Arizona State, UCF Meet for First Time on the Hardwood

Sun Devil Men's Basketball takes on the Golden Knights on Tuesday at 9 PM MST.

BJ Freeman Dunk vs Baylor

January 14, 2025

TEMPE - Sun Devil Men's Basketball remains at Desert Financial when they face UCF on Tuesday at 9 PM MST.

Arizona State (10-5, 1-3) hosts the Knights (11-4, 2-2) in their second straight home game. The Maroon and Gold continue Big 12 Conference play with another key matchup as they look to make up ground in the league standings.

The Matchup
Arizona State remains at home to take on UCF in the only meeting between the two teams this season. In fact, this will be the first meeting in series history, as the two teams have yet to matchup on the hardwood. Two Duke legends will face off once again, as Bobby Hurley and Johnny Dawkins lead their respective teams.

How to Follow
Arizona State will make their season debut on ESPNU when they take on UCF on Tuesday at 9 PM MST. This is one of three appearances on the network for the Sun Devils this season. It is the 10th time the program will be featured on national television so far in 2024-25. Pete Sousa (play-by-play) and Corey Williams (analyst) are on the call. Make sure to listen to Tim Healey and Kyle Dodd on ESPN 620 AM (KTAR).

Season Metrics (As of 1/13)
NET: 55
Ken Pom: 60
ESPN Strength of Record: 42
RPI (Warren Nolan): 32

NET Positive
The NET (NCAA Evaluation Tool) ranking is used in determining NCAA Tournament selections. Arizona State is 55th in the current edition. Coach Hurley's team is 3-5 in Quad 1 & 2 games and are undefeated in Quad 3 & 4 matchups. Three of their losses are away from home to teams currently ranked in the NET Top-10 (#10 Gonzaga, #5 Florida, #8 Kansas). ASU has a favorable average opponent NET ranking of 7, an indication of a challenging schedule.

One of One
Freshman forward Jayden Quaintance has proven to be one of the nation's most unique and versatile athletes. He is currently the ONLY PLAYER IN THE NATION averaging at least 9.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 2.9 blocks. He produces at that high of a level while playing only 31.2 minutes per game.

Quaintance has combined for 44 blocks and 20 steals. He is the only player in the nation to accomplish the feat this season. The next closest Power 4 player is Wooden Award favorite Auburn senior Johni Broome, with 43 blocks and 13 steals.

Block Party
Freshman Jayden Quaintance has recorded 44 blocks thus far in the 2024-2025 season. He has already surpassed Pac-12 career blocks leader Jordan Bachynski on the ASU freshman single-season blocks list. Quaintance has the second-most blocks in a single season by a freshman in program history and has done it in only 15 games. He has two or more blocks in 13 of 15 games this year, including six 4+ block performances.

Sun Devil Freshman Blocks Record (1978-79-present)
55, Mario Bennett, 1991-92
44, Jayden Quaintance, 2024-25
33, Jamal Faulkner, 1990-91
31, Ike Diogu, 2002-03

If he were to maintain his current pace of blocks over a 31-game season, Quaintance would finish tied for the second-most blocks ever by a Big 12 freshman behind only Texas' Mohamed Bamba.

Blocked Shots by Big 12 Freshman
111 Mohamed Bamba-UT, 2017-18 (3.7)
˜ 90 Jayden Quaintance-ASU, 2024-25 (2.9)*
90 Chris Mihm-UT, 1997-98 (2.9)
89 Myles Turner-UT, 2014-15 (2.6)
86 Tristan Thompson-UT, 2010-11 (2.4)
85 Yor Anei-OSU, 2018-19 (2.7)
77 Kevin Samuel-TCU, 2018-19 (2.1)
72 Joel Embiid-KU, 2013-14 (2.6)
71 Jaxson Hayes-UT, 2018-19 (2.2)
67 Kevin Durant-UT, 2006-07 (1.9)
65 Arthur Johnson-MU, 2000-01 (2.0)
*Projected total in a 31-game season at current pace

We Will Block You
Arizona State is third in the Big 12 and 24th nationally averaging 5.1 blocks per game. Freshman Jayden Quaintance is a big reason why, contributing a league-best 2.9. Basheer Jihad, Shawn Phillips Jr., Alston Mason, and BJ Freeman each have five or more blocks this season.

