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The Arizona State men's basketball team will look to continue its hot start as it hosts the Idaho State Bengals on Friday. Here is your game preview.
Game Time: 7 p.m.
TV/Radio: Pac-12 Networks/ Tunein (Link)
Idaho State Update
The Bengals are coming off of a 99-62 win over Evergreen State (an NAIA school) in their season opener. Idaho State forward Jeffrey Solarin led all Bengals in scoring with 23 points and also recorded 10 rebounds. Overall the team shot 51-percent from the field while holding Evergreen State to just 37-percent.
The Bengals finished in last place of the Big Sky Conference last season, and they had a 6-24 overall record. The team returns six players from last year's squad, but they did lose their leading scorer in Melvin Morgan this season.
Arizona State Update
Arizona State hit 16 three-pointers on its way to a 90-54 win over Miami of Ohio. Senior shooting guard Jermaine Marshall and sophomore point guard Jahii Carson led the team to victory with 18 points apiece. Marshall's 18 points came in just 25 minutes of play, and he also led the team with four three-pointers. Carson, on the other hand, tied a career-high with eight assists. Senior center Jordan Bachynski also put up big numbers as he had 16 points and 10 boards to record his second straight double-double.
The Sun Devils went on a 34-9 run to close out the half, and Miami of Ohio was never able to overcome the lead.
Matchup to watch: Jeffrey Solarin vs. Shaquielle McKissic
Arizona State forward Shaquielle McKissic has yet to show that he can really dominate on the offensive side of the court. In his first two games as a Sun Devil, McKissic has 11 points and has shot 3-8 from the field. The Sun Devils thrived last year when forward Carrick Felix shouldered some of the scoring load, and having McKissic put up similar numbers would make the Sun Devil offense hard to stop. Idaho State forward Jeffrey Solarin will have the task of guarding McKissic in Friday night's game. Solarin put up 23 points against an NAIA school, so it will be interesting to see how he will perform against a Pac-12 opponent.
Prediction
Arizona State has way too much firepower on offense, and the Sun Devils are nearly impossible to stop when they get things going from behind the arc. They win easily 87-46.