When the going got tough early on in Tuesday’s matchup with San Diego (3-5), Arizona State coach Bobby Hurley relied on two of the youngest impact players on his roster.
Freshman guard Joson Sanon and forward Jayden Quaintance have burst onto the scene for Arizona State (8-1) in recent weeks. On Tuesday night in Tempe, the freshmen duo sparked the turnaround for a 90-53 blowout win, the largest margin of victory for ASU so far this season.
Sanon is fresh off an MVP performance at the Acrisure Classic during Thanksgiving weekend. He scored 19 points in both games in Palm Springs and connected on 5-of-9 three-point attempts in the tournament.
The clutch shooting from Feast Week still had some leftovers for the team’s final non-conference game in Desert Financial Arena this season. Sanon hit five more threes against the Toreros and tied for a team-high 19 points in the win.
From the time Sanon hit his first three, the Sun Devils closed the first half on a 24-12 run. He punctuated the scoring spurt with a long, NBA-range three from the left wing to help take a 40-33 lead into halftime. Sanon also had an epic chase-down block to deny the Toreros.
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“I focus on defense first, and my offense comes later,” Sanon told reporters. “That’s one thing I did good in high school. I would get them chase-down blocks here and there.”
It was the sixth straight game in which Sanon has come off the bench and delivered for the Sun Devils. Sanon doesn’t mind starting the game on the sideline, saying it was”more opportunity to see the floor.” Hurley said the role for Sanon as a bench player is very much a gray area.
“I know people get hung up with that, but he’s basically a starter. He’s gonna play 30-plus minutes. He was in the game tonight within two-and-a-half minutes or so, that’s gonna be the norm,” Hurley said. “I need him in the game, so he’s gonna be in the game a lot.”
While Sanon’s defensive efforts are appreciated, his seven-foot forward is seemingly mastering the art of the block at a young age. Quaintance helped to lock down the lead with a strong defensive performance in the second half. The seven-footer registered five more blocks in the victory, adding to his nation-leading 32 blocks this season.
Quaintance also added 10 points, nine rebounds and one steal in the win as his offense continues to improve with each week. The freshman made all five field goals he attempted for the first time in his short collegiate career so far.
“It’s crazy, I’m amazed at almost every game,” senior forward Basheer Jihad said postgame. “He has a great feel for it. It just like, comes out of nowhere. I’m amazed every game, almost.”
Toward the end of the first half, brought the crowd to its feet with a stunning rejection at the rim after falling to the floor. Hurley echoed his senior’s statements about Quaintance’s impact on the defensive end.
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“I mean I don’t know where [Quaintance] came from to block that,” Hurley said. “When you have someone on your team that can do stuff like that, it demoralizes your opponent a little bit and intimidates your opponent. That’s why he’s special.”
The freshmen have become staples in Hurley’s rotation early on. As long as the Sun Devils keep winning, there is no reason to expect their roles to do anything but grow.
Sanon and Quaintance will have a long week off to rest and practice before a big matchup with No. 13 Florida in Atlanta on Dec. 14.
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