The Arizona State Sun Devil men's hoops team (5-2) -- 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 -- gets some home cooking with three straight Desert Financial Arena tilts after opening the season with five of its first seven away from home. ASU will face Louisiana on Saturday, Dec. 7, at 7:30 p.m. (Pac-12 Network/620 AM) in its first home game 19 days, as its two home games is the fewest among any major conference team. Four Pac-12 teams 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.
TEDDY BEAR TOSS: Sun Devil men's and women's basketball are hosting games on back-to-back days featuring the annual Teddy Bear Toss at both halftimes. On Saturday, Dec. 7, bring a bear to the box office and receive half priced admission on any available seat at Desert Financial Arena. All teddy bears collected at the games will be donated to a local organization for the holidays!
THREE-DOT SUN DEVIL DATA: ASU has held five opponents under 40 percent shooting and is holding opponents to just .257 (36-of-140) from the three-point stripe...ASU has 66 steals, while its opponents have just 37...quietly, Elias Valtonen is 9-of-16 (.563) from the three-point stripe in his career...ASU is 7-0 in the past two years when Taeshon Cherry scores double-digits...freshman Jalen Graham is 17-of-23 (.739) from the field.
LOTS OF HOTEL PENS: ASU played five of its first seven games in Shanghai, Connecticut, New Jersey and San Francisco as it spent 17 of its first 32 nights of the season in a hotel, and flew 20,134 miles on nine flights. When Coach Hurley took the ASU job in April of 2015 he said ASU was going to play some folks and not be afraid to go on the road. ASU's tally of non-conference states in his five years is at 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 (Old Spice Classic), California (San Francisco and San Diego State), at Kansas, at Georgia, Tennessee (Vanderbilt) and New Jersey (at Princeton).
REMY OFF TO GREAT START: Junior Remy Martin is off to a great start for the Sun Devils as he posted a career-high 33 points at Princeton on Nov. 26 and already has four 20-point games (11 in career). He is averaging 20.6 points per game this year after averaging 11.3 in his first two years.
REMY MARTIN: FIRST TWO YEARS/2019-20
FG (PCT): 246-582 (.422)/52-110 (.473)
3PT (PCT): 66-200 (.330)/13-33 (.394)
PPG: 11.3/20.6
ON THE ROAD: ASU won at Princeton on Nov. 26 (67-65) and San Francisco on Dec. 3 (71-67), as it is 7-2 (.778) 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 (7-2)
ASU 71, San Francisco 67 (Dec. 3, 2019)
ASU 67, Princeton 65 (Nov. 26, 2019)
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)
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").
COOL IF PAC-12 TEAMS DO THIS: Since Bobby Hurley took over, 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. 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. ASU's tally of non-conference states in his five years is up to 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, Tennessee (Vanderbilt) and New Jersey (at Princeton). The Sun Devils logged some serious air miles and hotel nights in November. The team slept in a hotel bed 15 of the first 26 nights and will notch 18,610 miles counting the San Francisco trip, as it plays just two of its first seven games at home.
2018-19 QUICK REVIEW: ASU was 23-11 and 12-6 in the Pac-12 in 2018-19, good enough for second in the league after being picked sixth in the preseason media poll...defeated No. 1 Kansas on Dec. 22, first win over No. 1 at home in program history and second all-time (won at Oregon State in March of 1981)...notched first NCAA Tournament win since 2009 with a 74-65 victory over St. John's on March 20 in Dayton...prior to its past two NCAA appearances under Bobby Hurley, ASU had made the NCAA Tournament three times in previous 22 seasons (1996-2017).
WHO WE LOST: Three regular rotation players are gone from last year, including All-Pac-12 performers Zylan Cheatham and Lu Dort (Pac-12 Freshman of the Year), as well as De'Quon Lake.
SOLID: ASU finished second in the Pac-12 for just the fourth time in its 41-year Pac-10/12 history last year (2009-10, 1980-81 and 1979-80). ASU won 12 loop games for just the sixth time.
BEST PAC-12 RECORDS
16-2 (1): 1980-81
15-3 (2): 1979-80
12-6 (4): 2018-19, 2009-10, 1994-95, 1982-83
THAT HALFTIME STAT: ASU has 23 wins (11 on the road) when trailing at the half under Bobby Hurley in five seasons, after going 12-64 (.157) the previous five 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. This year it has comeback wins over St. John's and at Princeton.
