Arizona State (13-14, 7-9) will take on the Cougars for the first time this season, as the two sides did not meet in Pullman this year due to the Pac-12's rotational scheduling. Head Coach Bobby Hurley's team is coming off a game in which they nearly pulled off what would have been the largest comeback in college basketball this season, erasing a 25-point second half deficit and forcing overtime. The Maroon & Gold have won five of the last seven in the series with Washington State as they look for the 12th win over a Top-25 opponent in the Bobby Hurley era. The Cougars come into the game boasting the nation's fifth-longest winning streak having won each of their last eight.
HOW TO FOLLOW
The broadcast of Sun Devil Men's Basketball's game on Saturday will air on ESPN2 when they host Washington State, scheduled for a 6 PM MST tip-off with John Schriffen (play-by-play) and Corey Williams (analyst) on the call. Make sure to listen to Tim Healey and Kyle Dodd on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM. The action can also be tracked via live stats available here.
GET TICKETS
Tickets for the final two games of the 2023-24 Sun Devil Men's Basketball season are on sale now, featuring matchups with Top-25 foes No. 21 Washington State and No. 4 Arizona. For more information or questions, please call 480-965-5812 or email sundeviltickets@asu.edu.
942 CREW GIVEAWAY
2 more chances to see our NEW single season steals record holder @Frankiecollins0 & @SunDevilHoops in DFA ??
— 942 Crew (@942Crew) February 23, 2024
TOMORROW 6p: v #21 Wazzu
- WHITEOUT?? (?? shersey 1??)
Tickets are also available for our finale next Wednesday v #4 UofA ??
- GOLD OUT?? (Giveaway TBA)
PACK DFA ??? ?? pic.twitter.com/M4n95obSvL
THE HURLEY ERA
Bobby Hurley secured his 150th victory as the head coach of Sun Devil Men's Basketball over Utah on Jan. 4. The win makes him just the third coach in program history to win 150 games at ASU.
ASU MEN'S BASKETBALL HEAD COACH CAREER WINS
406, Ned Wulk (1957-82)
159, Herb Sendek (2006-15)
154, Bobby Hurley (2015-present)
Hurley also collected his 75th win in Pac-12 Conference play earlier in the season, the most of any coach in program history (Pac-10/12 era).
ASU MEN'S BASKETBALL HEAD COACH CAREER PAC-10/12 WINS
78, Bobby Hurley (2015-present)
72, Herb Sendek (2006-15)
67, Bill Frieder (1990-97)
55, Rob Evans (1999-06)
46, Ned Wulk (1978-82)
ABOUT THOSE SUN DEVIL WINS
Coach Hurley has notched 154 wins at Arizona State and has done it while scheduling aggressively and not being afraid to play on the road. He has won 97 games in Arizona, but also has won at least five games in California (14), Nevada (12), Oregon (six) and Washington (five). Four wins have taken place in Utah, three in New York, and two in Colorado, Nebraska, Ohio and Pennsylvania. Single wins have taken place in Florida, Georgia, Kansas, New Jersey and Texas.
VS. THE TOP-25
Bobby Hurley has 11 wins vs. ranked opponents at ASU, fifth in the Pac-12 in his tenure behind Arizona (22), Oregon (19), UCLA (17) and Colorado (14). It is the most ranked wins by an ASU head coach since Bill Frieder also posted 11 from 1989-97. That includes wins away from home over No. 20 Michigan and No. 5 Arizona during the 2022-23 season.
RECORD SETTER
Junior guard Frankie Collins made history in the matchup with Washington. He finished the game with three steals, giving him 77 on the season. Collins is now the single-season record holder at Arizona State for steals in a season, breaking Lafayette Lever's previous record of 76 steals set in 1982.
