Arizona State’s 5-star freshmen struggle in loss to Baylor: 3 takeaways

The Arizona State Sun Devils’ furious rally fell just short on Saturday night as they lost to Baylor 72-66 in overtime.

The Sun Devils trailed by 12 at halftime, but outscored Baylor 41-29 in the second half to force an extra period. Senior guard Adam Miller tied the game at 61-61 on a driving layup with 1.9 seconds left in regulation.

The Sun Devils went cold in overtime, though, shooting just 2-of-10 from the field. The loss dropped ASU to 10-5 overall and 1-3 in the Big 12. It was also ASU’s first loss at home this season.

Jayden Quaintance, Joson Sanon Struggle

Arizona State’s 5-star freshmen, Jayden Quaintance and Joson Sanon, struggled against Baylor’s suffocating defense. They combined for just 10 points on 4-of-12 shooting.

Sanon, who came into the game as Arizona State’s leading scorer at 13.5 points per game, saw his first game action since spraining an ankle vs. BYU on New Year’s eve. He played 18 minutes off the bench, shot 2-of-5 from the field and finished with 5 points and no rebounds. He looked good early, but couldn’t get it going.

Quaintance, one of the nation’s leading shot blockers, finished with just 5 points, 8 rebounds and 2 blocks in 40 minutes. He struggled with Baylor’s length and athleticism — as did the entire ASU team. The Sun Devils were outrebounded by Baylor 43-35 and they gave up 15 offensive rebounds.

BJ Freeman Has Big Game

Milwaukee transfer BJ Freeman had his highest-scoring game of the season, dropping in 22 points on 8-of-19 shooting from the field.

Freeman, a 6-foot-6 senior, shot 0-of-3 in overtime and fouled out with 56 seconds left.

His performance came in front of multiple NBA scouts who were there to watch Quaintance, Sanon and Baylor freshman VJ Edgecombe. A projected top-5 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, Edgecombe finished with 15 points and 4 rebounds.

Arizona State Drops, Baylor Rises In NET Rankings

The loss dropped the Sun Devils fell to No. 56 in the NCAA NET Rankings, which are used as the primary sorting tool for selection and seeding for the 2025 NCAA Tournament.

ASU will have to rise into the top 30 of the NET to have a legitimate chance for an at-large berth in March Madness. With so many Quad 1 games remaining in the Big 12, the Sun Devils have an opportunity to play their way into the tourney.

Baylor jumped to No. 19 in the NET with the victory. The Bears are 3-4 in Quad 1 games and are currently projected as a No. 7 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

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