Hitting the Glass
Not only has Quaintance solidified his status as a premier shot blocker nationally, he has also been outstanding on the glass. That continued on Wednesday, as he grabbed 11 rebounds. He is on pace to become the program's all-time leader in rebounds per game by a freshman, a record previously held by Ike Diogu back in 2002-03. Quaintance now has 10+ rebounds in six games. He is second nationally among freshman in rebounds per game and has the third most rebounds in the Big 12 by any player.

Sun Devil Freshman Rebounds per Game Record (1978-79-present)
8.4 Jayden Quaintance, 2024-25
7.8, Ike Diogu, 2002-03
7.1, Romello White, 2017-18
6.8, Mario Bennett, 1991-92
6.2, Marcus Bagley, 2020-21
6.2, Jamal Faulkner, 1990-91
6.1, Jeff Pendergraph, 2005-06
5.8, Johnny Nash, 1976-77
5.4, Kyle Cain, 2010-11
5.3, James Harden, 2007-08

Trophy Case
Jayden Quaintance - Big 12 Newcomer of the Week (12/23)
Joson Sanon - Big 12 Co-Newcomer of the Week (11/18)

Last Time Out
Sun Devil Men's Basketball and Baylor played a competitive contest in their first meeting as Big 12 schools on Saturday night. Arizona State (10-5, 1-3) could not complete the comeback against the Bears (11-4, 3-1), losing 72-66 in overtime after overcoming a 15-point deficit in the second half. Originally trailing 32-20 at the end of the first half and 44-29 at one point in the second, the Sun Devils flipped the script. Arizona State managed to outscore Baylor 41-29 in the second half, including a 13-4 run over the final 4:40 of regulation.

A 22-point performance by guard/forward BJ Freeman was a big reason behind the comeback. Arizona State managed to get better looks in the second half, shooting 51.9% from the field after registering a 26.1% clip in the first half. Tow Sun Devils were in double figures tonight, including Alston Mason who finished with 14 points, seven boards and five assists in a season-high 42 minutes. Basheer Jihad added 10 points of his own while collecting five boards. Freshman guard Joson Sanon made his return to the lineup and made an impact despite being limited by a minutes restriction.

Charity Stripe
ASU is 60-for-79 (75.9%) over their past five games after going 166-for-237 (70.1%) in their first ten games.

Sansational Start
Due to injury, Arizona State was without the services of guard Joson Sanon against Colorado and Kansas. He returned in the matchup with Baylor and showed flashes of the form that had him in the conversation for best freshman in the country during ASU's strong start. He is averaging 12.9 points per game this season, which is the most among Big 12 freshman. Sanon is second in the Big 12 shooting 47.5% (29-of-61) from three-point range this season. Sanon is 24th nationally among freshman (14th Power 4 + Big East) in points per game.

Ba-Sheer Force
In his first two games, Basheer Jihad combined for five points on 1-of-10 shooting. Over his past 12 games, Jihad has accumulated 188 points (14.5 ppg) on 57-of-112 (50.9%) shooting. He is also 60-for-81 (74.1%) from the free throw line during that span. He is fourth in the Big 12 in free throw attempts (83) and free throws made (62).

Mr. Reliable
Alston Mason has been a steady presence in the lineup for Head Coach Bobby Hurley at point guard. Mason has led the team in minutes in 12 of the 15 games, including playing 40+ minutes in back-to-back games. In the matchup with Baylor, Mason played a season-high 42 minutes. He averages 34.7 minutes per game, which was third in the Big 12 behind only UCF's Darius Johnson and West Virginia's Javon Small coming into the game. Mason is also shooting a team-high 84.3% from the free-throw line, tied for the sixth-best mark in the Big 12.

Free'd Up
An underrated part of Arizona State's success has been the steady play of senior guard/forward BJ Freeman. He once again scored in double figures against Baylor, leading the team with 22. Freeman has finished with 10+ points in 12 games this season, the most of any Sun Devil. It was his first 20-point game as a Sun Devil and 31st in his career, previously doing it 30 times at UW Milwaukee over two seasons.

