Arizona State basketball predictions against Texas Southern

TEMPE, Ariz. — Arizona State basketball welcomes Texas Southern to Tempe on Saturday for its home opener. The Sun Devils will be looking to bounce back after a rough, dysfunctional showing in their season-opening loss to Mississippi State, 71-56.

This will be the Tigers’ second of seven straight road games to begin the season. They lost their season opener 92-55 to New Mexico.

Both ASU and Texas Southern made the NCAA tournament last season, losing in the first round. Last season the Sun Devils visited the Tigers and gave up a 12-point lead in the final eight minutes of the game, and eventually lost 67-66 in overtime. But our staff thinks ASU will fare better in Tempe on Saturday.

Without further or do, we’ll get right into our Sun Devil Daily staff predictions, for their matchup against Texas Southern.

Arizona State Basketball vs Texas Southern game predictions

ASU: 68 Texas Southern: 58

There’s no need to sound the alarm on the Arizona State men’s basketball team. They’ll get their first win of the season against Texas Southern. Head coach Bobby Hurley and the Sun Devils were undoubtedly going to begin the season sluggish against a good Mississippi State team. They held opponents to 61 points per game last year and found their stroke Wednesday night in Chicago. The Sun Devils are a work in progress, as the offense looked discombobulated at various times in the match. On the other end of the court, Texas Southern comes into the game after allowing New Mexico’s 6-foot-9 true freshman JT Toppin 11 points and nine rebounds in a rout of the Tigers 92-55. The Sun Devils will utilize Shawn Phillips Jr. in the paint and look out for Alonzo Gaffney, who is coming off an injury he sustained in the run-up to the season. Hurley and the Sun Devils get their first win of the season. – Landin Jeffrey

ASU: 67 Texas Southern: 56

Arizona State looked better in the second half of Wednesday’s game, and I believe they will carry that momentum over for their home opener. Jamiya Neal and Jose Perez will score double digits as the Sun Devils control the game the whole way. – Anthony D’Amato

ASU: 60 Texas Southern: 52

Texas Southern is a solid team. They made the tournament last season and have made significant strides in the last few years. But this is the home opener for ASU. The Sun Devils will be fired up and I’ll take them to win. – Cooper Burns

ASU: 67 Texas Southern: 53

I think ASU bounces back from the awful season opener. Texas Southern is a solid team that made the tournament a year ago. They also beat ASU last year but in a very odd game. I think the Sun Devils have revenge on their mind and won’t lose in their home opener. I think the stingy defense we witnessed last season stifles Texas Southern, and the offense gets into a little bit of a rhythm and the 3-point shots start to fall. ASU has a good response game and picks up its first win of the season. – Douglas Santo

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