If the saying "defense wins championships" rings true, ASU basketball is headed down the wrong path.
According to CBB Analytics, ASU's 114.5 defensive rating for the year sits in the 27th percentile among all teams nationally, and its opponents' offensive rebound percentage of 34% ranks in the 14th percentile, the worst in the Big 12.
The numbers don't get any better in Big 12 play either. ASU's conference record of 2-7 is tied for third-worst, ahead of only Kansas State and Utah, and its lack of a defensive presence contributes heavily to those results.
The Sun Devils' defensive rating drops to 122.3 against Big 12 opponents, second-worst in conference play, with a defensive rebounding percentage of 62.4%, the lowest in the Big 12.
ASU has allowed its opponents to reach double-digit offensive rebounds in 14 of its 22 outings, over 60% of the time. In games where the Sun Devils hold the opposition under that mark, they're 5-3, a stark contrast to their 6-8 record in performances that go over that number.
Part of the issue stems from the roster itself. ASU's biggest player in the rotation, freshman Massamba Diop, is the only seven-footer with real playing time, but averages less than four defensive rebounds per game and six overall.
Redshirt sophomore forward Santiago Trouet is second on the team behind Diop with 5.6 rebounds per game, but over two come on the offensive glass. Guards Moe Odum, Bryce Ford and Anthony 'Pig' Johnson are all listed at six-foot-four or shorter and have significant roles offensively that lessen their defensive impact over the course of the game.
The Senegal native was also visibly smaller than his UA counterparts on Saturday afternoon, providing little resistance against the strength of Wildcats center Motiejus Krivas and the athleticism of potential lottery pick Koa Peat to the tune of a 50-20 points in the paint advantage for UA.
"We could not deal with their strength, their size, their ability to do things physically, our roster could not stay with," head coach Bobby Hurley said after an 87-74 loss to UA on Jan. 31.
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However, Diop's length alone allows him to have an impact against most teams. In the 28.5 minutes per game that Diop's on the floor, the Sun Devils have a defensive rating of 111.6, but with him off the court, it balloons over 10 points to a porous 121.7.
The freshman's teammates understand the potential he possesses, and pushing him to reach that ceiling is a constant, even during games.
"I kind of got on Massamba earlier," Odum said after ASU's 82-68 victory over Cincinnati on Jan. 24. "I feel like he wasn't playing hard and he responded in the second half, came out blocking shots, rebounding … so I'm trying to bring that competitive fire back."
ASU's defense does have its strengths, namely the ability to force turnovers. The Sun Devils have the fifth-highest opponent turnover percentage in the Big 12, and their steal and block percentages rank amongst the top half of the conference while maintaining a respectable foul rate.
Sophomore guard Noah Meeusen has had a large role in that, leading ASU with 1.5 steals per game since his debut in mid-November, and Hurley's acknowledgement of his play points to his skills on that side of the floor.
"Noah just happened to be the lightning rod at the end there," Hurley said after the Cincinnati victory. "He's really not usually like that; he's very cerebral about how he thinks about the game and wanting to develop his IQ for the game, and he already has a strong understanding of how to play, and he understands angles on defense. He's very active with his hands."
Even more than offense, defense relies on team chemistry being on point. Different coverages and rotations require communication that ASU seemingly lacks from the outside.
After a 75-63 loss to West Virginia on Jan. 21, Hurley had damning comments about his group, saying that he "can't get through to the team" and that he was "failing." Three days later, after ASU defeated Cincinnati at home, Johnson mentioned how the team needed to respond.
"We got to pick it up now, everybody is looking at us like we just don't listen," Johnson said. "Now we gotta all come together because, on the outside looking in, it looks bad. Now we gotta make it look way better if we come together instead of going our individual ways."
The season has already started to slip away from the Sun Devils, and as the defense continues to trend in the wrong direction, a turnaround feels more unlikely game by game.
Edited by Niall Rosenberg, Jack McCarthy and Ellis Preston.
Reach the reporter at pvallur2@asu.edu and follow @PrathamValluri on X.
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Pratham Valluri is a sports reporter at The State Press. He is a junior majoring in sports journalism with a business minor. He’s in his 5th semester with The State Press working previously as an opinion writer.
