Arizona State Basketball: 3 keys for Sun Devils to bounce back against Creighton

Get to the Basket

If there has been one fatal flaw for Arizona State this season, it has been their inability to knock down 3s, even against teams whose defenses aren’t particularly adept at stopping opponents from hitting them. Luckily for them, that shouldn’t be a problem against Creighton. Unlike ASU’s last two opponents, Creighton is actually pretty good defending the 3 (they only allow their opponents to make 30.9%), but they are not quite as strong inside.

Creighton’s opponents have been making nearly 50% of their shots inside the arc this season and Creighton is one of the country’s worst teams in block percentage (blocking just 3.4% of shot attempts they face). Their team is also incredibly small. They have three guards who play more than 30 minutes per game (plus a 4th who plays 29) and only two forwards who play more than 20. Those two forwards are only 6’5” and 6’7”.

ASU is only slightly above average shooting inside the arc, making 50.2% of their attempts, which is good for 136th in the country, but they are significantly better inside the arc than outside of it. This will also be a rare occasion where Romello White, Kimani Lawrence, and Taeshon Cherry have a size advantage over their opponents.

ASU should work the ball inside early and often in this game to take advantage of Creighton’s lack of size and to keep themselves from taking low-percentage shots. Attacking the basket could even open up good looks from the 3-point line and hopefully make it easier for the Sun Devils to shoot at a higher percentage than usual from 3. Getting the ball inside is the key to make ASU’s offense effective in this game after a horrid performance in their last game.