Sun Devils snap losing streak after surprise dismissal of leading scorer

What a day it was for Sun Devil hoops.

There hasn’t been much in the way of intrigue for Arizona State lately, as the men’s basketball team had dropped six straight games and fallen below .500 on the year, with a dismal conference record to boot. But there were plenty of eyebrows raised on Sunday.

It started shortly before the Sun Devils tipped off against Kansas State, as news broke that the team’s leading scorer, BJ Freeman, was no longer with the team. Freeman had been ejected twice and suspended for a game for on-court issues, and apparently his continued disciplinary issues led to his shocking dismissal.

Arguably just as shocking was how the team responded.

The Sun Devils came out with their hair on fire, playing some inspired basketball from start to finish. Freshman big Jayden Quaintance assumed the role of offensive creator, finishing with a team high 18 points and connecting on two of his four three pointers.

Arizona State jumped out to a 34-28 lead in the first half. It wasn’t a big surprise, as this year’s team has frequently strung together strong halves but rarely played a complete game.

They did that today, though. The Sun Devils came out in the second half playing just as hard, refusing to take their foot off the gas. They went on a 7-0 run in the opening five minutes of the second half, with some stellar defense to prevent the Wildcats from scoring.

They ultimately outscored Kansas State 32-26 in the half to finish with a convincing 66-54 victory. The most impressive part of the game, by far, was the team mentality they displayed. Arizona State finished with 15 assists on 25 made shots, a really strong ratio that represented a sharp turn from the barrage of isolation plays that have characterized Bobby Hurley’s offenses.

Of course, there were still some of the signature issues for the team as well. Kansas State snagged 17 offensive rebounds to Arizona State’s five, repeatedly getting second chances for points. The Sun Devils jacked up 25 threes despite only making nine. And, frustratingly, Arizona State finished with zero fast-break points despite forcing 14 turnovers from the Wildcats.

This was not a performance that restored any real faith in Arizona State or their ability to turn things around this year, especially after Quaintance was seen leaving on crutches. They were helped out in a big way by Kansas State hitting on just 19.2% of their three point attempts, but more than anything this game showed a brief glimpse of what could’ve been. For the first time in months, Arizona State played cohesively on both ends of the court and managed to close out their lead.

There may have been a bit of an emotional boost from the Freeman news, but this win mostly served as a reminder of just how wrong things have gone for such a talented roster. Four games remain this year, two against ranked opponents, before the Big 12 tourney gets started.

It’s entirely possible that this is the Sun Devils’ last win of the season, and the dramatic way in which it unfolded feels fitting for the way this season has gone.