NCAA Hoops Preview: #18 Arizona State vs. Vanderbilt

Photo Credit: Vanderbilt Basketball via Twitter

College Basketball

NCAA Hoops Preview: #18 Arizona State vs. Vanderbilt

• Matchup: Arizona State Sun Devils (8-1, 0-0) vs. Vanderbilt Commodores (6-2, 0-0)
• Date: Dec. 17, 2018
• Time: 7 p.m. (est)
• Network: SEC Network
• Location: Nashville, Tennessee, USA
• Venue: Memorial Gymnasium
• Seating Capacity: 14K

The Arizona State Sun Devils enter their second straight road game, also against an SEC opponent, when they battle the Vanderbilt Commodores. The Sun Devils enter tonight’s game after overcoming an 18-point deficit to the Georgia Bulldogs. Vanderbilt enters on a one-game winning streak as well, defeating inter-state rival Middle Tennessee in their last bout.

It’s a Young Man’s Game

This matchup will feature two freshmen who are vastly important for each team. For Arizona State, Luguentz Dort will need to have a much better game if the Sun Devils expect to win. Against the Bulldogs, Dort only shot 20% from the floor on 10 shots. Dortz leads Arizona State in points per game with nearly 21, as he also averages about six rebounds and two steals per game too. The good news for Arizona State is that they were able to come from behind and win on the road, despite their best player struggling offensively.

For Vanderbilt, freshman Simisola Shittu has impulsively become the player for this Commodore team to lean on offensively. Leading scorer Darius Garland injured his meniscus four games ago and has been ruled out for the season. Due to this, Shittu now sees himself as the top scoring option for Vanderbilt. Shittu already leads the team in rebounds per game with nearly eight, so how well he handles a heavy workload at a young age will be key.

The Devils Are Deep

The Sun Devils advantage entering Nashville on Monday night is their lineup’s depth. Arizona State has four different players averaging a double-digit point total per game. Kimani Lawrence averages almost 14 points per game, while both Remy Martin and Zyland Cheatham average 12 or more points. The Sun Devils also have rebounders all over, which is something the Pac-12 conference is extremely weak in.

Arizona State has four players average at least five rebounds or more per game. Both Dort and Cheatham (who averages close to a double-double) are the main catalysts for Arizona State on the glass. Cheatham and Martin also provide great looks for others, averaging four or more assists per game. If Arizona State wins this game, it will be because of great play from players outside of Dort.

A Couple of Homers

What’s interesting about this matchup is the fact that neither team has played many games away from home. Vanderbilt’s only true road game came against Southern California, as they won that cross-country trip. The Sun Devils only road game of the season came in their last matchup against Georgia. Another slow start by the Sun Devils is definitely a cause of concern, but expect a much more focused team to begin this game as opposed to last.

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Photo Credit: Vanderbilt Basketball via Twitter