Five takeaways from ASU's 90-78 loss to TCU
Texas Christian’s sophomore center, Malick Diallo, produced the most pivotal moment of the game against Arizona State on Tuesday, yet the 6-foot-9 Mali international didn’t play a minute as he’s been sidelined with a torn ACL since November.
In the second half, with just under 15 minutes to play, the Sun Devils were in an awkward scuffle with the Horned Frogs, ASU head coach Bobby Hurley called for a trap in the corner just beside his own bench. Players on both teams engaged in light pushing, and TCU players sprinted toward the opposite bench to protect the Horned Frogs, surrounded by Gold Jerseys.
Diallo, sporting a purple beanie and a white warm-up shirt, was one of those players who charged over; he seemed to push Hurley, who ended up on the ground. Hurley got up livid, and the situation had reached a boiling point.
At the time, TCU was ahead by just six points, and the extended break gave both teams a chance to regroup for a full-throttle push toward the end of the game.
Despite junior forward Andrija Grbovic’s wing 3-pointer to cut the lead to just two, the Horned Frogs would shut the door on the Sun Devils, going on a 23-4 run over the course of six minutes to take full control into a 90-78 TCU (18-10, 8-7 Big 12) victory over ASU (14-14, 5-10)
Here are the takeaways:
Post (brawl) pardum
During the timeout following Diallo’s ejection, players on both benches were seen clapping and hyping each other up. The moment was right then and there to establish how the final 15 minutes of basketball would play out.
The Horned Frogs began to take full advantage by getting into the paint with ease. On its 23-4 run, they scored five layups and knocked down four free throws. As time went on, the inside-out approach led to open 3-point shots completely dismantling ASU’s defensive gameplan.
Junior point guard Broke Harding was the talisman over this run. Harding was dishing out great looks for his teammates all game, finishing with 10 points and 10 assists. His selfless play got his teammates involved, including junior Tanner Toolfson and sophomore Micah Robinson.
On the other end, the well ran dry for ASU. TCU head coach Jamie Dixon forced Odum to get off the ball by running a 2-3 zone and trapping the ball handler up top, and when the play was swung toward the wing, the maroon and gold couldn’t locate the open man quickly enough to score. ASU converted just two field goals in over six minutes of play during the run.
Lackluster 3-point shooting
Winning on the road in the Big 12 is already a tall task, and it becomes nearly impossible when players fail to knock down jump shots. ASU knocked down just 5-of-20 attempts from beyond the arc. What is noticeably concerning about that already disappointing figure is that four of those made triples came from Odum. The rest of the team shot just 1-of-10 on 3-pointers
The Horned Frogs struggled from deep as well. While they converted 35% of their attempts in the game, they shot just 2-of-14 in the first half, and it wasn’t until their game-changing run that their percentage would change for the better.
Outside shooting is integral to ASU’s success. Over the course of the year, Hurley’s side is just 5-11 when shooting under 35% on 3-pointers this season; only three of those wins came in Big 12 games.
The interior Battle
Because both teams failed to make 3-pointers at an effective rate, the game was decided in the interior. Rebounding has been an issue for ASU all season, and TCU won the battle on the boards 40-34. Dixon’s team brought down 17 offensive rebounds, leading to 21 second-chance points.
The Sun Devils’ struggles on the glass are well documented; they’re last in the Big 12 in combined team rebounds, defensive rebounds, and rebounding margin. This disparity paid off on the road, and TCU, an average rebounding team by Big 12 standards, appeared to play like a dominant interior program.
Rebounding issues didn’t turn into an avalanche of paint points allowed; however, ASU allowed just 34 points inside, and TCU shot just 50% on layups.
Individually, the big man didn’t dominate the scoring for either team, as 6-foot-8 forward Xavier Edmonds notched 17 points on all three levels, while Robinson finished with a team-high 20 points thanks to a heap of 3-point field goals.
The Sun Devils’ solid guard play.
Odum put up his 10th, 20-point game of the season,n shooting 8-of-16 while hitting 40% of his 3-pointers. His play was critical for ASU, as he became the only positive offensive initiator in the half-court late in the game. He’d did have a slow start shooting just 2-of-6 in the first half, but turned it up a notch by scoring 16 points in the second period to keep the Sun Devils above water.
Senior, Anthony “Pig” Johnson was as valuable as ever, scoring 18 points off the bench. Hurley’s sixth man has blossomed all season in a microwave scoring role; he’s often asked to play fast, and he thrives when getting downhill and scoring through traffic.
For the first time since Feb 10, junior Bryce Ford suited up for the maroon and gold. Ford missed the last few games due to injury, but he played well in his first game back, scoring nine points and operating as the primary on-ball defender against Harding, who shot just 1-of-10 from the floor.
The only guard who played well below his typical standard is sophomore Noah Meeusen. Meeusen had turned a corner in his production on both ends, having played a key role against the Red Raiders and scoring 12 points in a win over Oklahoma State.
The road trip to Tex, however, depleted Meeusen’s momen; um, he shot just 1-of-9 against Baylor last Saturday, and he followed that up with zero points on Tuesday night. He did provide a team-high six rebounds, however, an impressive feat for any guard.
What’s next for the Sun Devils
If it was evident after the Baylor game, ASU’s fate is all but certain now. Heading into Tuesday night, ranked 68th in the NET, the chances of making the NCAA tournament via an at-large bid were already slim to none; now it’s clear the Sun Devils will need a resounding final few performances against two ranked teams to build momentum for the Big 12 tournament in Kansas City.
The season is never over til the final game concludes, and the Sun Devils could earn an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament by winning the Big 12 Tournament, but at the moment, those odds look unlikely to say the least