NOVEMBER TOUGH: Not many have been better early than the Sun Devils in the past three seasons, as they are 16-2 the past three seasons in November. Also worth a darn: the win list includes five teams that would eventually make NCAA Tournament that same season.
ASU 16-2 NOVEMBER RECORD PAST THREE SEASONS
ASU 67, @Princeton 65 (Nov. 26, 2019)
#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)
SUN DEVIL RECAPS
GAME #7 -- ASU 71, @SAN FRANCISCO 67 (DEC. 3): ASU led 26-19 and led at half 35-30, but USF took a lead early in the second half in a game that saw 18 lead changes and 10 ties. ASU held USF to .364 (24-of-66) from the floor and 8-of-28 (.286) from the three-point stripe and got 29 bench points. Romello White (14 points and 11 rebounds) and Remy Martin (14 points and five assists) led ASU, who got 10 points off the bench from Taeshon Cherry and nine from Jalen Graham.
GAME #6 -- ASU 67, @PRINCETON 65 (NOV. 26): Khalid Thomas, who had scored one bucket in the first six games, came off the bench to score 14 points, including the game-winning three with less than three seconds left. Remy Martin had 33 points and three assists, including the dish to Thomas on the wing for the game winner. ASU held the Tigers to 13-of-30 (.433) from the field in the second half and 7-of-26 (.269) from three-point range for the game. ASU was 8-of-16 (.500) from three as Romello White added 11 points and nine rebounds.
GAME #5 -- #7 VIRGINIA 48, ASU 45 (NOV. 24 @UNCASVILLE, CT): ASU fell behind 20-10 early at the Mohegan Sun Resort 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 at the Mohegan Sun Resort. Remy Martin had 19 points while Romello White had 15 and nine rebounds. Rob Edwards added 13 while Jaelen House had 11 and Elias Valtonen 10 in his first career start. ASU shot 18-of-30 (.600) in the second half and held SJU to 10-of-30 (.333). The lead reached 18 late.
GAME #3 -- ASU 92, RIDER 55 (NOV. 17): 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, CCSU 49 (NOV. 14): The Sun Devils (1-1) trailed for 31 seconds 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 had 10 steals and Jalen Graham had five blocks.
TEDDY BEAR TOSS: Sun Devil men's and women's basketball are hosting games on back-to-back days featuring the annual Teddy Bear Toss at both halftimes. On Saturday, Dec. 7, bring a bear to the box office and receive half priced admission on any available seat at Desert Financial Arena. All teddy bears collected at the games will be donated to a local organization for the holidays!
THREE-DOT SUN DEVIL DATA: ASU has held five opponents under 40 percent shooting and is holding opponents to just .257 (36-of-140) from the three-point stripe...ASU has 66 steals, while its opponents have just 37...quietly, Elias Valtonen is 9-of-16 (.563) from the three-point stripe in his career...ASU is 7-0 in the past two years when Taeshon Cherry scores double-digits...freshman Jalen Graham is 17-of-23 (.739) from the field.
Teddy Bear Toss this Saturday ??????
— Sun Devil MBB (@SunDevilHoops) December 5, 2019
All teddy bears collected at halftime will be donated to the Arizona Department of Child Safety. @ArizonaDCS pic.twitter.com/1P1zG6g2aU
LOTS OF HOTEL PENS: ASU played five of its first seven games in Shanghai, Connecticut, New Jersey and San Francisco as it spent 17 of its first 32 nights of the season in a hotel, and flew 20,134 miles on nine flights. When Coach Hurley took the ASU job in April of 2015 he said ASU was going to play some folks and not be afraid to go on the road. ASU's tally of non-conference states in his five years is at 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 (Old Spice Classic), California (San Francisco and San Diego State), at Kansas, at Georgia, Tennessee (Vanderbilt) and New Jersey (at Princeton).
Solid start for two local freshman through seven games@jaelenhouse2 17-18 FTS (.944)@JalenGraham9 17-23 FGS (.739)
— Sun Devil MBB (@SunDevilHoops) December 6, 2019
Tickets to see them play: https://t.co/391YZLky49 pic.twitter.com/OJM9eXWKip
REMY OFF TO GREAT START: Junior Remy Martin is off to a great start for the Sun Devils as he posted a career-high 33 points at Princeton on Nov. 26 and already has four 20-point games (11 in career). He is averaging 20.6 points per game this year after averaging 11.3 in his first two years.
