• Marquette's Non-Conference Schedule Part VI: Arizona State


    Shaquille McKissic & Jonathan Gilling lead the new-look Sun Devils this year




    Our penultimate non-conference preview looks at the Arizona State Sun Devils. They reached the NCAA Tournament last year for the second time under Coach Herb Sendek but feature a very different roster from the team that upset then 25th-ranked Marquette in Tempe last season.

    Arizona State



    The Coach: Herb Sendek hasn’t had the same success with the Sun Devils that he had with NC State, but he has won 20+ games in 5 of the last 7 seasons. He is a savvy coach that does a great job of adapting his tactics to the talent he has on the court.
    Projected Starters: G Tra Holder (Fr), G Gerry Blakes (Jr), G Shaquille McKissic (Sr), F Jonathan Gilling (Sr), F Willie Atwood (Jr)
    Key Returning Players: McKissic (9.0 ppg/5.4 rpg) & Gilling (7.7 ppg/3.8 rpg/43.4 3P%) only major holdovers from last year’s NCAA Tournament team. Former JUCO McKissic blossomed late in the season & will get first crack at being the go-to scorer for a team that lost its top three options from a year ago. Eric Jacobsen (2.4 ppg/2.3 rpg) is the only big man with any real experience and will be in the mix for starter minutes.
    Key Newcomers: McKissic’s success convinced Sendek that the JUCO route is the way to rebuild. All-American Willie Atwood (20.8 ppg/9.0 rpg) was the biggest name while Scott (17.5 ppg/4.6 rpg) & Gerry Blakes (16.0 ppg/3.1 apg) bolster the backcourt. Tra Holder is reportedly leading the race to take over for Jahii Carson, though don’t expect similar numbers out of the freshman. UNLV transfer Savon Goodman is expected to be a starter, though the former four-star recruit is unlikely to be eligible for the Marquette game.
    On The Court: Last year was a major departure for Sendek that paid off big. The Sun Devils ran a fast-paced offense that relied heavily on the three while playing man-to-man defense. The quick offense was designed around star point guard Jahii Carson & the three point shooting of Jermaine Marshall while the defense was set up to funnel players in to shot-blocker Jordan Bachynski. All three of those players are gone, so the question is whether the Sun Devils will return to the slow-down offense & zone defense Sendek is known for. With tons of athletic depth, don’t be surprised to see the offense stay fast-paced, though the defense will almost certainly have more zone.
    Season Projection: After surprising the pundits with their third-place Pac-12 finish & a NCAA berth last year, the Sun Devils were picked 9th in the league. Don’t be surprised to see them overachieve again. McKissic was a star in the second half of the season a year ago & Gilling has the ability to put up big numbers – he averaged 9.7 ppg/6.1 rpg in a more expanded role two seasons ago. Atwood was a heavily recruited JUCO that will be ready to contribute immediately & if Goodman can follow in McKissic’s footsteps by putting his checkered past behind him & focusing on the game he will be an impact player in the Pac-12. As long as someone can emerge at the point, the Sun Devils can once again challenge for the top-half of the league & have a chance to find themselves on the right side of the bubble come Selection Sunday.




    What They’re Saying: I spoke with Hod Rabino, the moderator for Arizona State’s Scout Insider site. Here is his perspective on some of the challenges facing the Sun Devils this year:

    How deep do you expect this year’s rotation to go?
    On the one hand Herb Sendek is known to have at most an 8-man rotation, especially when Pac-12 play starts. Nonetheless, the depth that he has this year, along with a truly faster pace offense and a defense that will feature more than ever full court press looks, I suspect the rotation will be much closer to 9-man, and wouldn’t be surprised if it dipped into the double digits here and there.

    Who will step up to lead a team that saw so much production leave between Carson, Marshall, & Bachynski?
    Shaquille McKissic is the best candidate here, especially because he can draw on his junior college transfer experience and help the four current junior college transfer players acclimate to the rigors of the season. Jonathan Gilling may not be as vocal, but can support McKissic’s efforts in this aspect. In terms of point leaders, I look to junior college transfers Gerry Blakes and Roosevelt Scott to fill that role.

    Tactically, Coach Sendek changed quite a bit last year, speeding up the offense for Carson and switching to man defense to take advantage of Bachynski's shot blocking. Do you expect a return to his old tactics this season?
    Not at all. As mentioned, this team stands to play on offense at even a faster pace than last season and is much more equipped to do with better ball handlers, improved athleticism, and overall a team of hungry newcomers who if anything else exhibited a high level of work ethic. On defense, we could see the zone at times if the match up dictated it but that scheme won’t be as nearly prevalent as it’s been through the first seven or so Sendek years in Tempe.

    What are your best & worst case scenarios for the Sun Devils in 2014-15?
    "Best case scenario most newcomers hit the ground running, team wins 20-21 games, keeps bad losses to a minimum and squeak into the NCAA tournament. I don’t think they would advance past the first round, but just the achievement of rare back to back appearances in March Madness can certainly provide a lot of hope for the future.
    Worst case scenario team is just under .500 which may not even be enough for an NIT appearance. The bevy of newcomers who are supposed to carry the team have a sharp learning curve, non-conference losses start to mount which sets the stage for a rough showing in the Pac-12 play.
    "