The Arizona State Sun Devil men's hoops team (3-2) -- coming off back-to-back NCAA Tournaments for the first time since 1980-81 and the only Pac-12 team to make the NCAAs the past two seasons -- opens with five of its first seven away from Tempe, as after its trip to China for a non-conference game against Colorado on Nov. 9 it hit the road again after two home games. After splitting games at the Air Force Reserve Basketball Hall of Fame Tip-Off at the Mohegan Sun Arena over the weekend, the Sun Devils now go to Princeton (Nov. 26) and San Francisco (Dec. 3).
ON THE ROAD: After playing three neutral site games early, ASU's next two tilts are old-school road games in home-and-home series. ASU will travel to Princeton (Nov. 26) and then San Francisco (Dec. 3), as it is 5-2 (.714) in out-of-conference road games under Bobby Hurley, after going 8-22 (.267) in its previous 30 efforts.
SUN DEVIL OUT OF CONFERENCE ROAD GAMES UNDER BOBBY HURLEY (5-2)
Vanderbilt 81, ASU 65 (Dec. 17, 2018)
#20 ASU 76, Georgia 74 (Dec. 15, 2018)
#16 ASU 95, #2 Kansas 85 (Dec. 10, 2017)
ASU 74, San Diego State 63 (Dec. 10, 2016)
ASU 66, UNLV 56 (Dec. 16, 2015)
#5 Kentucky 72, ASU 58 (Dec. 5, 2015)
ASU 79, Creighton 77 (Dec. 2, 2015)
SUN DEVIL RECAPS
GAME #5 -- #7 VIRGINIA 48, ASU 45 (NOV. 24, UNCASVILLE, CT): ASU fell behind 20-10 early but posted a 19-0 run over two halves to take a 35-26 lead with 13:32 left, but 2019 NCAA champion Virginia came back for three-point win. ASU was 10-of-20 (.500) from the field in the second half and held Virginia to 7-of-25 (.287).
GAME #4 -- ASU 80, ST. JOHN'S 67 (NOV. 23/UNCASVILLE, CT): ASU fell behind 15-2 and 40-31 at the half but notched its 22nd halftime comeback under Bobby Hurley with an 80-67 win over St. John's at the Mohegan Sun Resort. Remy Martin had 19 points while Romello White had 15 points and nine rebounds and made all six shots. Rob Edwards added 13 while Jaelen House had 11 and Elias Valtone 10 in his first career start. ASU shot 18-of-30 (.600) from the field in the second half and held SJU to 10-of-30 (.333). The lead reached 18 late as ASU had a 14-0 scoring run early in the second half.
GAME #3 -- ASU 92, RIDER 55 (NOV. 17/TEMPE):Rider jumped out to a 12-4 lead six minutes into the game but ASU went on a 37-10 run to put the game away before the half. ASU posted 43 bench points, led by Jaelen House notching 20 in just 21 minutes. Remy Martin also had 20 while Romello White and Alonzo Verge Jr. had 11 each. ASU forced 29 turnovers (most since 2003) and had 16 steals (most since 2009).
GAME #2 -- ASU 90, CENTRAL CONNECTICUT STATE 49 (NOV. 14/TEMPE):The Sun Devils (1-1) trailed for 31 seconds in the first two minutes but that was it as 16 players saw action in holding CCSU to the fewest points by an opponent in the Bobby Hurley era. Rob Edwards had 23 points and Remy Martin and Jaelen House added 14 each as the Sun Devils posted 14 steals and forced 23 turnovers.
GAME #1 -- COLORADO 81, ASU 71 (NOV. 9/SHANGHAI):In the first Pac-12 China game between two conference teams, Colorado raced to a 42-29 halftime lead, ASU tied it at 59 but the Buffs held on for an 81-71 win. The non-conference loss was ASU's first in November since 2016. Remy Martin had 23 points, nine rebounds, eight assists and five steals, but CU outrebounded ASU 48-36. Rob Edwards had 20 points. ASU shot .321 (9-of-28) from the field in the first half and .385 (25-of-65) for the game. It had 10 steals, but also had 16 turnovers. Freshman Jalen Graham had five blocks.