REMY MARTIN: FIRST TWO YEARS/2019-20
FG (PCT): 246-582 (.422)/52-110 (.473)
3PT (PCT): 66-200 (.330)/13-33 (.394)
PPG: 11.3/20.6
ON THE ROAD: ASU won at Princeton on Nov. 26 (67-65) and San Francisco on Dec. 3 (71-67), as it is 7-2 (.778) 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 (7-2)
ASU 71, San Francisco 67 (Dec. 3, 2019)
ASU 67, Princeton 65 (Nov. 26, 2019)
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)
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").
COOL IF PAC-12 TEAMS DO THIS: Since Bobby Hurley took over, 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. 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. ASU's tally of non-conference states in his five years is up to 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, Tennessee (Vanderbilt) and New Jersey (at Princeton). The Sun Devils logged some serious air miles and hotel nights in November. The team slept in a hotel bed 15 of the first 26 nights and will notch 18,610 miles counting the San Francisco trip, as it plays just two of its first seven games at home.
2018-19 QUICK REVIEW: ASU was 23-11 and 12-6 in the Pac-12 in 2018-19, good enough for second in the league after being picked sixth in the preseason media poll...defeated No. 1 Kansas on Dec. 22, first win over No. 1 at home in program history and second all-time (won at Oregon State in March of 1981)...notched first NCAA Tournament win since 2009 with a 74-65 victory over St. John's on March 20 in Dayton...prior to its past two NCAA appearances under Bobby Hurley, ASU had made the NCAA Tournament three times in previous 22 seasons (1996-2017).
WHO WE LOST: Three regular rotation players are gone from last year, including All-Pac-12 performers Zylan Cheatham and Lu Dort (Pac-12 Freshman of the Year), as well as De'Quon Lake.
SOLID: ASU finished second in the Pac-12 for just the fourth time in its 41-year Pac-10/12 history last year (2009-10, 1980-81 and 1979-80). ASU won 12 loop games for just the sixth time.
BEST PAC-12 RECORDS
16-2 (1): 1980-81
15-3 (2): 1979-80
12-6 (4): 2018-19, 2009-10, 1994-95, 1982-83
THAT HALFTIME STAT: ASU has 23 wins (11 on the road) when trailing at the half under Bobby Hurley in five seasons, after going 12-64 (.157) the previous five 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. This year it has comeback wins over St. John's and at Princeton.
NOVEMBER TOUGH: Not many have been better early than the Sun Devils in the past three seasons, as they are 16-2 the past three seasons in November. Also worth a darn: the win list includes five teams that would eventually make NCAA Tournament that same season.
ASU 16-2 NOVEMBER RECORD PAST THREE SEASONS
ASU 67, @Princeton 65 (Nov. 26, 2019)
#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)
SUN DEVIL RECAPS
GAME #7 -- ASU 71, @SAN FRANCISCO 67 (DEC. 3): ASU led 26-19 and led at half 35-30, but USF took a lead early in the second half in a game that saw 18 lead changes and 10 ties. ASU held USF to .364 (24-of-66) from the floor and 8-of-28 (.286) from the three-point stripe and got 29 bench points. Romello White (14 points and 11 rebounds) and Remy Martin (14 points and five assists) led ASU, who got 10 points off the bench from Taeshon Cherry and nine from Jalen Graham.
GAME #6 -- ASU 67, @PRINCETON 65 (NOV. 26): Khalid Thomas, who had scored one bucket in the first six games, came off the bench to score 14 points, including the game-winning three with less than three seconds left. Remy Martin had 33 points and three assists, including the dish to Thomas on the wing for the game winner. ASU held the Tigers to 13-of-30 (.433) from the field in the second half and 7-of-26 (.269) from three-point range for the game. ASU was 8-of-16 (.500) from three as Romello White added 11 points and nine rebounds.
GAME #5 -- #7 VIRGINIA 48, ASU 45 (NOV. 24 @UNCASVILLE, CT): ASU fell behind 20-10 early at the Mohegan Sun Resort 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 at the Mohegan Sun Resort. Remy Martin had 19 points while Romello White had 15 and nine rebounds. Rob Edwards added 13 while Jaelen House had 11 and Elias Valtonen 10 in his first career start. ASU shot 18-of-30 (.600) in the second half and held SJU to 10-of-30 (.333). The lead reached 18 late.
GAME #3 -- ASU 92, RIDER 55 (NOV. 17): 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, CCSU 49 (NOV. 14): The Sun Devils (1-1) trailed for 31 seconds 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 had 10 steals and Jalen Graham had five blocks.