MOST SUN DEVIL STEALS IN A SEASON
77 – Frankie Collins, 2024
76 – Lafayette Lever, 1982
74 – Eddie House, 2000
74 – Lafayette Lever, 1981
73 – James Harden, 2008
73 – Marcell Capers, 1993
I'LL TAKE THAT
Through 27 games of the 2023-24 season, Frankie Collins has emerged as one of the best perimeter defenders in the nation. Collins has 77 steals, putting him third in the country in the category. He is currently fourth in the nation in steals per game, averaging 2.9 per contest. He matched a program-record with eight steals in the victory over UMass Lowell and has 15 3+-steal performance already this season. Collins is on pace for nearly 100 steals over a 32-game season and could become only the fourth player in Pac-10/12 history to record a 100-steal season. His 77 steals are 31 MORE than any other player in the Pac-12 (Kobe Johnson, USC - 46) and he has four games with 6+ steals.
MOST STEALS IN CONFERENCE HISTORY (SINGLE SEASON)
126 - Matisse Thybulle (Washington), 2019
110 - Jason Kidd (California), 1993
101 - Matisse Thybulle (Washington), 2018
100 - Gary Payton (Oregon State), 1990
*Frankie Collins on pace for 93 steals
FRANKIE DOES IT ALL
Guard Frankie Collins has emerged as one of the top all-around players in the Pac-12 Conference. He is currently one of only two players in the nation averaging at least 13.8 points (1st on team), 4.7 rebounds (2nd on team), 3.3 assists (1st on team), and 2.9 steals (1st on team), joined by Shahada Wells of McNeese State. Collins is stuffing the stat sheet in a historic manner while playing only 31.9 minutes per game (T-20th in the conference). Collins has been extremely consistent, reaching double figures scoring in 24 of the 27 games this season. He scored 21 points against Washington, his third 20+ point performance of the season.
COMFORTABLE WHEN IT'S CLOSE
After going 12-5 in games decided by six points or less (two possessions) last year, the Sun Devils are 5-3 in such games so far this season. Arizona State is 40-20 (.666) in close games over the past five seasons. The 40 wins are the most in the nation during that span. ASU is 5-2 in games decided by three points or fewer this season. To take it a step further, ASU is 6-3 over its last nine tilts when the game is decided by a two-point deficit or less. Overall, ASU is 25-17 in two point or less games under Bobby Hurley.
DON'T COUNT US OUT
Arizona State has come back to win a game when trailing at halftime 44 times during the Bobby Hurley era, including in a recent road victory over Utah. ASU trailed by two at halftime before outscoring the Utes 45-35 to claim an impressive road victory. Since 2015-16, the Sun Devils are Top-15 in the nation and lead the Pac-12 with their 44 halftime comeback victories.
2023-24 (5)
(-2) Utah 42, ASU 40/Feb. 10, 2024/ASU 85, Utah 77
(-10) Cal 35, ASU 25/Dec. 31, 2023/ASU 71, Cal 69
(-9) Stanford 37, ASU 28/Dec. 29, 2023/ASU 76, Stanford 73
(-3) SMU 40, ASU 36/Dec. 6, 2023/ASU 76, SMU 74
(-9) UMass Lowell 31, ASU 22/Nov. 16, 2023/ASU 71, UMass Lowell 69
ASU trailed by as many as 16 points in the second half of the Cal game, making this the second straight season in which they overcame a deficit of at least 16 to win a conference game. The Sun Devils won at Oregon St on 1/14/23 after trailing by as many as 16 in the first half.
The Sun Devils nearly pulled off a 25-point comeback against Washington on Thursday, which would have represented the largest deficit overcome in college basketball this season. They outscored the Huskies 51-30 in the second half, including a three separate runs of 8-0, 7-0, and 6-0.
WHAT'S TRENDING
- Adam Miller has scored at least 14 points in each of his last five games, averaging 15.2 points during that span. He is shooting an efficient 26-for-49 (53.1%) from the field and 10-for-22 (45.4%) from three. He is also 14-for-16 from the free throw line.
- Jose Perez has scored at least 14 points in each of his last four games, averaging 16.5 points during that span. He has attempted 27 total free throws in four games. Perez now has 18 double-figure scoring performances this season.
