Tag: Desmond Cambridge Jr.

NCAA Tournament Round of 64: No. 11 Arizona State vs. No. 11 Nevada-First Look At The Sun Devils

NCAA Tournament Round of 64: No. 11 Arizona State vs. No. 11 Nevada-First Look At The Sun Devils Who are the Sun Devils? Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire Nevada secures first four battle against Arizona State, with some familiar faces. It’s …

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NCAA Tournament Round of 64: No. 11 Arizona State vs. No. 11 Nevada-First Look At The Sun Devils

Who are the Sun Devils?

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

Nevada secures first four battle against Arizona State, with some familiar faces.

It’s been established that the Mountain West Conference was an absolute battlefield to navigate this season. Established ahead of the ACC in both KenPom and the NET Rankings.

Steve Alford’s Nevada Wolf Pack, like many other teams in conference play this season survived with some tough losses. But while also securing top wins of their own against league leaders San Diego State, Boise State, Utah State and more.

As a bubble team in most projections heading into Selection Sunday. The Wolf Pack drew a Last Four In No. 11 vs. No. 11 matchup against a similar styled opponent. The Arizona State Sun Devils are led by former Wolf Pack members Desmond Cambridge Jr. and Warren Washington.

Who Are The Sun Devils

Coach

The Sun Devils are led by now 8th year head coach Bobby Hurley. The Duke Blue Devils legend is in his second head coaching stint after getting his feed wet at Buffalo in the MAC.

In his final season in Upstate New York, coach Hurley lead the Bulls to a regular season title, conference tournament title and a trip to the big dance. Since he’s been at the helm in Tempe, Arizona State has made back to back trips to the NCAA Tournament. In 2017-2018 & 2018-2019, while accumulating a record of 140-112 (55.6%).

Star Players

Gr. G-Desmond Cambridge Jr. (6-4, 180)

Stats: 13.7 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 2.2 APG & 1.8 SPG

Jr. G-DJ Horne (6-1, 175)

Stats: 12.1 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 2.4 APG & 1.2 SPG

Sr. F-Warren Washington (7-0, 215)

Stats: 9.2 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 1.5 APG & 1.7 BPG

How Did They Get Here

Like the aforementioned ACC, the Pac-12 experienced a bit of a decline nationally this past season. Outside of Arizona and UCLA, USC and Arizona State were not sure fire selections come Sunday.

Arizona State 22-12 (11-9, 5th in Pac-12) managed to secure a non-conference neutral site wins over a No. 20 ranked Michigan squad and a Creighton squad that ended the year 3rd in a very competitive Big East. Although the Sun Devils still struggled to fend off Pac-12 foes, they managed a road win over a top-10 Arizona Wildcats team as a part of an 8-4 record in their last twelve games.

All of this culminating to a bubble team sanction before Sunday. Even though they were a part of the field of 68, their Last Four In designation describes just how close of a call it was for coach Hurley’s squad this year.

Biggest Wins: 

Neutral Site-No. 20 Michigan 87-62

Neutral Site-Creighton 73-71

@-No. 7 Arizona 89-88

NET Ranking:  66th

KenPom:  68th

RPI:  56th

Larry Muniz covers college basketball as a writer for Mountain West Wire and WAC Hoops Digest. Also as a co-host of the college basketball podcast “Hoops Talk W/Jay & Larry”. He is also a USWBA Member.

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Arizona State stunned Arizona thanks to Desmond Cambridge Jr.’s spectacular buzzer-beater

WHAT A BUZZER-BEATER!!!

Arizona State won on one of the wildest buzzer-beaters you’re likely to see this college basketball season.

While facing rival Arizona on the road Saturday, the Sun Devils and Wildcats went down to the wire as the game’s final seconds ticked down.

With a one-point lead in the game’s final minute, Arizona State attempted a tough three that clanged off the rim as they tried to go 2-for-1. On the other end, the Wildcats connected for a bucket with about 29 seconds to go to get the lead back by a point.

The Sun Devils couldn’t get anything going against Arizona’s stingy defense on what seemed to be the final possession as Oumar Ballo reigned in the rebound for the Wildcats with 2.9 ticks left on the game clock. Ballo missed the first free throw and made the second, giving ASU one final look at the basket.

But Arizona State senior guard Desmond Cambridge Jr. certainly wasn’t about to go down without a fight. He got the ball on the inbounds pass and heaved a shot from the far side of the mid-court line that swished for the win.

The major bucket gave Arizona State the victory and sent No. 7 Arizona back to the locker room with a loss. It also kept the tenuous hopes of an at-large bid alive for the Sun Devils.

As far as buzzer-beaters go, we doubt you’ll see one this weekend as exciting as this one. Hats off to Cambridge for the astounding basket.