NO PLACE LIKE HOME: The two ASU tilts last week are the only home games prior to Dec. 7 game with Louisiana, the fewest in the Pac-12 to start the season. Four Pac-12 teams will have played six home games (Arizona, Stanford, UCLA and Washington) before ASU's plays its third. Only WSU (three) and ASU (two) play less than four in that time span.
PHYSICAL NOTES: The top wingspans on the team are Jalen Graham (7-2), Romello White (7-0) and Kimani Lawrence (6-11 1/2). The best standing vertical on the team is Graham (32.5"), while Remy Martin is next (31.5") while best approach verticals are Remy (40.5"), Jaelen House (39.5") and Graham (39").
BE COOL IF OTHER PAC-12 TEAMS DO THIS: Since Bobby Hurley took over four years ago, ASU leads the league in wins over ranked out-of-conference teams during the regular season with a 5-5 mark with wins over Kansas (twice), Xavier, Mississippi State and Texas A&M. Four of the wins have been away from Tempe. UCLA is 4-6 and Arizona 3-4. No other Pac-12 teams have more than two. Take out ASU's 5-5 mark and the rest of the league is 15-42 in those four seasons and seven of the teams have one or zero wins.
PRETTY COOL NOTE: ASU had been to four NCAA Tournaments (1995, 2003, 2009 and 2014) in 26 seasons (1992-2017) and not been to the NCAA Tournament in back-to-back years since 1980-81. Remy Martin, Kimani Lawrence and Romello White have now gone to the Dance in each of their first two seasons.
LET'S ADD A NATION: Bobby Hurley took the ASU job in April of 2015 and said ASU was going to play some folks and not be afraid to go on the road. When the dust settles after this December, ASU's tally of non-conference states in his five years will move to 11 with other trips to the Bahamas (vs. Kentucky) and China. ASU has played non-conference games in New York (MSG and Barclays), Nebraska (Creighon), at Kentucky, Nevada (at UNLV), Florida, California, at Kansas, at Georgia and Tennessee (Vanderbilt) and adds Connecticut and New Jersey to the list this November. The Sun Devils will be logging some serious air miles and hotel nights in November. The team will be on the road 15 of the first 26 nights and will notch 18,610 miles, as it plays just two of its first seven games at home.
NOVEMBER TOUGH: Not many have been better early than the Sun Devils in the past three seasons, as they 15-2 the past three seasons.Also worth a darn: the win list includes five teams that would eventually make NCAA Tournament that same season.
ASU 15-2 NOVEMBER RECORD PAST THREE SEASONS
#7 Virginia 48, ASU 45 (Nov. 24, 2019)
ASU 80, St. John's 67 (Nov. 23, 2019)
ASU 92, Rider 55 (Nov. 17, 2019)
ASU 90, Central Connecticut State 49 (Nov. 14, 2019)
Colorado 81, ASU 71 at Shanghai (Nov. 9, 2019)
ASU 89, Omaha 71 (Nov. 28, 2018)
ASU 87, Utah State 82 at Las Vegas (Nov. 21, 2018)/2019 MWC Champ and NCAA Team
ASU 72, #16 Mississippi State 67 at Las Vegas (Nov. 19, 2018)/2019 NCAA Team
ASU 90, Long Beach State 58 (Nov. 12, 2018)
ASU 80, McNeese State 52 (Nov. 9, 2018)
ASU 102, Cal State Fullerton 94, 2 OT (Nov. 6, 2018)
ASU 102, #15 Xavier 86 at Las Vegas (Nov. 24, 2017)/eventual No. 1 seed in 2018
ASU 92, Kansas State 90 at Las Vegas (Nov. 23, 2017)/Elite Eight in 2018
ASU 99, UC Irvine 78 (Nov. 19, 2017)
ASU 97, NAU 62 (Nov. 17, 2017)
ASU 90, San Diego State 68 (Nov. 14, 2017)/2018 NCAA team and MWC Tourney champ
ASU 94, Idaho State 74 (Nov. 10, 2017)
THAT HALFTIME STAT: ASU has 22 wins (10 on the road) when trailing at the half under Bobby Hurley in five seasons, after going 12-64 (.157) the previous five ve seasons. It did it seven times in 2017-18 and did it in 2018-19 at Georgia, vs. No. 1 Kansas, at California, at UCLA, vs. Cal and at Oregon State.
