ASU Basketball: No. 20 Sun Devils look to stay undefeated against San Francisco

After cracking the AP Top-25 for the first time since the James Harden era, the No. 20 Arizona State Sun Devils play their first home game in almost two weeks on Saturday at 7 p.m. against the San Francisco Dons.

Arizona State’s most recent victory came as a surprise to many, as they upset No. 15 ranked Xavier, 102-86, to be crowned champions of the Continental Tire Invitational in Las Vegas. By scoring 102 points, this marked the first time in school history the Sun Devils have scored 90 or more points in six straight games.

The Sun Devils’ upcoming opponent, San Francisco, sits at a modest 3-2 record on the season with victories coming against St. Francis (PA), Sacramento State, and Sonoma State. The Dons first real test of the season will be against ASU on Saturday, who leads them in nearly every statistical category thus far.

Although you cannot expect Arizona State to put up just under 96 points every showing, this should be a reachable feat against an inferior opponent in San Francisco. Right now, the Sun Devils average 7.5 steals per game, which has been a huge reason for ASU’s success in the transition game, which leads to many fast break points.

In addition, ASU is sharing the ball remarkably, as the Sun Devils average 17.5 assists per game, led by a backcourt full of seniors in Tra Holder, Shannon Evans and Kodi Justice. The high assist total can be attributed to a combined team field goal percentage of 54.2 percent.

Overall, the Sun Devils outmatch the Dons and should handle them with ease. However, no game should be taken lightly, especially against a team they should defeat. ESPN’s Basketball Power Index gives the Sun Devils an 88.9 percent chance to win.