Following a 5-0 start, including a win over #15 Mississippi State on a neutral court and a tournament championship at the MGM Resorts Main Event in Las Vegas, Coach Bobby Hurley’s Arizona State Men’s Basketball team is poised for their first AP ranking in the 2018-19 season.

Getting to know the Devils

This ASU team is very different from the “Guard U” team that stormed into national attention after an undefeated non-conference campaign in 2017-18. The Sun Devils lost their three leading scorers and find themselves now relying on newcomers to lead the way. Those newcomers have exceeded expectations in that sense so far.

— Luguentz Dort, freshman 6’4 215-pound guard from Athletic Institute in Mono, Ontario.

Dort came in as the highest rated recruit to grace Tempe since James Harden in 2007. The Sun Devils didn’t anticipate Dort being as highly involved right away, but he’s been the go-to scorer in many cases for ASU through the first five games, including 3 and-one’s in the Nov. 21 win against Utah State. Dort currently leads the team in scoring at 23 points per game and is second in rebounds per game at 7.8. His balanced mix of skill and physicality keeps defenses honest and on their heels.

— Taeshon Cherry, freshman 6’8 210-pound forward from San Diego Charter in San Diego, California.

Cherry was originally committed to USC but re-opened his recruitment after the USC assistant who recruited him was arrested on suspicion of pay-for-play misconduct. Cherry’s role with ASU was pretty unclear after being sidelined with injury for a good portion of fall practice, but Cherry has proven to be a very valuable piece as a high-energy, “3 & D” guy off the bench.

— Zylan Cheatham, redshirt senior (transfer from San Diego State) 6’8 220-pound forward from South Mountain High in Phoenix, Arizona.

Cheatham sat out in Coach Hurley’s first successful year with the team a season ago due to transfer rules, but he learned a lot about how to lead the Sun Devils in Hurley’s system. Cheatham is a hyper-athletic and always-energetic forward who has brought a defensive intensity that hasn’t recently been present in ASU basketball.

— Rob Edwards, redshirt junior (transfer from Cleveland State) 6’4 200-pound guard from Cass Technical High in Detroit, Michigan.

Edwards falls into the same category as Cheatham with sitting out the previous season, though Edwards has also been forced out of four of the team’s first five games with a back issue. Edwards is a sort of hybrid of Dort and Cheatham stylistically in that he combines the skill and hyper-athleticism into more of an inside-out guard rather than working his way in.

Stylish Sun Devils

This season, ASU brings a sense of style that Guard U didn’t, and it starts on defense. They’re currently allowing 4.2 points per game fewer than last season, good enough to move up 74 places nationally. Additionally, ASU is much more of an inside-out team this year, making 2.2 less 3-pointers per game this year than in 2017-18. Rather than an absurd amount of 3-pointers being the spark for the crowd, ASU now gets the crowd going with high-flying dunks and blocks from their athletes.

Potential in the PAC

Last season, ASU’s hot start came to a screeching halt when conference play started. They were not able to consistently defend without fouling which led to not being able to get into a rhythm to set up their free-flowing offense. They were also way too reliant on 3-pointers, so the offense fell apart when the shots stopped falling.

This year, ASU has a much more aggressive and smart defense and versatile offense, so they won’t be subject to those same problems. Additionally, the PAC-12 isn’t as strong as it usually is with Arizona having an off year. ASU will certainly have its share of issues with a few teams. They’ll probably struggle with current #21 Oregon and containing eventual top 5 pick Bol Bol. ASU has also been known to struggle against the zone, so Washington may also prove tough for the Sun Devils. UCLA is the PAC-12’s highest rated team, currently at #17, but they are yet to face much of a real test.

Personally, I have ASU at #19 after the week they had in Vegas, beating two tough teams on the road in Mississippi State and Utah State. They look like either the third or fourth best team in the conference, and should earn a 7 or 8 seed minimum come March.