Double Doubles
Jayden Quaintance has four double-doubles this season. Quaintance is one of only five Big 12 players with four or more double doubles this year.

Getting Acquainted
Jayden Quaintance continues to show improvement throughout the season. Take a closer look at a comparison between his first four and last 11 games.

Jayden Quaintance Statistical Breakdown
Last 11 Games: 10.4 points, 9.6 rebounds, 51.5% FG
First Four Games: 5.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 38.9% FG

Home Court Advantage
Arizona State is 5-1 at home this season, including three wins of 15+ points. The Maroon & Gold are averaging 77.7 points while giving up 64.8, good enough for a 12.9 average margin of victory.

80-Point Mark
The Sun Devils have scored 80 points or more eighth times through 15 games this season after doing it only six times in 32 games last year. ASU is 7-1 when reaching the 80-point mark, with their only loss coming at No. 16 Gonzaga.

Milestone Watch
- Adam Miller is 1 assist shy of 150 in his career (currently at 149)
- Adam Miller is 25 rebounds shy of 300 in his career (currently at 275)
- Adam Miller is 8 three-point field goals made away from 200 in his career (currently at 192)
- Basheer Jihad is 10 rebounds shy of 500 in his career (currently at 490)
- Alston Mason is 6 games played shy of 100 career games played (currently at 93)
- Alston Mason is 4 FTs made away from 200 in his career (currently at 196)
- BJ Freeman is 7 assists away from 250 in his career (currently at 243)
- BJ Freeman is 7 made FTs away from 300 in his career (currently at 293)

Don't Count Us Out
The Sun Devils have come back to win a game when trailing at halftime 47 times during the Bobby Hurley era, including three of the past six games. Since 2015-16, the Maroon and Gold are Top-25 in the nation in halftime comeback victories. Here is the full list of comebacks.

2024-25 (3)
(-2) UMass 33, ASU 31/Dec. 21, 2024/ASU 78, UMass 62
(-2) Saint Mary's 34, ASU 32/Nov. 29, 2024/ASU 68, New Mexico 64
(-3) New Mexico 37, ASU 34/Nov. 28, 2024/ASU 85, New Mexico 82

Comfortable when it is Close
Sun Devils is 19-9 in two-possession games over the past three seasons. Arizona State is 61-43 (58.7%) in close games in the Bobby Hurley era and 3-1 this season.

Sun Devils in Games of Six Points or Less
2024-25 (3-1)
Baylor 72, ASU 67 (Jan. 11, 2025)
ASU 68, Saint Mary's 64 (Nov. 29, 2024)
ASU 85, New Mexico 82 (Nov. 28, 2024)
ASU 93, Cal Poly 89 (Nov. 20, 2024)

Non-Conference Start
Arizona State has won nine or more of their first 11 games for the fourth time under the Bobby Hurley era (2017-18, 2018-19, 2022-23, 2024-25). This is despite having played the fewest non-conference home games (4) of any Power 4 team. The 81.8% winning percentage is the seventh-best for the program in the non-conference since 1999-2000.

Best Non-Conference Winning % (1999-2000 to Present)
2017-18: 12-0 (1.000)
2008-09: 11-1 (.917)
2004-05: 11-1 (.917)
2013-14: 11-2 (.846)
2012-13: 11-2 (.846)
2007-08: 10-2 (.833)
2024-25: 9-2 (.818)
2022-23: 9-2 (.818)

Neutralizing the Opponent
Arizona State continues their success under Bobby Hurley at neutral sites. ASU picks up their fifth neutral site win of the season already, which is a new program record. The Sun Devils have defeated four teams that won 20+ games in neutral settings already in 2024-25 (Saint Mary's, Grand Canyon, Santa Clara, New Mexico). Three were 2024 NCAA Tournament participants. ASU has now won 18 games overall under Hurley in neutral games. That includes past wins over NC State, Kansas State, St. John's, Mississippi State, Xavier, Michigan, Utah State, New Mexico, Saint Mary's, Creighton, Santa Clara, and UMass.

