The red-hot #5 Houston Cougars (21-4, 13-1) are back in Arizona for a Tuesday game against Arizona State (12-13, 3-11). The Cougars had a massive win at Arizona on Saturday, while the Sun Devils lost a close game in Tempe against TCU.

Arizona State has missed the “would be – head of the snake” Jayden Quaintance over the past two games (ankle). He is doubtful for Tuesday’s game against UH. He’s a game-changer if he’s able to play. He’s a super-talented, 17-year-old freshman forward who is an elite rebounder on both ends of the court. He’s also one of the best shot-blockers in the nation. He has a VERY similar game to Jojo Tugler but is possibly a touch more polished on offense despite being the youngest player in D1 basketball.

The Sun Devils have multiple players that could be their “Head of the Snake” for this one. They have several talented guys, but no one stands out. So when that is the case, I lean towards taking the point guard away, which would be senior Alston Mason. He leads the Big 12 in minutes per game and kept ASU in the game against Texas Tech, which they lost in double overtime. He’s lightning-quick and uses his speed to make plays in the paint. He is a solid three-point shooter at 37% and is a pesky defender.

Fiery head coach Bob Hurley leads the Sun Devils. Like his brother Danny, he gets wild on the sideline but is not on television as often. ASU is super talented. They have a solid base of freshmen who could be a force in the Big 12 in the next few seasons. As for today, they are more than capable of pulling an upset, especially at home. But as long as the Coogs are focused on Arizona State and not Iowa State, they are too much for the Sun Devils in this one.
Arizona State National Rankings

• Net – #65; Houston Ranked #3
• Kenpom – #61; Houston Ranked #3
• AP Poll – #NR; Houston Ranked #5
• Coaches Poll – #NR; Houston Ranked #5

Arizona State Offensive Rankings (Top 50 in Nation)

None…

Sun Devil’s Defensive Rankings (Top 50 in Nation)

#26 – Blocks Per Game: 4.9

#39 – Three-Point Percentage (Defense): 30.7%

Arizona State Offense Notes

• They don’t have a real “go-to-guy” on offense. They spread it around, and whoever gets hot is who they play through.
• Arizona State runs lots of dribble hand-offs and screens to get downhill and look to make a play in the paint.
• The Sun Devils get their guys open by running them off of several “off-ball” screens.

Sun Devils Defense Notes

• Arizona State mainly plays half-court, man-to-man defense.
• They may try a 1-2-1-1, “Diamond” full-court press or a 1-2-2, full-court zone press. Neither is very effective.
• If Quaintance is out, I would pull J’Wan out to the free-throw line and let him attack Phillips off the bounce.
• Houston should look to attack the paint. ASU could not keep Jace Posey from TCU out of there and allowed him to have a career-high with 21 points (Jace Posey would not get on the floor for UH).
• ASU struggles with the pick-and-roll. I would go with Milos and J’Wan/Jojo in the p&r game early and often and see how they choose to defend it.

Arizona State Personnel Report

*#10 – BJ Freeman – 6’6″ – SR – Guard/Foward – (Dodge City CC/ UW- Milwaukee) – 14ppg, 4rpg, 40% 3pt.

• Huge pick up in the transfer portal;
• Lengthy/three-level scoring guard/forward;
• Solid three-point shooter – 51/142 (36%);
• Likes to shoot it going to his right.

*#1 – Alston Mason – 6’2″ – SR – Guard – (Oklahoma/ Missouri State) – 12ppg, 3rpg, 4apg.

• Tough/gritty smaller point guard. Listed at 6’2″ but not so sure about that;
• Solid outside shooter; 42/113 (37%);
• Nice floater in the paint;
• #16 nationally in minutes per game: 36.2.

*#44 – Adam Miller – 6’3″ – RS SR – Guard – (LSU/ Illinois) – 11ppg, 3rpg.

• LEFTY;
• Athletic shooting guard;
• Outstanding three-point shooter – 49/109 (45%);
• Capable of getting to the rim and has a really quick crossover dribble;
• Ejected vs TCU.

*#8 – Basheer Jihad – 6’9″ – SR – Forward – (Ball State) – 12ppg, 6rpg.

• Long/athletic forward;
• Phenomenal at drawing fouls – 103/136 (76%) at the line;
• Best when using his length in the paint;
• Solid mid-range shooter;
• Leads the team in turnovers (3 per game). MONSTER/BLITZ him.

*#9 – Shawn Phillips Jr. – 7’0″ – JR – Center – (LSU) – 5ppg, 5rpg.

• Super tall center off the bench; Intense individual;
• Defensive bully specialist but seems to get chippy pretty often;
• Solid around the rim on both ends of the court. They love to lob to him;
• Has not shot an outside shot and won’t;
• If he wants to shoot outside of the paint…Sounds good to me. WOOF!;

#21 – Jayden Quaintance – 6’9″ – FR – Forward – 10ppg, 8rpg, 3bpg.

• WILL start if he plays. Has missed the last two games with an ankle injury and is doubtful Tuesday night;
• Highly recruited 5-star freshman forward. Youngest player in D1 men’s basketball;
• Extremely lengthy. Maybe a bit more offensively polished version of Jojo;
• Outstanding rim protector and rebounder;
• Really good around the rim and can shoot the mid-range decently;
• Not an outside shooting threat;
• Top 50 in the nation: #4 – Blocks Per Game: 2.82; #8 – Blocks: 62; #38 – Offensive Rebounds Per Game: 3.14.

#3 – Jason Sanon – 6’5″ – FR – Guard – 11ppg, 3rpg.

• Super talented freshman scoring guard;
• Three-level scorer;
• Good three-point shooter – 37/94 (39%);

#5 – Amier Ali – 6’8″ – FR – Guard/Forward – 5ppg, 3rpg.

• Tall/thin freshman guard/forward;
• When he’s hot from outside, you can’t lose him;
• Inconsistant on offense; 36% FG, 30% 3pt, 74% FT.

Keys to Victory

1. Do NOT underestimate/overlook them. College Gameday. Iowa State. Coach Otz and his “schmedium” polo. ALL distractions for the upcoming game on Saturday. This Arizona State team has struggled to finish games all year, but they were one defensive rebound away from beating Texas Tech a week ago. Weird things can happen in the Big 12, and weird things can happen on the road. The Coogs will need to come in focused on taking care of business.
2. Keep them off the glass. ASU has a ton of length and athletes across their front line, even without freshman superstar Jayden Quaintance. The Coogs must attack the glass on both ends and limit them to one shot.
3. Attack the paint on offense. Jace Posey from TCU had a career-high on Saturday by living in the paint. It should be a huge night for Milos and J’Wan if they are aggressive on offense.
4. Identify who is hot. They don’t have one guy who scores a ton. Instead, they spread the ball around and get it to whoever is hot for them. The Coogs will need to identify that person and look to limit them.
5. GATA from the tip. The Coogs need to GATA (get after their ass) from the time the ball is tipped. Never let a bad team hang around or things can get interesting quickly. The Coogs must show that they are the #1 team in the Big 12 for a reason, early and often.