Report: Arizona State men’s basketball to host Grand Canyon in December
May 17, 2021, 11:35 AM
Head coach Bobby Hurley of the Arizona State Sun Devils speaks with his team during the first half against the Oregon Ducks at Matthew Knight Arena on January 11, 2020 in Eugene, Oregon. (Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images)
(Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images)
The Arizona State Sun Devils and Grand Canyon Antelopes will reportedly square off for their anticipated rematch in Tempe near the end of 2021.
The matchup is slated for Dec. 9, per CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein. It marks the second game of the home-and-home series between the two programs.
In the first game of the series last season, ASU defeated GCU 71-70.
The meeting also marks the return of Sun-Devils-turned-Antelopes Holland Woods and Taeshon Cherry to Tempe.
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Woods, a Phoenix native, joined ASU from Portland State and played immediately in 2020-21, averaging 6.7 points and 1.9 assists in 25 games (12 starts).
Cherry averaged 3.9 points and 2.3 rebounds over 16 minutes per outing in seven games (three starts) as a junior for Arizona State and also made the cross-town move to GCU.
He missed a majority of the year due to personal reasons before ultimately transferring to GCU following the season.
The former ASU duo will look to help second-year GCU head coach Bryce Drew, who took the Antelopes to their first NCAA Tournament appearance last season.
The Sun Devils weren’t so lucky. Battling COVID-19 cancellations and postponements, along with injuries to key players, ASU finished ninth in the Pac-12 standings at 11-14.
To add insult to injury, the team experienced a massive roster turnover this offseason, losing starters Remy Martin, Marcus Bagley and Josh Christopher. That trio is testing the NBA Draft waters. Holland Woods, House and Cherry were among a number of Sun Devils to transfer.
Head coach Bobby Hurley has hit the offseason hard, however, adding the likes of Marreon Jackson (Toledo), Jay Heath (Boston College) and A.J. Bramah (Robert Morris) through the transfer portal.
The Sun Devils will also see the return of forward Kimani Lawrence, who is back for a fifth season thanks to a final year of eligibility granted by the NCAA Division I council to players whose seasons were altered by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 6-foot-8 forward averaged 8.1 points per game this past season and was second on the Sun Devils in rebounds, grabbing five per game.
