Arizona State will seek a fourth straight win to start the season on Friday night when it meets Louisiana-Monroe in Tempe, Ariz.
The Sun Devils are 3-0 for the first time since the 2018-19 season after an 85-63 win over Hofstra on Tuesday. Arizona State won the rebounding battle 49-25, the most rebounds by the Sun Devils since they had 56 in an overtime win over Cal on Feb. 11, 2023.
Paulius Murauskas transferred from Saint Mary’s to join new coach Randy Bennett at Arizona State this season. Murauskas is averaging 25.3 points and 8.3 rebounds per game.
Joel Foxwell (12.7 ppg) and JRob Croy (11.7) also are scoring in double figures for the Sun Devils.
Defensively for Arizona State, Tuesday marked the first time the team has held an opponent to 65 points or less in each of its first three games of the season since the 2014-15 campaign.
“This can be a good team. I’m not just trying to pump our team or our program up,” Bennett told The Arizona Republic. “I just compare them to our good teams at St. Mary’s. Those were usually around 25-ish (wins). … We’re every bit in that conversation; we just haven’t done it yet. It’s gonna get crazy in January.”
Murauskas has been adept at getting to the foul line. His 32 free-throw attempts this season are the most in the Big 12. Against Hofstra, he had his first career game with three blocks and two steals.
Louisiana-Monroe (1-3) took TCU to double overtime in a 100-92 road loss to the Horned Frogs on Tuesday. Five Warhawks scored in double figures, and two recorded double-doubles in Dayjaun Anderson with 20 points and 13 rebounds, and Lance Carr with 13 and 14, respectively.
Louisiana-Monroe is in the midst of a four-game trip, with two games in Texas and two in Arizona, as the team takes on Grand Canyon in nearby Phoenix this weekend.
–Field Level Media
