Arizona State Basketball: 3 keys for the Sun Devils against Kansas

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - NOVEMBER 21: Head coach Bobby Hurley (C) of the Arizona State Sun Devils is surrounded by his team after defeating the Utah State Aggies, 87-82 in championship game in the MGM Resorts Main Event basketball tournament at T-Mobile Arena on November 21, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images) /

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TEMPE, AZ – FEBRUARY 15: Vitaliy Shibel /

1. ASU must own the boards

The first big key for the Sun Devils will take place on the glass. In order to have a chance at an upset, they will have to dominate the boards and Hurley’s team is one of the best rebounding teams in the country. They pull down over 44 rebounds per game, which is the 7th highest number in the country and it doesn’t matter if it is the offensive or defensive glass, the Sun Devils are equally as good. On the defensive end, they snatch 30.44 per game which puts them 14th in the country and on the offensive glass they’re 19th best with 14 per contest.

Looking at the roster there isn’t a player that dominates the rebounding, there are four players that average more than five per game, led by senior forward Zylan Cheatham and his 10.1 per game, aside from those four players, there are three others that pull down at least three per game.

The glass is one area that Arizona State can take advantage of. Kansas is a decent rebounding team, ranking 64th in defensive rebounding, but with Udoka Azubuike out, Dedric Lawson (10.8) is the only player averaging more than five boards per game.

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