Arizona State and Texas Southern are teams that are literally polar opposites.
The Tigers (0-2) not only have an opportunity to notch their first win of the season but also continue the success of SWAC in this series after Grambling State defeated Colorado.
As one of five HBCUs to have made it to March Madness last season, there were indeed high expectations for the Tigers coming into this season. And they have the chance to make a statement with a potential win over a Power 5 school.
Texas Southern wins if:
If Texas Southern is to pull it off, they must get great performances from PJ Henry, John Walker Ⅲ and Davon Barnes, who each average double figures. Other key role players include Karl Nicholas (6.5 points and six rebounds per game) and Jordan Gilliam (3.5 points and four rebounds per game).
Both of the Tigers’ road losses can be attributed to their sluggish offense as they lost by 13 and 24 points, respectively.
Arizona State has depth
On the other side, Arizona State (2-0) features three players — DJ Horne, Frankie Collins and Marcus Bagley — who also average double figures. The Sun Devils also boast a reliable supporting cast in Devan Cambridge (9.5 points, eight rebounds and one steal per game), Desmon Cambridge Jr. (Four points, five rebounds and one steal per game) and Alonzo Gaffney (3.5 points, five rebounds, one steal and one block per game).
The outcome will be decided this way
The most significant factor in this game will be who wins on the boards. Texas Southern must take advantage of those opportunities to score on the other end. The Tigers also must limit their turnovers and feed off of the crowd.
The tipoff is scheduled for 3 p.m. EST on ESPN+
