The Long-Range Latvian Steps Forward for ASU
In our weekly update on the Arizona State men’s basketball team, the Sun Devil defense clamps down and the long-range Latvian Rihards Kuksiks steps up.
Last Week (2-0): 81-60 W vs. Jackson St.; 64-44 W vs. Nebraska
What Did We Learn: Since the Baylor loss the Sun Devils have put together three impressive wins by an average of 23 points, including the 88-58 win over UTEP in the 76 Classic.
This team seems to start games a little slowly, but really gets rolling when the defense forces bad shots and the three pointers start to drop. Sunday’s victory over Nebraska was a good example.
ASU missed 10 of its first 11 shots and James Harden didn’t have a field goal until very late in the first half. Despite the slow start, Harden finished with 20 points, nine rebounds and six assists and the defense held Nebraska to 29 percent shooting for the game. ASU got its revenge from an ugly loss at Nebraska last year.
Star of the Week: The long-range Latvian: Rihards Kuksiks! He posted a career high 18 points against Nebraska and had some nice drives to the bucket where he drew a foul. But we know Rihards’ game isn’t exactly centered around driving the lane and throwing it down.
Kuksiks is Latvian for Zone Buster. He was 8-for-17 from long range in two games this week and averaged 17 points per game. He’s shooting 45 percent from beyond the arc this year, and he was on the floor for all but 10 minutes in the two games last week.
What’s Next: The Sun Devils don’t have another game until Sunday, when they take on IUPUI (Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis) at US Airways Center in Phoenix. The second game in the Desert Classic doubleheader will feature an Arizona spanking at the hands of fifth-ranked Gonzaga.
The Jaguars are 5-3 this year and ASU will be heavily favored. For more in depth analysis on IUPUI, we suggest you move to Indianapolis or check out this awesome (if abbreviated) history of their program.
What’s Your Take, Sun Devils?
Your season tickets will not get you into this weekend’s Desert Classic against IUPUI or next week’s Stadium Shootout against BYU. Are you planning on going to either, neither or both? Let us know in the comments below.
Enjoy this article? Buy us a beer for just $4. (Credit Card / Paypal)More Sun Devil News, Less HassleDon’t fool around with bookmarks or the refresh button. We’ve made it easier to subscribe, so you can have Sun Devil news delivered FREE straight to your inbox.
[...] we said earlier today, the long-range Latvian Rihards Kuksiks is on fire for the Arizona State men’s basketball [...]