2024-25 (5-1)
ASU 78, UMass 62 (Dec. 21, 2024) - MGM Springfield Basketball Hall of Fame Classic (Springfield, MA)
Florida 83, ASU 66 (Dec. 14, 2024) - Holiday Hoopsgiving at State Farm Arena (Atlanta, GA)
ASU 68, Saint Mary's 64 (Nov. 29, 2024) - Acrisure Series (Palm Desert, CA)
ASU 85, New Mexico (Nov. 28, 2024) - Acrisure Series (Palm Desert, CA)
ASU 87 vs. Grand Canyon 76 (Nov. 14, 2024) - Hall off Fame Series at Footprint Center (Phoenix, AZ)
ASU 81, Santa Clara 74 (Nov. 8, 2024) - Hoopfest at Lee's Family Forum (Las Vegas, NV)

The Sun Devils are one of only four teams in the country that has at least five wins at neutral sites, joined by No. 2 Auburn, No. 6 Florida, and No. 14 Oklahoma. Those five wins have come by an average margin of 8.2 points, including double digit wins over UMass and Grand Canyon. The five neutral site wins are a program record.

The Hurley Era
Bobby Hurley has won 165 games at ASU and he is only the second coach in program history to reach the mark. With the win over Cal Poly, he passed Herb Sendek for the second-most victories in program history.

Career Wins at ASU
406, Ned Wulk (1957-82)
165, Bobby Hurley (2015-present)
159, Herb Sendek (2006-15)

Milestone Complete
Hurley earned the 200th win in his head coaching career between Arizona State and Buffalo in his 12th season at the Division I level when ASU defeated Grand Canyon. 164 of those wins have come with Sun Devil Men's Basketball. Hurley also earned his 150th career win when ASU beat Grand Canyon back in 2021.

About those Sun Devil Wins
Coach Hurley has notched 165 wins at Arizona State and has done it while scheduling aggressively and not being afraid to play on the road. He has won 104 games in Arizona, but also has won at least five games in California (16), Nevada (13), Oregon (six) and Washington (five). Four wins have taken place in Utah, three in New York, and two in Colorado, Nebraska, Ohio and Pennsylvania. Single wins have taken place in Florida, Georgia, Kansas, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Texas.

Constant Competition
Head Coach Bobby Hurley and his staff once again constructed an extremely challenging slate that saw Arizona State hosting winning programs and taking on strong competition away from home. The 11-game schedule featured seven contests away from home and four at Desert Financial Arena in addition to the exhibition matchup with Duke prior to the season on Oct. 27. ASU faced 2024 NCAA Tournament participants Gonzaga, Grand Canyon, New Mexico, Saint Mary's, and Florida before Big 12 play even started.

Arizona State has played or will play five teams in the Top-10 of the latest AP Poll. They are one of only two non-SEC schools that can make that claim, joined by only North Carolina. In total, Arizona State currently has six AP Top-16 teams on their schedule.

AP Top-16 (ASU game)
1. Auburn
2. Iowa State (Jan. 25 home game)
3.Duke (Oct. 27 road game; Exhibition)
4. Alabama
5. Florida (Dec. 14 neutral site game)
6. Tennessee
7. Marquette
8. Kentucky
9. Kansas (Jan. 8 road game)
10. Houston (Feb. 18 home game)
11. Texas A&M
12. Michigan State
13. Oregon
14. UConn
15. Mississippi State
16. Gonzaga (Nov. 10 road game)

Road Tests
Arizona State has played in some of the toughest road environments in the nation. In their exhibition matchup with Duke, Head Coach Bobby Hurley and his squad experienced Cameron Indoor Stadium to start the year. Their third game of the season was at 'The Kennel', home of the Gonzaga Bulldogs. Their first Big 12 Conference game was in front of 16,000+ at the Marriott Center against BYU. Finally, ASU made their return to Allen Fieldhouse to take on Kansas. The three programs are a combined 156-17 (90.2%) over the past four years at home.

Phenomenal Freshman
Head Coach Bobby Hurley put together a Top-10 recruiting class, the highest in program history. It was ranked No. 9 by 247 Sports and No. 8 by Rivals and features a five-star recruit alongside two high four-star prospects.