ON THE ROAD: After playing three neutral site games early, ASU's next two tilts are old-school road games in home-and-home series. ASU will travel to Princeton (Nov. 26) and then San Francisco (Dec. 3), as it is 5-2 (.714) in out-of-conference road games under Bobby Hurley, after going 8-22 (.267) in its previous 30 efforts.
SUN DEVIL OUT OF CONFERENCE ROAD GAMES UNDER BOBBY HURLEY (5-2)
Vanderbilt 81, ASU 65 (Dec. 17, 2018)
#20 ASU 76, Georgia 74 (Dec. 15, 2018)
#16 ASU 95, #2 Kansas 85 (Dec. 10, 2017)
ASU 74, San Diego State 63 (Dec. 10, 2016)
ASU 66, UNLV 56 (Dec. 16, 2015)
#5 Kentucky 72, ASU 58 (Dec. 5, 2015)
ASU 79, Creighton 77 (Dec. 2, 2015)
SUN DEVIL RECAPS
GAME #5 -- #7 VIRGINIA 48, ASU 45 (NOV. 24, UNCASVILLE, CT): ASU fell behind 20-10 early but posted a 19-0 run over two halves to take a 35-26 lead with 13:32 left, but 2019 NCAA champion Virginia came back for three-point win. ASU was 10-of-20 (.500) from the field in the second half and held Virginia to 7-of-25 (.287).
GAME #4 -- ASU 80, ST. JOHN'S 67 (NOV. 23/UNCASVILLE, CT): ASU fell behind 15-2 and 40-31 at the half but notched its 22nd halftime comeback under Bobby Hurley with an 80-67 win over St. John's at the Mohegan Sun Resort. Remy Martin had 19 points while Romello White had 15 points and nine rebounds and made all six shots. Rob Edwards added 13 while Jaelen House had 11 and Elias Valtone 10 in his first career start. ASU shot 18-of-30 (.600) from the field in the second half and held SJU to 10-of-30 (.333). The lead reached 18 late as ASU had a 14-0 scoring run early in the second half.
GAME #3 -- ASU 92, RIDER 55 (NOV. 17/TEMPE):Rider jumped out to a 12-4 lead six minutes into the game but ASU went on a 37-10 run to put the game away before the half. ASU posted 43 bench points, led by Jaelen House notching 20 in just 21 minutes. Remy Martin also had 20 while Romello White and Alonzo Verge Jr. had 11 each. ASU forced 29 turnovers (most since 2003) and had 16 steals (most since 2009).
GAME #2 -- ASU 90, CENTRAL CONNECTICUT STATE 49 (NOV. 14/TEMPE):The Sun Devils (1-1) trailed for 31 seconds in the first two minutes but that was it as 16 players saw action in holding CCSU to the fewest points by an opponent in the Bobby Hurley era. Rob Edwards had 23 points and Remy Martin and Jaelen House added 14 each as the Sun Devils posted 14 steals and forced 23 turnovers.
GAME #1 -- COLORADO 81, ASU 71 (NOV. 9/SHANGHAI):In the first Pac-12 China game between two conference teams, Colorado raced to a 42-29 halftime lead, ASU tied it at 59 but the Buffs held on for an 81-71 win. The non-conference loss was ASU's first in November since 2016. Remy Martin had 23 points, nine rebounds, eight assists and five steals, but CU outrebounded ASU 48-36. Rob Edwards had 20 points. ASU shot .321 (9-of-28) from the field in the first half and .385 (25-of-65) for the game. It had 10 steals, but also had 16 turnovers. Freshman Jalen Graham had five blocks.
NO PLACE LIKE HOME: The two ASU tilts last week are the only home games prior to Dec. 7 game with Louisiana, the fewest in the Pac-12 to start the season. Four Pac-12 teams will have played six home games (Arizona, Stanford, UCLA and Washington) before ASU's plays its third. Only WSU (three) and ASU (two) play less than four in that time span.
