San Diego coach Steve Lavin and assistant Earl Watson might discover the getting into Tempe, Ariz., on Tuesday more durable than once they had been at UCLA collectively greater than 20 years in the past.
The Toreros (3-4) are enjoying an Arizona State group that’s using a five-game successful streak.
The Solar Devils (7-1) are coming off a 68-64 win over beforehand unbeaten Saint Mary’s within the championship recreation of the Acrisure Basic at Palm Desert, Calif., on Friday.
Lavin owns a 13-5 general file towards Arizona State, together with a 7-3 mark in Tempe. Most of these outcomes got here from when he coached at UCLA from 1996 to 2003.
Watson was one among Lavin’s high guards with the Bruins from 1997 to 2001. He was 7-1 general as a participant, 3-1 towards the Solar Devils at Tempe.
“Coach Lav is the perfect recruiter in America,” Watson, in his first season on Lavin’s workers, informed the San Diego Union-Tribune. “He recruited me twice, at UCLA and right here.”
Watson is returning to the Phoenix space, the place he was the top coach of the Phoenix Suns in 2016-17.
San Diego is coming off a 69-64 comeback win final week at dwelling over Marian, an NCAA Division III faculty in Fond du Lac, Wisc.
The Toreros overcame an eight-point deficit within the second half behind Tony Duckett’s game-high 16 factors. The freshman guard made 8 of 15 photographs from the sphere.
Arizona State’s freshman duo of Joson Sanon and Jayden Quaintance had been instrumental in Palm Desert.
Sanon scored 19 factors towards Saint Mary’s, after tallying 19 towards New Mexico the night time earlier than, and was named the event’s MVP.
Quaintance had 10 factors, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, three steals and two blocks towards Saint Mary’s. His block whole of 27 led the nation via the weekend.
“We now have lots of guys that may assault,” Arizona State coach Bobby Hurley stated. “We are able to do it within the open courtroom. We now have guys that may get to the paint and guys that may shoot. We’re harmful to play towards.”
–Subject Degree Media