F Jayden Quaintance

The highest-rated recruit to ever sign with Arizona State.
Ranked as the No. 9 overall prospect in the entire class of 2024 and the No. 2 center prospect by 247 Sports
Rivals tabbed him as the No. 8 overall prospect and No. 1 center in the 2024 class
Consensus five-star recruit and No. 1 prospect out of the state of North Carolina among all the major recruiting services
2024 McDonald's All-American

G Joson Sanon

Third-highest ranked recruit to ever sign with Arizona State according to 247 Sports, trailing only Jayden Quaintance and Josh Christopher
Ranked as the No. 24 overall prospect in the entire class of 2024 and the No. 5 shooting guard prospect by 247 Sports
Identified as the No. 26 overall player and No. 8 shooting guard in the nation by Rivals
ESPN lists him as the No. 23 overall prospect in their Top-100 and the No. 6 shooting guard in the class of 2024

G/F Amier Ali

11th-highest ranked recruit to ever sign with Arizona State according to 247 Sports
ESPN lists him at No. 54 in their Top-100 prospect rankings
- No. 15 small forward prospect in the nation
- No. 3 prospect in the state of Arizona
No. 98 overall prospect in the nation according to 247 Sports
- No. 21 small forward prospect in the country
- No. 5 prospect in the state of Arizona
Tabbed by Rivals as the No. 104 overall prospect and No. 27 small forward in the class of 2024

Impact Transfers
A five-man transfer class immediately bolstered the Sun Devil Men's Basketball roster. It is one of the premier transfer classes in program history. BJ Freeman, Alston Mason, and Basheer Jihad join the fold after leading their teams in scoring a season ago. Brandon Gardner and Austin Nunez return to Arizona State after making strong connections with the staff in their previous recruitment process.

F Brandon Gardner, USC
G/F BJ Freeman, UW Milwaukee
G Alston Mason, Missouri State
F Basheer Jihad, Ball State
G Austin Nunez, Ole Miss

Youth movement
Arizona State freshman forward Jayden Quaintance enters the 2024-25 season as the youngest player in college basketball. He is over six months younger than the second-youngest on the list, which is Duke's Cooper Flagg.

Name	School	Birthdate
Jayden Quaintance	Arizona State	07/2007
Cooper Flagg	Duke	12/2006
Colt Langdon	Butler	11/2006
Bryce Heard	NC State	10/2006
Khaman Maluach	Duke	09/2006

Family Ties
The Sun Devil Men's Basketball roster features several connections through bloodline. Head Coach Bobby Hurley's son, Bobby Hurley, is a senior guard on the team. Senior guard Alston Mason's father, Alton Mason, played at Arizona State from 1998-2001. Senior guard Jordan Williams cousin is legendary Sun Devil guard James Harden.

Roster Snapshot (numerical)
#0 Brandon Gardner (Redshirt Freshman/Forward/USC/Waynesboro, GA)
#1 Alston Mason (Senior/Guard/Missouri State/Phoenix, AZ)
#2 Austin Nunez (Junior/Guard/Ole Miss/Garden Ridge, TX)
#3 Joson Sanon (Freshman/Guard/Saxton Rivers, VT)
#5 Amier Ali (Freshman/Guard/Forward/Little Elm, TX)
#6 Connor Braun (Graduate/Forward/Northeastern/Tempe, AZ)
#8 Basheer Jihad (Senior/Forward/Ball State/Detroit, MI)
#9 Shawn Phillips Jr. (Junior/Center/Dayton, OH)
#10 BJ Freeman (Senior/Guard & Forward/UW Milwaukee/Selma, NC)
#11 Bobby Hurley (Senior/Guard/Scottsdale, AZ)
#14 Chianti Clay (Senior/Guard/University of Fort Lauderdale/Milwaukee, WI)
#21 Jayden Quaintance (Freshman/Forward/Raleigh, NC)
#22 Quentin McCoy (Freshman/Guard/Chicago, IL)
#25 Jordan Williams (Senior/Guard/Los Angeles, CA)
#33 Brycen Long (Graduate/Guard/Gilbert, AZ)
#44 Adam Miller (Redshirt Senior/Guard/Peoria, IL)
5 returners; 7 transfers; 4 incoming freshman

Big 12 Play
The Big 12 embarks on its first season as a 16-team league, with league games starting December 30. The Conference schedule increases to 20 games, with teams playing five opponents twice and 10 foes once.

