Two years ago, the Arizona State men’s basketball team entered its Pac-12 opener with in-state rival Arizona as one of the hottest teams in the country, starting the season at 12-0, sporting a No. 3 ranking and boasting wins over No. 15 Xavier and No. 2 Kansas.
Last year, the Sun Devils entered conference play slightly off that fevered pace at 9-4, but again, they possessed a win over the Jayhawks, this time ranked No. 1 when they met in December 2018.
This season, Arizona State has no signature win yet. There has been no court-storming triumph. The Sun Devils’ one matchup with a Top 25 school — defending national champion Virginia — went to the No. 7-ranked Cavaliers on Nov. 24, 48-45. Two late-December matchups would’ve been résumé-padders, but ASU lost to Saint Mary’s and Creighton before rebounding to close their nonconference slate with a win over Texas Southern.
So does that mean the Sun Devils, who beat the Wildcats both times they played last season, are down this year?
Or are they just a sleeper simply waiting to emerge?
“We have a lot more to bring to the table,” ASU’s Remy Martin said. “This year in college basketball, there are a lot of teams who haven’t done as projected. We’re one of them, so I think we’re definitely overlooked. Saturday’s game will be a good one to separate ourselves.”
The Star talked to Martin, the Sun Devils’ leading scorer, on the eve of Saturday night’s Pac-12 opener at McKale Center:
You guys have had some beasts on the schedule the last couple years and kind of beefed up your postseason résumé with big nonconference wins. Did it feel like there weren’t that many opportunities for huge wins this non-conference slate?
A: “Creighton, St. Mary’s — those would’ve been great wins to put us over the top. Those teams are Top 25 caliber teams too. We had our opportunities, we just didn’t make the best out of it. Now that we get into conference, conference is stronger this year, we have the opportunity to do that.”
Does this game have the same intensity of the Territorial Cup (football game) for you guys?
A: “This is the rivalry of the state, and trying to be the best team in the state is something that matters. That’s something we’d like to have. Having that last year — sweeping them was a great feeling.”
In the football version of this rivalry, it’s almost as if all the other games during the season don’t matter. At least for Arizona fans. For basketball, is it the same for the Sun Devils? The same kind of intensity?
A: “You always want to win, but when it comes to Arizona, who over the past has been the best in the state, and now taking our turn, it’s always a little bigger for us to get the win.”
Does (head coach Bobby) Hurley preach that conference play is a totally different animal, or is this just a continuation of what you’ve already done?
A: “We had a pretty good game our last game — everyone was clicking, everyone playing well. This is another chapter we start. A lot of guys haven’t played in conference play. We’re definitely trying to continue our momentum into this game.”
Usually Arizona has at least one major contributor back as a focal point. This season, all three leading scorers are true freshman. Does this feel like a totally different Wildcats team than the one you swept last year?
A: “It’s standard — their discipline, how they play defense, that’s always there. They always have talent. They’re always well-coached. We’re starting to get familiar with them every single day. At the end of the day, you just have to get on your own principles and the game becomes basic from that standpoint. It is different their three best players are freshman. But you respect those guys because of what they’re doing this season.”