2022 Mountain West Tournament: Boise State vs. Wyoming Preview, How To Watch & More

Boise State vs. Wyoming: Game Preview Wyoming hoping to foil the Broncos net cutting ambitions. Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire Boise State pushing for a Mountain West title sweep, the Wyoming Cowboys WHO: Boise State (25-7, 16-3 in the MWC) …

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Boise State vs. Wyoming: Game Preview 

Wyoming hoping to foil the Broncos net cutting ambitions.

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

Boise State pushing for a Mountain West title sweep, the Wyoming Cowboys 

WHO: Boise State (25-7, 16-3 in the MWC) vs. Wyoming (13-17, 6-12 in the MWC)

WHEN: Friday March 11th, 7:30 PM MT, 6:30 PM PT

WHERE: Thomas & Mack Center

TV:  CBS Sports Network

STREAM: FuboTV – Get a free trial

Odds: KenPom has Boise State as 2 point favorites

SERIES RECORD: Nevada leads all time series 25-10

The Mountain West Regular Season Champions Boise State are striving for a sweep of conference hardware. After getting much needed rest after a first round bye, the Broncos are ready to fend off a Nevada in the first quarterfinal matchup of the day.

The Broncos ended the regular season with a 71-68 loss against Colorado State in Fort Collins. The Rams were Mountain West Coach of the Year Leon Rice’s kryptonite this season. Being the only team to sweep the Broncos in conference play. Prior to that loss they were on a five game winning streak, including wins against San Diego State and Utah State at home.

Nevada ended the regular season on a four game losing streak. But they managed to overcome a persistent New Mexico squad, to beat the lobos 79-72 in yesterday’s lunch time first round matchup. Coach Alford’s squad was led by redshirt junior guard Grant Sherfield, who poured in 27 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and dished out 5 assists.

2022 Mountain West Tournament Day 2 Results, Highlights

“I thought we did a lot of good things in the paint,” said Nevada head coach Steve Alford. “I thought we handled the backboard the way we wanted to handle it. I thought we made things hard on (Jaelen) House and (Jamal) Mashburn, which is a key. And I really thought we guarded, the first 16 minutes of the second half, I thought was the difference.”

Last Time Out

The last meeting between these two longtime conference mates (Big Sky, MWC & WAC) was on March 1st. The Wolf Pack traveled north to fall 73-67 inside ExtraMile Arena. Led by transfer forward Kenan Blackshear who had a team high 16 points. And thwarted by Abu Kigab who had a game high 23 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists & 3 steals. Boise State swept Nevada this season, which was the first time the Broncos were able to do so since 2016.

Players to Watch:

G-Grant Sherfield-Nevada

Sheffield is an absolute bucket getter in every sense of the phrase. Although inconsistent at times with his shooting touch, the 6-2 combo guard is averaging 18.9 PPG, 6.4 APG & 4.3 RPG. His season long totals earned him Third Team All-Mountain West honors this week along with fellow Wolf Pack backcourt member Desmond Cambridge.

Sherfield is averaging 15.2 field goal attempts a game, with over 10 of those coming from inside the arc. He’s a wide-bodied ball handler who doesn’t mind driving the lane to earn his points. And as we saw against New Mexico, he can influence a game in multiple ways on the court. Going 8-9 from the free throw line while dishing out 5 assists and only being responsible for 2 turnovers. He’ll need some help from either Cambridge or even big man Will Baker if the Wolf Pack are to survive one of the best defenses in the country.

F-Abu Kigab-Boise State

After a shoulder injury that ended Kigab’s postseason early this time last year. The 6-7 Canadian forward decided to return for his extra season of eligibility. Since, he has helped lead this Boise State squad to their first outright conference championship and anchoring one of the toughest defenses in the country. The combo forward posted regular season averages of 14.7 PPG, 5.9 RPG 2.3 APG & 1.2 SPG. Earning Second-Team All-Mountain West honors along with a spot on the All-Defensive Team.

Kigab is all over the floor and makes his money taking tough defensive assignments, attacking the glass and getting to the free throw line while doing it. As the team’s leading scorer he doesn’t need to have the most points every game for Boise State to win, his contributions pile up elsewhere for his team to survive and advance.

Keys to the Game

For Boise State: Flash that Top-20 Ranked Defense, Secure the Basketball and knock down the three.

For Nevada:  Find and take quality shots, Crash the glass and avoid fouling

Prediction: Boise State 70, Nevada 65

I think Nevada has the individual scorers to upset Boise State given the perfect storm. But those scorers don’t exactly score with efficiency in on a consistent basis. So the wrong amount of missed shots or turnovers will surely give the Broncos the W and send them to the semifinals on Friday.

The winner of this one faces the winner of #4 Wyoming & #5 UNLV, set to tip-off at 2:30 PM PT in the Thomas and Mack. They’ll play Friday at 6:30 PM PT on the CBS Sports Network.

Larry Muniz covers college basketball as a writer for Mountain West Wire and WAC Hoops Digest. Also as a co-host of the college basketball podcast “Hoops Talk W/Jay & Larry”. He is also a USWBA Member.

