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Preview: Cal State Northridge at Arizona State
Arizona State will try to start a season 8-1 for just the fourth time in 38 seasons when its hosts Cal State Northridge on Saturday. The Sun Devils, whose best start in a season was 15-1 in 1974-75, have won three straight games since losing to Creighton 87-73 in the Las Vegas Invitational on Nov. 24. Arizona State comes in off an impressive 71-63 victory over Hartford on Wednesday during which the Sun Devils shot a season-best 56.3 percent from the floor while committing season lows for turnovers and fouls (10 each).
TV: 2 p.m. ET, Pac-12 Network
ABOUT CAL STATE NORTHRIDGE (7-2): The Matadors have no seniors and just three juniors on their 17-man roster and claim to be the youngest team in Division I basketball. Sophomore Stephan Hicks, 6-6 sophomore swingman, leads Northridge in scoring (18.1) and had 23 points and 11 rebounds in the team’s 120-69 blowout of Vanguard University of Irvine, Calif., on Wednesday. It was his eighth career double-double. The Matadors shot 67.2 percent (45-for-67) from the floor, including 10 of 16 (62.5 percent) from 3-point range, in the win over the NAIA team. Northridge, which also owns wins over Siena and Tulsa, suffered its two losses to BYU (87-75) and UCLA (82-56).
ABOUT ARIZONA STATE (7-1): Following back-to-back losing seasons, including a 10-21 campaign in 2011-12, the heat was on head coach Herb Sendek entering this season, but the Sun Devils have responded with one of the best starts in school history, including a neutral-court win over Arkansas (83-68) in Las Vegas. A big reason for the turnaround has been the play of 5-10 freshman guard Jahii Carson, who is averaging a team-best 18.3 points, including 30 in the loss to Creighton, to go along with 43 assists. Senior forward Carrick Felix has posted double-doubles in each of the past two games and is averaging 15.5 points and 7 rebounds.
TIP-INS
1. Carson’s 30-point performance against Creighton was the third best in ASU history for a freshman, behind only Mario Bennett’s 35 points against Arizona in 1992 and 31 points by Byron Scott against Arizona in 1980.
2. C Jordan Bachynski, a 7-2 junior from Calgary, had nine blocks in ASU’s Nov. 10 win over Central Arkansas and is just one shy of 100 career blocks.
3. The Sun Devils have yet to allow an opponent to shoot 50 percent from the floor.
PREDICTION: Arizona State 80, Cal State Northridge 73
