Nebraska, Arizona State seek coronation in inaugural tournament
Take Monday's first-round game between Nebraska (17-14) and Arizona State (13-19) at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. It's definitely postseason basketball, but it's a clash of two teams riding five-game losing streaks that haven't played in three weeks.
It's also two programs in a state of flux due to injuries, transfers, coaching moves and more. It almost feels like the Cornhuskers and Sun Devils must fit this game into their busy schedules as if it were a dentist appointment instead of a trip to Sin City.
"Obviously a crazy time preparing and doing everything for the tournament," Nebraska coach Fred Hoiberg said. "At the same time, with the landscape of college basketball right now, we're doing a lot of work as far as trying to figure out our roster for next season. And visits and Zooms and going out and seeing guys."
Nebraska hasn't played since March 9, when a loss in its Big Ten regular-season finale to Iowa kept the Cornhuskers out of the conference tournament. Since that time, top assistant coach Adam Howard has departed to join the staff of new North Carolina State coach Will Wade.
Nonetheless, it's a chance for Nebraska's seniors -- including first-team all-Big Ten guard Brice Williams (20 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists per game) and forward Juwan Gary (14 points, 4.8 rebounds) -- to write a different ending to their college careers.
One senior, 7-foot-1 center Braxton Meah, is a game-time decision due to a lingering back injury that kept him out of Nebraska's past two games. And another, point guard Rollie Worster, has been shut down after fighting through a foot injury for the final three months of the season.
"He's been playing with a plate in his shoe," Hoiberg said. "He's been really, really sore. It just got to the point to where it's tough to put a lot of weight on it. The decision was made to put him in a boot."
Meanwhile, Arizona State hasn't played since March 11, when the Sun Devils dropped their Big 12 tournament opener to Kansas State.
Though the Sun Devils lost 11 of their final 12 games to clinch their fourth losing record in the past five seasons, head coach Bobby Hurley reportedly will return for an 11th season in Tempe, Ariz.
Arizona State will play without fourth-leading scorer Joson Sanon (11.9 points per game); the freshman guard -- a Top 25 recruit in the 2024 class -- already has announced a transfer to St. John's.
On the flip side, the Sun Devils are adding wing Marcus Adams via the transfer portal, On3 reported Saturday. Adams rang up 16.1 points and 4.9 rebounds per game for Cal State Northridge in 2024-25. Of course, Adams will not be eligible to play in the Crown, a 16-team tournament that runs through next Sunday.
The Sun Devils figure to have just seven scholarship players available Monday, but that includes all five starters. Senior guards BJ Freeman (13.7 points per game) and Alston Mason (13.5 points, 4 assists) and freshman big Jayden Quaintance (9.4 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.6 blocks) lead the way.
Whichever team snaps its five-game losing streak will advance to the quarterfinals Wednesday against the winner of Monday's game between Georgetown (17-15) and Washington State (19-14).
--Field Level Media
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