ARIZONA STATE BASKETBALL

Freshman Josh Christopher paces ASU in first half against No. 3 Villanova

Nov 26, 2020, 8:47 PM | Updated: 10:57 pm

(AP Photo/Jessica Hill)...

(AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

(AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

Arizona State Sun Devil freshman Josh Christopher in the first half of the game Thursday against No. 3 Villanova is showing fans what made him one of the most anticipated players in program history.

Christopher in his first game Wednesday against Rhode Island scored 11 points, going five for six at the free-throw line.

It took him less than ten minutes Thursday night to match and exceed that total.

Christopher made five of seven shots in the first 20 minutes of play, making one of two three-pointers, while also adding a steal.

Christopher on Wednesday only made three of 10 shots and went 0-4 from beyond the arch.

His 12 points in the first half on Thursday were second-most for both teams, trailing Villanova’s Jeremiah Robinson-Earl by only one point.

Christopher, a five-star guard, is the highest-ranked ASU recruit since James Harden.

He ended the game with 28 points, tying Robinson-Earl for the most in the game, however, the Sun Devils fell to Villanova 83-74.

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