Tag: Arizona State basketball

Arizona State faces critical men’s hoops game against rival Arizona

by Bob Young
  • Slug: Sports-ASU-UA basketball,625
  • Photo available (thumbnail, caption below)

By Edith Noriega
Cronkite News

TEMPE – When Arizona State faces the Arizona Wildcats Saturday, the basketball rivalry on its own will put an electric charge through the crowd at Desert Financial Arena.

But for the Sun Devils, it’s a must-win game no matter what the atmosphere is like.

“We know that it’s going to be a battle in there,” ASU coach Bobby Hurley said Thursday. “I’m excited that Romello (White) is at full strength, and hopefully he’ll be who he normally is. But it’s a collective thing. They (the Wildcats) have great size around the basket and a lot of talent.” Continue reading “Arizona State faces critical men’s hoops game against rival Arizona”

ASU’s Romello White providing quiet leadership for coach Bobby Hurley

by Bob Young
  • Slug: Sports ASU Romello White. 643 words.

By ZACHARY PEKALE
Cronkite News

TEMPE — When the doors to the Weatherup Center open, media flood the Arizona State basketball practice court and more often than not bombard the duo of Remy Martin and Zylan Cheatham with interview requests.

Understandable, considering both are expected to be key contributors for the Sun Devils this season. A sophomore, Martin is an unquestioned leader while Cheatham, a redshirt senior, maintains a boisterous personality complemented by veteran expertise.

Off to the side, Romello White works on free-throw shooting, a category that saw him make just 55 percent of his shots in his first season of play. The redshirt sophomore bends his knees and squares his shoulders to the basket before converting one, then another, eventually getting into a rhythm. Continue reading “ASU’s Romello White providing quiet leadership for coach Bobby Hurley”

Weary Sun Devils fall to top-seeded Oregon in Pac-12 Tournament

by Adnan Alam

By GAVIN SCHALL
Cronkite News

LAS VEGAS — A day after an explosive 98-88 overtime win over the Stanford Cardinal, in which three starters played more than 40 minutes, Arizona State simply didn’t have the legs to compete with top-seeded Oregon Thursday at T-Mobile Arena.

The Sun Devils saw their season come to an end, falling 80-57 in the second round of the Pac-12 Tournament.

“We hit a wall in terms of fatigue,” coach Bobby Hurley said.

The Sun Devils had their legs for a half, trailing just 34-31 at the break. But even that was a desert mirage as ASU was almost entirely reliant on the marksmanship of Torian Graham, who accounted for more than half the team’s first half production and finished the game with a career-high 32 points.

Continue reading “Weary Sun Devils fall to top-seeded Oregon in Pac-12 Tournament”

Sun Devils stave off Stanford in overtime at Pac-12 Tournament

by Adnan Alam

By GAVIN SCHALL
Cronkite News

LAS VEGAS – Arizona State staved off an end to its season for at least one more day Wednesday, knocking off the Stanford Cardinal 98-88 in overtime in the opening round of the Pac-12 Tournament at T-Mobile Arena.

“It was a gut check game,” said coach Bobby Hurley.

It was just the third Pac-12 Tournament game the Sun Devils have won in the last 16 years, and the Sun Devils dominated in overtime after nearly letting the game slip away.

It also was a game in which the Sun Devils were the best possible version of themselves. Utilizing five perimeter players for most of the game, ASU was nearly flawless offensively until a four-minute scoreless stretch to end regulation.

Continue reading “Sun Devils stave off Stanford in overtime at Pac-12 Tournament”

Bond born in Buffalo ready to jumpstart basketball season in Tempe

by Adnan Alam
  • Slug: Sports-ASU Evans,822
  • Photo included (thumbnail, caption below)
  • Video on YouTube

By KRISTINA VICARO
Cronkite News

TEMPE – Electricity. That’s the word Arizona State men’s basketball coach Bobby Hurley used to describe his junior guard, one who spent the entire season on the bench last year.

Shannon Evans, a Virginia native, was ineligible for the 2015-16 season after following his coach from the University at Buffalo to ASU when Hurley took over the program in 2015. Now, Hurley is ready to flip the switch on his dynamic guard, who redshirted last season.

“He does everything,” Hurley said. “Just the intangibles, the electricity that you’ll see him play with. I think his teammates will feed off his positive energy. Our fans will enjoy that, too.”

Evans hopes to have an impact on the court beginning Nov. 11 when the Sun Devils open the season against Portland State. Hurley said he might have to calm his point guard down for the first few games because he has been ready to play since arriving on campus. Continue reading “Bond born in Buffalo ready to jumpstart basketball season in Tempe”