PHOENIX –Freshman Center Jayden Quaintance stands at the free throw line with Arizona State men’s basketball down one with 4.1 seconds left in regulation. The 17-year-old goes through his routine and makes his first attempt, which hits the back iron. Quaintance shakes his head, looking flustered, which leads to the unsurprising result of the second free throw also hitting the back iron, leading to ASU losing 71-70 against Kansas State.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Cameras caught Quaintance postgame distraughtly mouthing the words, “I missed both,” repeatedly as the freshman feels the blame for the loss. However, this loss doesn’t solely fall on his showers as the Sun Devils fall into similar bad habits that have followed them all season.
In the first seven minutes of the game, ASU held Kansas State scoreless, springing to a 15-0 lead. The Sun Devils got off to an electric start because of early success from beyond the arc, with senior guards BJ Freeman and Adam Miller having early success. The energy was solely in ASU’s favor, but complacency from the program began its downfall.
Jan 25, 2025; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Iowa State Cyclones guard Nate Heise (0) guards Arizona State Sun Devils guard BJ Freeman (10) during the first half at Desert Financial Arena. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images
Instead of stellar ball movement leading to open shots, the offense devolved into isolation, with players taking contested jumpers. Midway through the first half, the Sun Devils had a 16-point lead, but because of their offensive struggles, it allowed the Wildcats to proceed to go on a 35-9 run that saw them at a point make nine straight field goals in a row.
ASU’s once-hot shooting from the 3-point line slowly turned into a nightmare, finishing the game 12-37. In the Big 12, the Sun Devils rank fifth with 35.6% from the 3-point line but haven’t shot above that mark in the past six games.
Guards like Freeman and Miller are just a few of the many talented backcourt players on this roster who can score at will with their superb ball-handling skills.
Those abilities led the Sun Devils to overcome a 13-point second-half deficit, headed by senior guard Alston Mason dropping a season-high 20 points. ASU only had 16 paint points, 12 of which were in the second half. The lack of interior scoring indicates a misuse of the talent on this roster filled with dynamic athletes.
Jan 28, 2025; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils guard Alston Mason (1) shoots the ball in the first half against the Colorado Buffaloes at CU Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
Now at 12-10, with losses in seven of its last nine games, ASU ends the two-game homestand winless and travels to Oklahoma State on Sunday to try to stop the bleeding of this grueling stretch.
ASU blows hot start in heartbreak loss to Kansas State 71-70
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Reporter Tanner Tortorella covers general assignment for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account, @TannerTSports
