Arizona State Basketball: 3 keys to beat Saint Mary’s in Hall of Fame showcase

Speed the Game Up

This game will be contested between 2 teams who play at polar opposite paces. Saint Mary’s plays a slow, deliberate game, averaging the 11th least possessions per game in the country. Arizona State shows up on the opposite end of the spectrum, averaging the 37th most and thriving in chaos.

We’ve seen throughout the season that ASU isn’t at their best when the game slows down. They have a tough time scoring when they are forced to settle into their half-court offense and haven’t shot well enough to open up the lane or to keep opposing teams from going on runs when they can’t get out on the fast break. They even struggled to put Prairie View A&M away until they started forcing turnovers with their press.

If they can speed Saint Mary’s up, it has the obvious benefit of forcing turnovers and it will force them to play a style of basketball that they haven’t yet shown they’re comfortable with this year. There is also one more benefit of speeding this game up that is a little bit less obvious. Saint Mary’s plays a very shallow rotation, with 3 of their starters playing at least 30 minutes. That’s fine when you play at a slower pace, but when you force a team like that to play fast, their starters can get tired late, allowing you to turn the tide in a close game.

If ASU can wear Saint Mary’s down then the Gaels will be much more prone to mistakes and the Sun Devils can generate the turnovers that usually kick start their offense. In a battle of contrasting styles, ASU needs to impose its will to get the best of this matchup.