Emmanuel Innocenti’s night ended early in ASU’s season opener, and the Sun Devils now have to wait and see how long they’ll be without one of their most important defenders.
With 3:30 left in the first half, Innocenti suffered a sprained ankle while going up for a rebound and landing awkwardly. He was able to finish out the final moments before heading to the bench, but the damage was clear. By the second half, he was back on the sideline on crutches with a boot on his left foot.
The Gonzaga transfer had been assigned to the toughest defensive job on the floor, matched up with East Tennessee State guard BJ Ward. Ward still got his numbers, finishing the half with 12 points, but he also went 1-4 from three and committed three turnovers.
Before the injury, Innocenti was doing his part on both ends. The Ivory Coast native finished with five points on 2-5 shooting, including 1-4 from three, along with a rebound and an assist in the shortened outing.
That makes the setback even tougher for ASU, especially with Innocenti set to be one of the team’s captains for the 2026-2027 season. However long he’s out, it’s a significant blow.
Randy Bennett’s already thin rotation will have to adjust quickly, and freshman guard JRob Croy may be pushed into a bigger role sooner than expected. On the defensive end, replacing Innocenti’s presence is another matter entirely. Bennett’s group can only hope the injury isn’t serious.
In ASU’s final exhibition in New Mexico, Innocenti had shown what he can bring when healthy, putting up 13 points, six rebounds and four assists in 37 minutes.
He also made clear why he chose the program, saying, "I think Coach (Bennett) is a winner. The success of St.
Mary’s, and I like how his teams play. They are consistent for 40 minutes.
They play for each other. They dominate the boards.
And I thought that it fit my game."
And on the challenge of the league, he added, "Playing games against talented players. It’s a physical conference. It’s a challenge every game, and I think that’s really good for us players."
ASU’s next non-conference game is Friday, Nov. 6, when the Sun Devils host Hofstra.
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