his 76 games...junior Shannon Evans made his first 20 free throws to start the season. He is 226-of-279 (.810) from the free throw line in his career...Obi Oleka is 109-of-144 (.757) from the free throw line.
CAREER FT% NUMBERS
Shannon Evans II: 224-277/.809
Tra Holder: 281-385/.730
Kodi Justice: 49-64/.766
Obi Oleka: 109-144/.757
OBI PUTTING UP NUMBERS: Senior 6-8 forward Obi Oleka has to do much of the big man work this year, as he has led or tied for team lead in rebounding in all but one game. He already has seven double-doubles, and in the past three games he is averaging 16.3 points and 13 rebounds.
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 34
MPG: 19.0/28.8
3PT MADE: 3/32
FT: 17-27 (.630)/92-117 (.786)
RPG: 4.9/7.9
PPG: 6.4/11.5
TOP SCORING GAMES FOR OBINNA OLEKA
20 vs. Citadel (11/23/16)
19 vs. #9 Creighton (12/20/16)
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)
JETHRO NOTE: Freshman Jethro Tshisumpa -- with a 7-5 1/2 wingspan and 6% body fat -- has 15 blocks in 94 minutes on the year. Sun Devil Jordan Bachynsnki, the Pac-12 career leader, had 20 his freshman season when he played 240 minutes. Mario Bennett has the Sun Devil freshman record with 55 in 1991-92.
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 also marks the 25th anniversary of Bobby Hurley earning 1992 MOP.
FALL SIGNINGS: From one coast to the other one, Bobby Hurley's staff signed a pair of top-100 players this past 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.
SCOUT.COM SUN DEVIL TOP-100 RECRUITS ON ROSTER NEXT FALL
54. Kimani Lawrence, 2017 (freshman in 2017-18)
81. Romello White, 2016 (sitting this year/academic redshirt)
98. Remy Martin, 2017 (freshman in 2017-18)
100. Tra Holder, 2014 (2015 Pac-12 All-Freshman Team)
ASU 74, @SDSU 63 (12/10/16): ASU fell behind 14-4 and was down 32-25 at the half but came back behind 10 three-pointers and 16-of-18 free throws to post a solid road win at always tough Viejas Arena, where SDSU was 49-5 in its past 54. ASU, which had won two OOC road games in Coach Hurley's first season (UNLV and Creighton), earned another and is now 3-1 in road OOC games after going 8-22 in the previous 30. Tra Holder had 17 points (perfect in six free throw attempts) while Obi Oleka had 15 points and 12 boards off the bench. SDSU was 65-1 at home and 48-2 in past 50 games overall when leading at the half.
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 534 games.
TORIAN GRAHAM 20+ GAMES (4)
24 vs. #9 Creighton (12/20/16)
23 vs. Portland State (11/11/16)
22 vs. UNLV (12/3/16)
22 vs. Tulane (11/18/16)
CALL THEM COMEBACKS: In the past 11 seasons, ASU has made four halftime comebacks on the road of at least seven points, three of them under Bobby Hurley. Last year ASU came back from 12 down to win at UNLV and eight down at Creighton. It came back from seven down to win at San Diego State on Dec. 10.
HALFTIME COMEBACKS ON ROAD 2006-07 PRESENT (7+ POINTS OR MORE)
(12) @UNLV 37, ASU 25 (Dec. 16, 2015)/ASU 66, @UNLV 56
(8) @Creighton 41, ASU 33 (Dec.2, 2015)/ASU 79, @Creighton 77
(7) @San Diego State 32, ASU 25 (Dec. 10, 2016)/ASU 74, @San Diego State 63
(7) @Stanford 35, ASU 28 (Feb. 25, 2010)/ASU 68, @Stanford 60
ABOUT THAT STRETCH: ASU had a six-game stretch that had them playing No. 1 Kentucky, No. 18 Purdue and No. 9 Creighton along with UNLV, at San Diego State (2016 Mountain West regular season champion) and New Mexico State (2016 WAC regular season champion). Starting with its Nov. 28 game vs. top-ranked Kentucky, ASU played six games in 23 days that were full of NCAA Tourney proven teams.
SUPER TOUGH SIX IN A ROWMonday, 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. #18 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. #9 Creighton (10 NCAA Tournaments past 18 seasons)
ASU 97, UNLV 73 (12/3/16): ASU started fast and never looked back in a 97-73 win over UNLV, as ASU made 13-of-22 (.591) three-pointers in the first half en route to matching a school record with 18. Shannon Evans II led ASU with 28 points while Torian Graham had 22 and Tra Holder 20. ASU led 51-32 at the half and had just eight turnovers. The 28 points by Evans II is the most by a Sun Devil since Jahii Carson had 29 at Oregon on March 4, 2014 (107 games).
SUN DEVIL MOST THREE POINT FIELD GOALS
18 vs. UNLV, Dec. 3, 2016
18 vs. San Francisco, Nov. 20, 2009
17 vs. Oregon State, Mar. 5, 2011
17 vs. Idaho State, Dec. 23, 200816 vs. Miami (Ohio), Nov. 12, 2013
15 vs. Citadel, Nov. 23, 2016
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. The +7.2 increase is the best from first year to second year 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)
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)
MILES: The Sun Devils last year had a 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 was even tougher. ASU between Nov. 16 (travel day) and Dec. 10 (game at San Diego State) traveled 12,900 miles and slept 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. #1 Kentucky (Nov. 28)=4,320
Jimmy V Classic @NYC vs. #18 Purdue (Dec. 6)=4,300
San Diego @SDSU (Dec. 10)=600
ASU 88, PORTLAND STATE 70 (11/11/16): Tra Holder 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. Obi Oleka added 13 rebounds. 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
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 (12)
33 vs. Cornell (1/3/15)
28 vs. UNLV (12/3/16)
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
JUSTICE SERVED: Kodi Justice has made 94 three pointers in 62 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 tied for second on the team in assists with 76 and third in steals with 30.
KODI JUSTICE TOP SCORING GAMES
20 vs. Citadel (11/23/16)
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)
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.