Arizona State has done an excellent job of taking care of the basketball during the 2023-24 season. The Sun Devils have won the turnover battle in 22 of their 27 games this season. The Maroon & Gold are the best team in the Pac-12 and rank 30th in the nation when it comes to turnover margin, sitting at +3.1 on the year. ASU forces the second most turnovers/game (13.7) while committing the second-fewest (10.6) of any team in the Pac-12. This is a matchup between the two best teams in the Pac-12 when it comes to taking care of the ball, as Washington State is first in the league averaging 10.5 turnovers/game.
ZO SAYS NO
Sun Devil forward Alonzo Gaffney is one of the most versatile defenders in the Pac-12 and is a key to the Arizona State defense. He is the ONLY PLAYER in the conference with at least 30 blocks (30) and 30 steals (31) this season. Gaffney has ten games in which he has registered one block and one steal. He ranks 5th in the league in blocks and is T-14th in steals.
ASU RECORD BY STARTING LINEUP
Due injuries to Shawn Phillips Jr., Zane Meeks, and Brycen Long early in the season, the Sun Devils have been shorthanded the entirety of the year. With Adam Miller gaining eligibility midway through the campaign, fluctuation continues with Arizona State's roster. This has resulted in Coach Hurley using ten different starting lineup combinations in 27 games. Frankie Collins is the only Sun Devils to have started every game. ASU has at least one win with six different lineup combinations. The Maroon & Gold started a different lineup against Washington for the fifth straight game.
Frankie Collins, Adam Miller, Jose Perez, Jamiya Neal, Alonzo Gaffney (5-8)
Frankie Collins, Jose Perez, Jamiya Neal, Bryant Selebangue, Alonzo Gaffney (4-1)
Frankie Collins, Adam Miller, Jose Perez, Alonzo Gaffney, Shawn Phillips Jr. (1-0)
Frankie Collins, Jamiya Neal, Jose Perez, Alonzo Gaffney, Shawn Phillips Jr. (1-0)
Frankie Collins, Jose Perez, Jamiya Neal, Alonzo Gaffney, Shawn Phillips Jr. (1-0)
Frankie Collins, Jamiya Neal, Kamari Lands, Alonzo Gaffney, Shawn Phillips Jr. (1-0)
Frankie Collins, Adam Miller, Jose Perez, Jamiya Neal, Shawn Phillips Jr. (0-1)
Frankie Collins, Jose Perez, Jamiya Neal, Kamari Lands, Alonzo Gaffney (0-1)
Frankie Collins, Jose Perez, Jamiya Neal, Kamari Lands, Shawn Phillips Jr. (0-1)
Frankie Collins, Adam Miller, Jamiya Neal, Alonzo Gaffney, Shawn Phillips Jr. (0-2)*
*Used vs. Washington
PEREZ WILL MAKE YOU PAY
Graduate transfer Jose Perez has been a huge addition to the Sun Devil Men's Basketball roster. He is one of the best players in the country at getting to the free-throw line. He set a new career-high against SMU earlier in the year, attempting 15 free throws in the victory. Perez has now attempted 716 free throws in his career, the sixth-highest total among active NCAA Division I players. His 532 made free-throws puts him ninth among active NCAA Division I players. Perez is a career 74.3% shooter from the charity stripe and is 47-for-58 (81%) over his last 12 games. He currently ranks 42nd in the nation and second in the Pac-12 this year with 161 free throw attempts.
Perez is one of only 17 active players at the NCAA Division I level that has reached 1,810 career points (1,811) and 410 career assists (410). Perez has the third-fewest total games played (124) of any player on the list (James Bishop IV, George Washington - 121; Mark Sears, Alabama, 122). In the win over Stanford, he secured his 500th career rebound, making him one of only 25 active players at the Division I level with 1,810 career points and 545 career rebounds (546). To take it a step further, Perez is one of only SEVEN players at the NCAA Division I level with at least 1,810 points, 410 assists, AND 545 rebounds in their career (Tristen Newton - UConn, RayJ Dennis - Baylor, Marcus Domask - Illinois, Baylor Scheierman - Creighton, Jahmir Yong - Maryland, Aaron Estrada - Alabama). He is one of ten players in the Pac-12 to have seven or more 20+ point performances.
