Arizona State Basketball: 3 keys for the Sun Devils against Kansas
3. Play aggressive defense, putting Kansas on the line
One last factor for Arizona State if they hope to knock off Kansas will be their ability to play aggressive defense and force the Jayhawks to earn points from the free throw line.
This is one time where the Sun Devils’ 21 fouls per game, which is 315th worst in the sport, might be to their advantage. Kansas shoots it at just 66% from the free throw line, but that number is negatively influenced by the 32% Azubuike shoots from the line. Dedric Lawson has attempted far and away the most free throws on the team with 65, and he shoots it at 77%, which for a man of his size is a good number.
The problem for Kansas arises with its guards outside of Vick. For guards, Grimes and Garrett struggle from the stripe, shooting just 58.9%. If the Sun Devils can force the ball out of Vick’s hands and play uptight defense when the ball finds Grimes and Garrett, they can gain an advantage by exploiting the struggles of the Jayhawk guards at the free throw line.
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If Arizona State can use the energy of the home crowd and do these three things, they will have a shot at a signature win for the team and give the Pac-12 a much-needed boost.
Prediction: Kansas by less than 8