2024-25 Sun Devil Men's Basketball Big 12 Schedule
Dec. 31 (Tues.) - at BYU
Jan. 4 (Sat.) - vs. Colorado
Jan. 8 (Wed.) - at Kansas
Jan. 11 (Sat.) - vs. Baylor
Jan. 14 (Tues.) - vs. UCF
Jan. 18 (Sat.) - at Cincinnati
Jan. 21 (Tues.) - at West Virginia
Jan. 25 (Sat.) - vs. Iowa State
Jan. 28 (Tues.) - at Colorado
Feb. 1 (Sat.) - vs. Arizona
Feb. 4 (Tues.) - vs. Kansas State
Feb. 9 (Sun.) - at Oklahoma State
Feb. 12 (Wed.) - at Texas Tech
Feb. 15 (Sat.) - vs. TCU
Feb. 18 (Tues.) - vs. Houston
Feb. 23 (Sat.) - at Kansas State
Feb. 26 (Wed.) - vs. BYU
March 1 (Sat.) - at Utah
March 4 (Tues.) - at Arizona
March 8 (Sat.) - vs. Texas Tech

Big 12 teams in AP Top 25
3. Iowa State (Jan. 25 home game)
11. Kansas (Jan. 8 road game)
12. Houston (Feb. 18 home game)
21. West Virginia (Jan. 21 road game)

Big 12 Matchups
Arizona (1 road; 1 home game)
Baylor (1 home game)
BYU (1 road; 1 home game)
Cincinnati (1 road game)
Colorado (1 road; 1 home game)
Houston (1 home game)
Iowa State (1 home game)
Kansas (1 road game)
Kansas State (1 road; 1 home game)
Oklahoma State (1 road game)
TCU (1 home game)
Texas Tech (1 road; 1 home game)
UCF (1 home game)
Utah (1 road game)
West Virginia (1 road game)

2024-25 Arizona State Men's Basketball Non-Conference Schedule
Oct. 27 - at Duke (Brotherhood Run Exhibition; Cameron Indoor Stadium)*
Nov. 5 - vs. Idaho State (Home/Regular Season Opener; Desert Financial Arena)
Nov. 8 - Santa Clara (Lee's Family Forum; Las Vegas, NV)
Nov. 10 - at Gonzaga (McCarthey Athletic Center, Spokane, WA)
Nov. 14 - Grand Canyon (Hall of Fame Series; Footprint Center in Phoenix)
Nov. 17 - vs. St. Thomas (Desert Financial Arena)
Nov. 20 - vs. Cal Poly (Desert Financial Arena)
Nov. 28 - New Mexico (Acrisure Classic; Palm Springs, CA)
Nov. 29 - St. Mary's or USC (Acrisure Classic; Palm Springs, CA)
Dec. 3 - vs. San Diego (Desert Financial Arena)
Dec. 14 - Florida (Holiday Hoopsgiving; Atlanta, GA)
Dec. 21 - UMass (Basketball Hall of Fame Classic; Springfield, MA)
*Exhibition contest

Season Tickets
Season tickets are available starting at just $180. Season tickets include all regular season home games in Desert Financial Arena.
Buy Season Tickets

Mini Plans
6-game mini plans are available starting at just $150. Fans can choose any 6 home games to include in their plan.
Buy Mini Plans

Single-game Tickets
Single-game tickets are on sale now. Visit Sun Devil Tickets for more information on how to purchase. If you are interested in learning more about any of our tickets and experience options, please call or text 480-727-0000 or email grouptickets@asu.edu to contact a Sun Devil ticket sales representative.

Here to Stay
The Arizona State Board of Regents announced in March of 2023 that Sun Devil Men's Basketball Head Coach Bobby Hurley has agreed to an extension that will keep him with the program through the 2026 season.

Sun Devils on Social
For exclusive content, the latest updates, and more information on the Sun Devil Men's Basketball program, follow our X/Instagram accounts (@SunDevilHoops), like our Facebook page (facebook.com/SunDevilHoops/), and visit our website (thesundevils.com). Follow Coach Hurley on X (@BobbyHurley11).

Read archived stories prior to 2024