All eyes are on Gonzaga after the blowout win over Baylor to open the season. But can they be on letdown alert at home against Arizona State?
Sunday, November 10th, 5:00 pm ET. ESPN
Arena: McCarthey Athletic Center in Spokane, Washington
In the first week of the 2024-25 college basketball season, there was no more impressive of a performance than Gonzaga winning 101-63 over a top-10 Baylor squad. The Bulldogs offense was nearly perfect, with seven of the eight main rotation players scoring 9+ points, with point guard Andrew Nembhard dishing out 11 assists.
Gonzaga (1-0) already had Final Four aspirations entering the season but after that easy win, they'll be on the shortlist of national title contenders. But there's plenty of season left and anything can happen. And that can happen as soon as Sunday, taking on an Arizona State squad who could use a big win.
The Sun Devils needed all 40 minutes to get past Idaho State on opening night, winning 55-48 in a low-scoring affair. The offense was much better on Friday night against Santa Clara, getting a needed 81-74 victory. BJ Freeman, a transfer guard from Milwaukee, scored 17 points in the win over the Broncos and has been the team's go-to scorer early on. BJ Freeman, a transfer guard from Milwaukee, scored 17 points in the win over the Broncos and as been the teams' go-to scorer early on.
ASU will need more than Freeman to be competitive in Spokane against Gonzaga. 5-star freshmen Joson Sanon and Jaydan Quaintance have had some struggles out of the gate but are still very talented and big games versus the Bulldogs would do wonders for their future NBA Draft stock. But Quaintance, one of the youngest players in the sport, will have to go up against the likes of Graham Ike, Braden Huff, and Ben Gregg, who can score both inside and out.
Arizona State has high-major talent, and surprises can happen early on. However, with this game being in the Kennel and Gonzaga already looking in midseason form, the big surprise will be whether the Sun Devils can keep this one within 20 points.
Prediction: Gonzaga 94, Arizona State 70