Arizona State has opened the Randy Bennett era with two straight wins, and the next test arrives Tuesday night against Hofstra at Desert Financial Arena.
The Sun Devils handled East Tennessee State and then turned in a much cleaner showing against Northern Colorado, setting up a chance to move to 3-0. But the bigger question is what version of ASU shows up this time.
The opener left plenty to clean up. The second game looked far more like the identity Bennett wants.
Northern Colorado gave Arizona State a different kind of fight, but the Devils controlled the glass and leaned into their size. They won the rebounding battle 40-32, and that inside presence drove the night.
Paulius Murauskas was the headliner, pouring in a career-high 33 points, with only six of those coming from beyond the arc. F Dillan Shaw also chipped in on the boards, finishing just one rebound shy of matching C Filip Malesevic’s total, 11 to 12.
That kind of effort fits the mold of this roster: everybody boxes out, everybody rebounds.
Hofstra brings a similar challenge, though not in the same package. Speedy Claxton’s team plays a comparable style, but the Pride have the size to make things interesting.
Unlike Northern Colorado, Hofstra has three seven-footers on its roster. That raises the obvious question for ASU: can the Devils keep winning inside if the Pride’s bigs are able to hold their ground?
There’s also the matter of how Arizona State handles Hofstra’s tempo. Northern Colorado’s guard-heavy, up-tempo approach ran into trouble against ASU’s slower, grittier style. Whether Hofstra can force a different rhythm will be one of the night’s key storylines.
Another name worth watching is Bryce Ford. The Scottsdale native didn’t see much action in the opener or the exhibitions, but he made his presence felt against Northern Colorado with 17 points off the bench in 22 minutes.
Bennett has been using a pretty thin rotation, and with starting guard Emmanuel Innocenti injured in the opener, Ford got a real opportunity. The question now is whether he’s earned a larger role or simply filled a temporary gap until Innocenti returns.
Three-point shooting is another area to monitor. It was a strength in the exhibition against New Mexico, but it has become a concern in the first two games.
Arizona State shot just 32% from three against Northern Colorado, while the starters combined to go 5-for-16 from deep. Joel Foxwell finished 1-for-6, and Shaw went 0-for-1 after going 2-for-6 against ETSU.
If the Devils can’t find a better rhythm from outside, they may need to keep leaning on their work around the basket.
Murauskas, meanwhile, has wasted no time settling in. The Lithuanian earned a spot on the Big 12 Starting Five of the Week after averaging 27 points and seven rebounds across the first two games. Through two contests, he has 54 points - 21 against ETSU and 33 against Northern Colorado - which is the most by a Sun Devil through two games since 2004.
The matchup with Hofstra will ask more of him. The Pride’s size and pace create a different kind of test, and Arizona State will need Murauskas to keep producing against a front line built to make life harder.
There’s also some uncertainty around the rotation. Jonathan Griman was finally cleared in time for the season after dealing with eligibility issues, and Bennett said he wants to get him moving toward game speed.
"I don't know yet. I'd like to," Bennett said about potentially getting Griman into the game vs.
UNCO. "He won't be full tilt, but we need to get him.
We need to get him reps. We need to get him playing.
He's a good front line player. He gives us something that none others do."
With Innocenti and Marcus Vaughns likely still out, Griman could be asked to give Arizona State a few minutes and help fill out the frontcourt.
Arizona State and Hofstra are set for a 7:00 p.m. tip on Nov. 10 at Desert Financial Arena.
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