GAMES PLAYED (2023-24 | Career)
Alonzo Gaffney played in his 100th career game at the Division I level against Washington. He became the third Sun Devil on the current roster to reach that mark, joining Zane Meeks and Jose Perez. ASU has seven players with over 80 games of experience at the Division I level.
Kamari Lands - 27 | 59
Frankie Collins - 27 | 93
Braelon Green - 23 | 23
Brycen Long - 6 | 90
Jamiya Neal - 27 | 88
Malachi Davis - 7 | 7
Alonzo Gaffney - 27 | 111
Shawn Phillips Jr. - 19 | 39
Bobby Hurley - 6 | 18
Jose Perez - 27 | 124
Zane Meeks - 5 | 110
Akil Watson - 19 | 19
Bryant Selebangue - 27 | 57
Adam Miller - 18 | 82
Sun Devils have a combined 921 games of experience at the Division I Level (includes previous school).
70-POINT MARKArizona State have just two losses in regulation this season when they score 70+ points (at San Diego & at Oregon State). They are 11-2 in such games this season. ASU is averaging 76.4 points in their 13 wins and 64.2 points in their 14 losses. By contrast, the Sun Devils are holding opponents to 67.2 points in their 13 wins and allowing 79.9 points in their 14 losses.
THREE-POINT NOTE
Arizona State made nine three pointers against Washington on Thursday. The Sun Devils have made at least one three-point field goal in 732 consecutive games dating back to 2/10/2001.
CONSTANT COMPETITION
Coach Hurley challenged his team with an extremely difficult non-conference slate. Sun Devil Men's Basketball was ready for Pac-12 play after facing one of the toughest schedules in the country so far this season. Here is a closer look at who ASU has played this season.
- Mississippi State - 18-8 record, 7-6 in SEC; ranked four weeks in AP Poll; undefeated in neutral sites; NET of 36; win over No. 5 Tennessee
- Win vs. Texas Southern - No. 5 NET non-con SOS; 8-5 in SWAC
- Win vs. UMass Lowell - 18-7 record, 9-3 in AEC; 10-4 road record (win at Georgia Tech)
- BYU - 19-7 record, 7-6 in Big 12; No. 25 ranking in latest AP Poll; undefeated in neutral sites; wins vs. No. 24 Iowa State, vs. No. 17 San Diego State, vs. No. 11 Baylor
- Win vs. Sam Houston State - 16-11 record, 9-3 in C-USA (Tied for 1st)
- Win vs. San Francisco - 21-7, 10-3 in WCC; NET of 60; 6-4 on the road
- Win vs. SMU - 19-8 record, 10-4 in AAC; NET of 40; road wins over Florida St., Murray St., and Tulane
- TCU - 18-8 record, 7-6 in Big 12; ranked four weeks in AP Poll; wins over No. 2 Houston, No. 9 Oklahoma, at No. 15 Baylor, and No. 15 Texas Tech; NET of 37
- Northwestern - 19-8 record, 10-6 in Big Ten; wins over No. 2 Purdue and No. 10 Illinois; NET of 55
- Win at Stanford - 9-5 at home including win over No. 12 Arizona
- Season sweep of Utah - 16-10 record; NET 46; win over No. 22 BYU; 12-2 at home (only losses to ASU and No. 8 Arizona)
- Win vs. Colorado - 17-9 record, 8-7 in Pac-12; win over Miami; NET of 41
- Washington - 15-12 record; 10-5 at home
- vs. UCLA - preseason Top-25; 9-6 in Pac-12; won eight of last ten
- Win vs. USC - preseason Top-25; wins over Kansas State & Seton Hall
- at Oregon - 18-8, 10-5 in Pac-12; 11-2 at home; NET of 59
- Win vs. Oregon State - win over No. 10 Arizona; 11-5 at home
- at No. 5 Arizona - Ranked in Top-25 entire 2023-24 season; 20-6 record, 11-4 in Pac-12; NET of 3
ROSTER BREAKDOWN
Arizona State features a total of 11 new players on their roster, joining returners Frankie Collins, Jamiya Neal, Alonzo Gaffney, Bobby Hurley, and Jordan Williams to make up the 2023-24 Sun Devil Men's Basketball roster. The following is a roundup of the ASU newcomer class.
