ASU needs to exploit Oklahoma State’s biggest weakness

Credit: Ben Queen-Imagn Images

PHOENIX – Arizona State men’s basketball has been in a freefall since the new year. Seven of its past nine games have seen ASU defeated, and now head coach Bobby Hurley and his squad are scrambling for answers.

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Sunday is an opportunity to stop the bleeding against an 11-11 Oklahoma State team. The Cowboys are one of the two teams behind the Sun Devils in the Big 12 standings with a 3-8 conference record. Similar to ASU, Oklahoma State had a great start to the year at 8-3. Then, the next 11 games would be a palindrome at 3-8 as they began conference play.

The Cowboys have had a glaring weakness against the opponent’s 3-point shooting. The program sits at the penultimate spot in the Big 12 with a 35.6% opponent 3-point shooting percentage.

During the 3-8  stretch, Oklahoma State hasn’t won a game when its opponent shot above 30.0% from beyond the arc.
ASU has eclipsed that mark 14 times in 22 games. Despite the struggles from the perimeter in recent games, the Sun Devils still rank 5th in the Big 12 in 3-point percentage. Senior guards Alston Mason and Adam Miller have led the attack from beyond the arc, combining to shoot 41.5% from 3 on 8.8 attempts per game.

The problem for the Sun Devils is generating open looks from the perimeter. This recent stretch has seen players rely on their isolation ability to create separation for looks instead of ball movement to open up the opportunity for great shots. Hurley and his squad have the pieces to get back in the win column if they control the 3-point battle.

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Reporter Tanner Tortorella covers general assignment for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account, @TannerTSports