PHYSICAL NOTES: The top wingspans on the team are Jalen Graham (7-2), Romello White (7-0) and Kimani Lawrence (6-11 1/2). The best standing vertical on the team is Graham (32.5"), while Remy Martin is next (31.5") while best approach verticals are Remy (40.5"), Jaelen House (39.5") and Graham (39").
BE COOL IF OTHER PAC-12 TEAMS DO THIS: Since Bobby Hurley took over four years ago, ASU leads the league in wins over ranked out-of-conference teams during the regular season with a 5-5 mark with wins over Kansas (twice), Xavier, Mississippi State and Texas A&M. Four of the wins have been away from Tempe. UCLA is 4-6 and Arizona 3-4. No other Pac-12 teams have more than two. Take out ASU's 5-5 mark and the rest of the league is 15-42 in those four seasons and seven of the teams have one or zero wins.
PRETTY COOL NOTE: ASU had been to four NCAA Tournaments (1995, 2003, 2009 and 2014) in 26 seasons (1992-2017) and not been to the NCAA Tournament in back-to-back years since 1980-81. Remy Martin, Kimani Lawrence and Romello White have now gone to the Dance in each of their first two seasons.
LET'S ADD A NATION: Bobby Hurley took the ASU job in April of 2015 and said ASU was going to play some folks and not be afraid to go on the road. When the dust settles after this December, ASU's tally of non-conference states in his five years will move to 11 with other trips to the Bahamas (vs. Kentucky) and China. ASU has played non-conference games in New York (MSG and Barclays), Nebraska (Creighon), at Kentucky, Nevada (at UNLV), Florida, California, at Kansas, at Georgia and Tennessee (Vanderbilt) and adds Connecticut and New Jersey to the list this November. The Sun Devils will be logging some serious air miles and hotel nights in November. The team will be on the road 15 of the first 26 nights and will notch 18,610 miles, as it plays just two of its first seven games at home.
NOVEMBER TOUGH: Not many have been better early than the Sun Devils in the past three seasons, as they 15-2 the past three seasons.Also worth a darn: the win list includes five teams that would eventually make NCAA Tournament that same season.
ASU 15-2 NOVEMBER RECORD PAST THREE SEASONS
#7 Virginia 48, ASU 45 (Nov. 24, 2019)
ASU 80, St. John's 67 (Nov. 23, 2019)
ASU 92, Rider 55 (Nov. 17, 2019)
ASU 90, Central Connecticut State 49 (Nov. 14, 2019)
Colorado 81, ASU 71 at Shanghai (Nov. 9, 2019)
ASU 89, Omaha 71 (Nov. 28, 2018)
ASU 87, Utah State 82 at Las Vegas (Nov. 21, 2018)/2019 MWC Champ and NCAA Team
ASU 72, #16 Mississippi State 67 at Las Vegas (Nov. 19, 2018)/2019 NCAA Team
ASU 90, Long Beach State 58 (Nov. 12, 2018)
ASU 80, McNeese State 52 (Nov. 9, 2018)
ASU 102, Cal State Fullerton 94, 2 OT (Nov. 6, 2018)
ASU 102, #15 Xavier 86 at Las Vegas (Nov. 24, 2017)/eventual No. 1 seed in 2018
ASU 92, Kansas State 90 at Las Vegas (Nov. 23, 2017)/Elite Eight in 2018
ASU 99, UC Irvine 78 (Nov. 19, 2017)
ASU 97, NAU 62 (Nov. 17, 2017)
ASU 90, San Diego State 68 (Nov. 14, 2017)/2018 NCAA team and MWC Tourney champ
ASU 94, Idaho State 74 (Nov. 10, 2017)
THAT HALFTIME STAT: ASU has 22 wins (10 on the road) when trailing at the half under Bobby Hurley in five seasons, after going 12-64 (.157) the previous five ve seasons. It did it seven times in 2017-18 and did it in 2018-19 at Georgia, vs. No. 1 Kansas, at California, at UCLA, vs. Cal and at Oregon State.