2023 INCOMING TRANSFERS
G Kamari Lands - Louisville
G Brycen Long - Houston Christian
C Shawn Phillips Jr. - LSU
G Jose Perez - West Virginia
F Zane Meeks - San Francisco
F Bryant Selebangue - Tulsa
G Adam Miller - LSU
JUCO ADDITION
G Malachi Davis - Tallahassee CC
FRESHMAN CLASS
G Braelon Green - Southfield, MI
F Akil Watson - Middletown, NY
BY CLASS
Graduate Student (2): Zane Meeks (San Francisco), Jose Perez (West Virginia)
Redshirt Senior (1) Alonzo Gaffney
Senior (1): Brycen Long
Redshirt Junior (1): Adam Miller
Junior (6): Frankie Collins, Jamiya Neal, Malachi Davis, Bobby Hurley, Bryant Selebangue, Jordan Williams
Sophomore (3): Kamari Lands, Shawn Phillips Jr., Zack Markus
Freshman (3): Braelon Green, Andrew Mayock, Akil Watson
BY STATE (10 States Represented)
Ohio (3) – Jamiya Neal (Toledo), Alonzo Gaffney (Cleveland), Shawn Phillips Jr. (Dayton)
New York (3) – Jose Perez (Bronx), Zack Markus (New York City), Akil Watson (Middletown)
California (2) – Frankie Collins (Sacramento), Jordan Williams (Los Angeles)
Canada (2) – Malachi Davis (Toronto), Bryant Selebangue (Montreal)
Arizona (2) – Brycen Long (Gilbert), Bobby Hurley (Scottsdale)
Indiana (1) – Kamari Lands (Indianapolis)
Michigan (1) – Braelon Green (Southfield)
Connecticut (1) – Andrew Mayock (New Canaan)
Kansas (1) – Zane Meeks (Prairie Village)
Illinois (1) – Adam Miller (Peoria)
SOLIDIFYING HIS STAFF
Head Coach Bobby Hurley and the Sun Devil Men's Basketball program officially announced the final additions to the 2023-24 staff in October. Arizona State welcomes Yusuf Ali and Jarryn Skeete to the Sun Devil Family, with Nick Irvin and Mickey Mitchell receiving promotions. The news comes after Greg Lansing (Special Assistant to the Head Coach) and Hunter Eisenhower (Associate Head Coach - Sports Performance) joined the staff earlier in the offseason. ASU now boasts an experienced and diverse staff from top to bottom, featuring some of the nation's top rising talent in the coaching industry.
HERE TO STAY
The Arizona State Board of Regents announced in March of 2023 that Sun Devil Men's Basketball Head Coach Bobby Hurley has agreed to an extension that will keep him with the program through the 2026 season.
NCAAS UNDER COACH HURLEY
ASU has made the NCAA Tournament three times in the past five chances (2023, 2019, and 2018) and won two games. In the previous 32 seasons (1986-2017), ASU made two NCAA Tournaments and was 2-3.
All 31 of Arizona State's games will be televised, with Coach Hurley's squad making appearances on ESPN, FOX, CBS Sports, Pac-12 Network and several major network affiliates in addition to online streaming platforms.
PHOENIX HOSTING THE 2024 MEN'S FINAL FOUR
The 2024 Men's Final Four will be played at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., with the national semifinals on Saturday, April 6 and the National Championship game on Monday, April 8, 2024. This is the second time the state of Arizona has hosted the Final Four, also doing so back in 2017. Arizona State will once again serve as the host institution as they did for the 2017 edition.
SUN DEVILS ON SOCIAL
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