We are officially one week away from tipoff of the opening round of the Crown Basketball Tournament where the Nebraska Cornhuskers are set to face a struggling Arizona State team.
Here is everything you need to know about the Sun Devils.
The Sun Devils are coached by Bobby Hurley, who has maintained that role since taking over in 2015.
Arizona State is just two seasons removed from a solid 23-13 season, where they clinched an NCAA Tournament bid, but have since failed to reach 15 wins in each of the last two seasons to date.
With a record of 13-19 and a conference record of 4-16, it has really been a struggle for Hurley’s Sun Devils.
Arizona State had a solid start to the season, finishing their first 11 games with a 9-2 record that included just an 8 point loss to Gonzaga and wins over NCAA Tournament teams in Grand Canyon, Saint Mary’s and New Mexico.
Ultimately, the Sun Devils had a mix of injuries throughout their season, as key pieces in BJ Freeman, Joson Sanon and Jayden Quaintance would all miss multiple games.
Key Wins:
Vs Grand Canyon: 87-76
Vs New Mexico: 85-82
Vs Saint Mary’s: 68-64
At #23 West Virginia: 65-57
Key Losses:
At Oklahoma State: 86-73
Vs TCU: 74-70
Vs Utah: 99-73
Vs Kansas State: 71-66
Players to Watch:
BJ Freeman:
13.7 PTS 3.9 REB 2.6 AST
Although Arizona State has lost their last five games, senior guard BJ Freeman has been playing good basketball during that stretch.
Freeman is averaging 18.4 PTS while shooting 39.6% from three, so the Huskers will need to be ready for Freeman to try and take over this game.
Joson Sanon:
11.9 PTS 3.4 REB 1 AST 37% 3PT
Like his teammate BJ Freeman, five star recruit and freshman guard Joson Sanon has been playing really good basketball over his last five games.
Sanon is averaging 18.8 PTS and his 28 point performance against Utah marked a new career high.
Basheer Jihad:
12.5 PTS 5.4 REB 1.8 AST 1.1 STL
After transferring in from Ball State where he averaged 18.6 PTS as a junior, Basheer Jihad has been one of the most important players for this Arizona State team.
Who would’ve thought that Jihad is playing really good basketball over his last five games like his two fellow teammates?
Jihad is averaging 17 PTS and 5 REB over his last five games, while shooting 88% from the free throw line.
What’s next for the Winner?
The winner of Nebraska and Arizona State will meet the winner of Georgetown and Washington State on Wednesday April 2nd, with the semi-finals and championship being held on April 5th and 6th.