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2022 Mountain West Tournament: Boise State vs. Nevada Preview, How To Watch & More

Boise State vs. Nevada: Game Preview Nevada hoping to foil the Broncos net cutting ambitions. Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire Boise State pushing for Mountain West title sweep, the Nevada Wolf Pack is their first obstacle. WHO: Boise State …

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Boise State vs. Nevada: Game Preview 

Nevada hoping to foil the Broncos net cutting ambitions. 

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

Boise State pushing for Mountain West title sweep, the Nevada Wolf Pack is their first obstacle.

WHO: Boise State (24-7, 15-3 in the MWC) vs. Nevada (13-17, 6-12 in the MWC)

WHEN: Thursday March 10th, 1:00 PM MT, 12:00 PM PT

WHERE: Thomas & Mack Center

TV:  CBS Sports Network

STREAM: FuboTV – Get a free trial

SERIES RECORD: Nevada leads all time series 51-30

The Mountain West Regular Season Champions Boise State are striving for a sweep of conference hardware. After getting much needed rest after a first round bye, the Broncos are ready to fend off a Nevada in the first quarterfinal matchup of the day.

The Broncos ended the regular season with a 71-68 loss against Colorado State in Fort Collins. The Rams were Mountain West Coach of the Year Leon Rice’s kryptonite this season. Being the only team to sweep the Broncos in conference play. Prior to that loss they were on a five game winning streak, including wins against San Diego State and Utah State at home.

Nevada ended the regular season on a four game losing streak. But they managed to overcome a persistent New Mexico squad, to beat the lobos 79-72 in yesterday’s lunch time first round matchup. Coach Alford’s squad was led by redshirt junior guard Grant Sherfield, who poured in 27 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and dished out 5 assists.

“I thought we did a lot of good things in the paint,” said Nevada head coach Steve Alford. “I thought we handled the backboard the way we wanted to handle it. I thought we made things hard on (Jaelen) House and (Jamal) Mashburn, which is a key. And I really thought we guarded, the first 16 minutes of the second half, I thought was the difference.”

Last Time Out

The last meeting between these two longtime conference mates (Big Sky, MWC & WAC) was on March 1st. The Wolf Pack traveled north to fall 73-67 inside ExtraMile Arena. Led by transfer forward Kenan Blackshear who had a team high 16 points. And thwarted by Abu Kigab who had a game high 23 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists & 3 steals. Boise State swept Nevada this season, which was the first time the Broncos were able to do so since 2016.

Players to Watch:

G-Grant Sherfield-Nevada

Sheffield is an absolute bucket getter in every sense of the phrase. Although inconsistent at times with his shooting touch, the 6-2 combo guard is averaging 18.9 PPG, 6.4 APG & 4.3 RPG. His season long totals earned him Third Team All-Mountain West honors this week along with fellow Wolf Pack backcourt member Desmond Cambridge.

Sherfield is averaging 15.2 field goal attempts a game, with over 10 of those coming from inside the arc. He’s a wide-bodied ball handler who doesn’t mind driving the lane to earn his points. And as we saw against New Mexico, he can influence a game in multiple ways on the court. Going 8-9 from the free throw line while dishing out 5 assists and only being responsible for 2 turnovers. He’ll need some help from either Cambridge or even big man Will Baker if the Wolf Pack are to survive one of the best defenses in the country.

F-Abu Kigab-Boise State

After a shoulder injury that ended Kigab’s postseason early this time last year. The 6-7 Canadian forward decided to return for his extra season of eligibility. Since, he has helped lead this Boise State squad to their first outright conference championship and anchoring one of the toughest defenses in the country. The combo forward posted regular season averages of 14.7 PPG, 5.9 RPG 2.3 APG & 1.2 SPG. Earning Second-Team All-Mountain West honors along with a spot on the All-Defensive Team.

Kigab is all over the floor and makes his money taking tough defensive assignments, attacking the glass and getting to the free throw line while doing it. As the team’s leading scorer he doesn’t need to have the most points every game for Boise State to win, his contributions pile up elsewhere for his team to survive and advance.

Keys to the Game

For Boise State: Flash that Top-20 Ranked Defense, Secure the Basketball and knock down the three.

For Nevada:  Find and take quality shots, Crash the glass and avoid fouling

Prediction: Boise State 70, Nevada 65

I think Nevada has the individual scorers to upset Boise State given the perfect storm. But those scorers don’t exactly score with efficiency in on a consistent basis. So the wrong amount of missed shots or turnovers will surely give the Broncos the W and send them to the semifinals on Friday.

The winner of this one faces the winner of #4 Wyoming & #5 UNLV, set to tip-off at 2:30 PM PT in the Thomas and Mack. They’ll play Friday at 6:30 PM PT on the CBS Sports Network.

Larry Muniz covers college basketball as a writer for Mountain West Wire and WAC Hoops Digest. Also as a co-host of the college basketball podcast “Hoops Talk W/Jay & Larry”. He is also a USWBA Member.

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