(Photo: Scotty Bara/WCSN)
With conference play only a couple weeks away from getting started, the time to pick up quality nonconference wins to boost a NCAA Tournament resume is dwindling as well. Arizona State has yet another chance to rack up a quality win when it travels to Las Vegas to play the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels.
ASU is coming off a 14-point loss in Lexington to Kentucky, but the Sun Devils played well enough in the first half to trail by just a point. The Wildcats woke up in the second half and led by more than 20 points, but nonetheless, competing with a top-five team on the road provided more than a few good takeaways.
Particularly, sophomore guards Tra Holder and Kodi Justice played a solid, composed game against Kentucky’s pestering guards on defense. Holder especially played well while being guarded by Kentucky sophomore guard Tyler Ulis, one of the better perimeter defenders in the country. Holder and Justice combined for 27 points, shooting 3-for-7 from three.
UNLV is another strong road test for ASU and a team that has taken down the likes of then-No. 13 Indiana and then-No. 15 Oregon. The Runnin’ Rebels are led by sophomore guard Patrick McCaw, who is averaging 16.9 points per game and shooting 44.8 percent from beyond the arc.
The Sun Devils will be without leading scorer and rebounder Savon Goodman tonight due to personal reasons, leaving ASU with just three active scholarship frontcourt players. UNLV is also hindered in the frontcourt with Goodluck Okonoboh’s decision to transfer. Okonoboh led UNLV last season with 2.9 blocks per game.
Keys to the game
Battle in the paint
Without Goodman, the Sun Devils are not only without one of their most productive players but also one of their most physical ones. Despite standing just 6-foot-6, Goodman regularly bangs with the biggest of players and more than stands his ground. With 7-foot freshman forward Stephen Zimmerman underneath as well as junior forward Ben Carter, it’ll be up to seniors Willie Atwood and Eric Jacobsen and junior Obinna Oleka to man the paint.
More critically than production, ASU’s post-players will have to stay out of foul trouble as depth is an even bigger issue without Goodman. UNLV takes 25.2 free throws per game despite converting just 64.7 percent of them.
UNLV’s guards like to mix it up inside and Zimmerman and Carter are both crafty on the block, so being disciplined on defense and staying away from cheap fouls will be critical for the Sun Devils.
Controlling the tempo
UNLV head coach Dave Rice finally has the guards and bigs he wants to run a high-tempo offense and high-pressure defense. As a result, the Rebels are 51st in pace with 74.1 possessions per 40 minutes. The Sun Devils are 180th in that category. Holder, Justice and the rest of the Sun Devil backcourt to handle the tempo and not allow UNLV to get up and down the court the way they want to.
A big portion of that will be handling the ball. The Rebels like to pressure full court and they have active hands on defense, and in turn, they force opponents to turn the ball over on 21.3 percent of their possessions, 11th in the country. The Sun Devils turn the ball over on 15.9 percent of their possessions, but Holder handled the pressure well against Kentucky. If the Sun Devils can take care of the ball and thus control the pace of play a little bit, it’ll play in their hands without their leading scorer and rebounder.
You can reach Zac Pacleb on Twitter @ZacPacleb or via email at zacpacleb@gmail.com
