In a battle between two of the best backcourts in the entire nation, Arizona State basketball will take on the St. John’s Red Storm in Los Angeles, CA.
Matchup: Arizona State Sun Devils (7-0) vs. St. John’s Red Storm (8-1)
Tip Time: 8:00 p.m. ET on Dec. 8
TV Schedule: Pac-12 Network
Location: Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA.
Non-conference play is coming to a close across the nation but we still have time for a few more marquee matchups. On Dec. 8, fans will get the pleasure to watch two of the best backcourts in the entire country go head-to-head in a neutral site game in Los Angeles, CA. Arizona State and St. John’s are both teams that look poised to reach the NCAA Tournament this season and one will walk away from this game with a quality win.
For Arizona State, they are reliant on their star guard Tra Holder. The Sun Devils are off to a scorching 7-0 start this season and it is largely because of the play of Holder. Through the first few games of this season, Holder is putting up the unreal numbers that have drawn attention to the Sun Devils and their play so far.
.@SunDevilHoops' Tra Holder is averaging 22.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game this season as the only player in the country to be at 22/5/5.
— Lukas Harkins (@hardwiredsports) December 7, 2017
The craziest part? He is exactly 50% from the field (49-for-98) and from three (27-for-54).
In what was Arizona State’s biggest win of this season, Holder exploded for a breakout performance of 40 points against the Xavier Musketeers. With that win in hand, the Sun Devils moved to No. 17 in the country in the latest edition of the AP poll. It is not just Holder, though, that makes up this tremendously potent offense.
Senior guards Shannon Evans and Kodi Justice are also averaging more than 15 points per game for the Sun Devils while freshman forward Romello White has emerged as an elite player at 15.7 points and 9.3 rebounds per game. With all of these pieces compiled together, Arizona State is truly an offensive juggernaut. Through their first seven games of this season, the team is putting up a sensational 92.7 points per game, which ranks fourth in the entire nation.
Looking at the other side of the floor, St. John’s poses a threat to Arizona State because of their elite defense and guard play. Through the Red Storm’s first nine games, they are 8-1 and their defense is giving up just 60.0 points per game, which ranks sixth in the country. The team is forcing opponents into 20.3 turnovers per game thanks to their opportunistic play on that end of the floor as well.
On offense, head coach Chris Mullin is able to rely on his superb sophomores to carry the load. Shamorie Ponds (20.2 points, 6.3 rebounds, 4.9 assists) and Marcus LoVett (14.9 points) have been tremendous in the early going this season as the two top offensive options. In addition to the play of this duo, sophomore Justin Simon and senior Bashir Ahmed have stepped up to average in double-figures per game.
The biggest key to this game will be whether or not St. John’s is able to stop Arizona State from scoring. The Red Storm has been excellent at creating turnovers all season long but this is by far and away the best offense that they have faced. In addition, this game could easily have an atmosphere similar to a road game for St. John’s due to the fact that Arizona State is geographically much closer to this neutral site than St. John’s.
This game will not only have an impact on these two teams, though. So far this year, the Big East and the Pac-12 have had vastly different seasons. While the Big East has looked excellent with Villanova remaining the top-5 team and the conference securing many key wins, the Pac-12 has not looked as solid, which is in large part due to the disappointing start of the Arizona Wildcats.
Next: Big East power rankings (edition three)
Thankfully, Arizona State is already 1-0 against the Big East this season and they are looking for another high-quality win in this one. This will be a battle of contrasting styles between the Sun Devils’ electric offense and the Red Storm’s opportunistic defense. Regardless, this game could come down to the play of the elite guards: SJU’s Shamorie Ponds and ASU’s Tra Holder.
In the end, I think Arizona State will be able to push the pace and take care of the ball while keeping their undefeated season alive.
Final prediction: Arizona State 84, St. John’s 78