The Arizona State basketball team looks to bounce back in the Hall of Fame Classic

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The Arizona State men’s basketball team saw its six-game winning streak snapped against No. 7 in Florida and will look to get back on the winning track with another special event game.

Coach Bobby Hurley’s team plays in the Basketball Hall of Fame Classic at the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame against a team from nearby, the University of Massachusetts Minutemen.

It will be the Sun Devils’ final non-conference tuneup before the Big 12 kicks off after Christmas. It’s been a grueling start for ASU, which was making its third cross-country trip. This will mark the sixth state outside of Arizona where the Sun Devils have played.

After Saturday’s matchup, ASU will have played just four of its 11 games at home.

A closer look:

Arizona State (8-2) vs. UMass (5-7)

Time/place: Saturday at 14, Mass Mutual Center, Springfield, Mass.

TV/Radio: CBS Sports Network.

Matchups: UMass will play its fourth game against a power conference opponent. It is 0-3 against the major conferences with losses to West Virginia (75-69), Temple (87-80) and Florida State (92-59). ASU averages 78.6 points per game. game, while UMass is at 75.3, even though it has played a smaller schedule. The 66 points ASU scored in its loss to Florida last week was its lowest-scoring outing since its 55-48 regular-season opener against Idaho State.

Damage Updates: The Sun Devils are without backup PG Austin Nunez (foot), who is out for the season after playing in just four games.

About Sun Devils: ASU has five players averaging in double figures led by true freshman Joson Sanon (14.8 ppg), who struggled in ASU’s last outing, shooting 2-for-9 from the field. The others are Basheer Jihad (13.3 ppg, 5.5 rpg), Alston Mason (11.4 ppg) and Adam Miller (10.3 ppg), the latter coming off an 18-point showing. ASU’s other true freshman, Jayden Quaintance (8.4 ppg, 8 rpg) is tied for second in the nation in blocked shots with 34, despite playing two fewer games than the national leader. Rebounding has been a key component for ASU. On the season it is a plus-1, but in the two defeats to Florida and Gonzaga it was surpassed with a combined 29.

About the minute men: UMass is coached by Frank Martin, in his second year after spending 10 years at South Carolina, where he boasted a 171–147 (.538) record. He has an overall coaching record of 324-231 (.584), which includes five years at Kansas State. Sophomore guard Jaylen Curry (14.3 ppg, 4.6 apg) is the team’s leading scorer, followed by senior guard Rahsool Diggins (10.9 ppg). Also on the roster is sophomore Akil Watson, who played for Hurley last season as a true freshman. He is averaging 11.3 minutes and 4.6 points per game. UMass ranks as no. 262 out of 355 schools in shooting percentage (42.9%) overall, with a no. 352 ranking in 3-point shooting (25.9%).