The ASU men’s basketball team is already short-handed. Now it will have to play without its leader on the floor.
Coach Herb Sendek does not expect to have junior wing Trent Lockett available Thursday against Colorado. Lockett sprained his right ankle in the second half of ASU’s 76-66 victory over Oregon State Saturday. He was helped off the court and taken to the locker room in a wheelchair.
Lockett tweeted on Sunday that he hoped to return in 10 days. Sendek said the team will continue to evaluate Lockett on a day-by-day basis, but he is “unlikely (to play) in the foreseeable future.”
“Obviously that’s a significant loss for our team,” Sendek said. “No one player can make up for his absence. We’re going to have to do it collectively.”
Lockett will travel with the team during its road trip to Colorado and Utah. He was at Monday’s practice on crutches and wearing a boot. Sendek said Lockett’s presence at practice was like that of another coach. Lockett gave support and encouragement from the sidelines.
“He has clearly established himself as the voice of our team,” Sendek said. “I think his poise and composure has really helped our guys not flinch in some tight spots.”
It’s the second straight week ASU has lost one of its point guards. Sophomore guard Keala King was dismissed from the team last week following a suspension.
Lockett made the switch to point guard Jan. 5 against USC due to the suspension, and has played nearly all of his minutes at the position since. Lockett leads the team with 13.9 points per contest.
“That’s arguably the most vital position on the court because it impacts the other positions so much,” Sendek said. “It’s been one thing after another and it’s forced everyone to have to adjust. I think it is our single greatest challenge.”
Colvin steps up
Without its leader on the court, ASU will start junior guard Chris Colvin at point guard and freshman walk-on Max Heller will be the backup.
Colvin struggled since his return from suspension Thursday against Oregon. In one minute of play, he didn’t take a single shot and committed a turnover. Colvin did the same thing against Oregon State in his first minute of action and went back to the bench.
When Lockett went down midway through the second half, Colvin stepped in and didn’t commit a turnover in the last 10 minutes. He finished the game with six points and six assists.
“For him to go into the game — with a little over 10 to go in a fiercely contested contest — and play the way he did is a remarkable turnaround,” Sendek said. “A real credit to him on how he was able to refocus and re-center himself and kind of just let everything else go.”
Heller’s minutes likely to increase
Heller will likely see a significant bump in his playing time as the backup point guard. In eight appearances, he has averaged 4.1 minutes a game. The 5-foot-9-inch, 150-pound guard has only taken two shots this season.
He usually enters the game for ball movement purposes. Heller is one of three players with a positive assist-to-turnover ratio at 1.8.
“We can’t just pile it on those guys,” Sendek said. “Everybody has to go into this weekend knowing that they have to carry an extra bucket of water. I’m not disclosing any bracket of genius. It’s going to be a great challenge for our team. Let’s face it.”
Reach the reporter at mtesfats@asu.edu
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