Arizona State standouts Desmond Cambridge, Warren Washington face familiar foe in Nevada
DAYTON, Ohio — Arizona State basketball coach Bobby Hurley was on a Zoom call with local media 45 minutes after hearing his team would be a part of March Madness on Sunday. While doing so, his assistants were already hard at work breaking down video of Mountain West representative Nevada, the Sun Devils' opponent on Wednesday in a First Four play-in game at the University of Dayton Arena.
While video is the best teacher, Hurley has another source of information: his own players. Two current Sun Devils — guard Desmond Cambridge Jr. and forward Warren Washington, both seniors — were part of the Wolf Pack program just last year.
Hurley said just going to the postseason is motivation. But yes, it is quite the twist.
"It's ironic that played out the way it did," Hurley said via Zoom, shortly after the selection show. "I don't know how much more motivation you need than playing in an NCAA Tournament but it is a subplot certainly."
Cambridge said he was pleasantly surprised with the draw.
"I was definitely shocked. It was really cool just to see that we were matched up with them," Cambridge said at Tuesday's news conference in Dayton. "At the end of the day, I was just excited just to be picked to play in the NCAA Tournament, especially with this being my last year in college, so that was definitely a big dream come true. But to play against a team I just transferred from, that's really cool. I've got great teammates that I still talk to on a daily, so this is definitely a great and fun opportunity."
Among those with whom Cambridge has remained close is guard Tre Coleman, and yes there has been some good-natured ribbing between the two.
More:Nevada vs. Arizona State picks, predictions: Who wins NCAA Tournament First Four game?
"A lot of guys were close friends, but he (Pettigrew) was one of my closest, and we had a little friendly banter. It was just crazy towards that, that we actually got matched up," he said. "I said he can't go at me, he said he can lock me up. But we guard each other every day at practice, he made me better and I made him better. This is what it's all about. It's just been great. "
When Hurley dipped into the transfer portal the past offseason, he hit the jackpot, bringing in four players who landed in the starting lineup, most notably the duo from Nevada, who weren't just teammates with the Wolf Pack, but roommates as well. Cambridge averaged 16.2 points, second on the team, and Washington averaged 10.5 points and 6.6 rebounds.
Both players provided a dynamic that was missing last year when the Sun Devils went just 14-17 overall, missing the postseason for the third straight year. Part of the reason Desmond chose ASU was to be able to play alongside his brother, Devan, who transferred from Auburn and also occupies a spot in the starting quintet.
Cambridge, native of Nashville, is averaging a team-high 14 points a game with a penchant for making clutch shots. It was his 3-pointer at the buzzer that gave the Sun Devils an 60-59 win at Colorado on Dec. 1 in their Pac-12 opener.
Even more significant was his half-court heave three weeks ago that gave the Sun Devils an 89-88 upset of rival Arizona at Tucson's McKale Center. He was a second-team All-Pac-12 selection.
More:Arizona State NCAA primer: Sun Devils set for wild March Madness ride
Both players are on their third school. Cambridge started for one year at Brown; Washington began his collegiate career at Oregon State but played sparingly.
"Des provides much needed scoring," Hurley said. "We struggled to score last year. That's probably what held us back the most last season and he provides instant offense and never afraid of the moment, taking big shots, making those shots. And the he gives you everything he's got on defense , a good perimeter defender. Really plays hard on both ends of the floor."
Another noticeable void had been the absence of a true big man, a role the 7-footer Washington fills. He is averaging 9.2 points and 6.9 rebounds with a team-high 55 blocks. Opponents have to account for him, which can open up more space on the perimeter for the shooters.
Washington, an honorable mention All-Defensive Pac-12 selection, had a season-best 21 points against USC in the first of three games between the teams and managed 18 points on three other occasions. Unlike Cambridge, he has another year of eligibility although he has not indicated whether or not he will use it.
"Warren has just been our anchor around the basket, just his ability to challenge shots, block shots, rebound the ball," Hurley said. "Both those guys certainly advanced our program having them here. They're both great kids, hard workers. Both bring different dimensions to our team."
There is also a Nevada connection on Hurley's coaching staff, sort of. Associate head coach Jermaine Kimbrough, credited with fine-tuning the Sun Devils' defense, served as an assistant at Nevada during the 2015-16 season under then-head coach Eric Musselman. He made stops at two other colleges before coming to Tempe last year.
More:Nevada vs. Arizona State odds: NCAA Tournament game point spread, moneyline, over/under
ASU players and coaches gathered at Hurley's house to watch the selection show. When ASU was announced, Hurley leaped into his swimming pool, just as he did when the Sun Devils last heard the good word back in 2019. His players followed him in.
Players have talked passionately all season about the desire to make the tournament. A stretch in which ASU lost five of six games midway through the season put that in doubt. So the Sun Devils faced crucial must-win games over the last month, then again when they got to the tournament. All were relieved to have advanced, even if it means having to go through Dayton first.
"I had a feeling my heart and inside, even though we were on the bubble, that we had done enough and would be rewarded for it so I was debating if I was going in again. So it's kind of come full circle," Hurley said.
Nevada vs. Arizona State
Site: University of Dayton Arena, Dayton, Ohio.
Time: 6:10 p.m.
TV/radio: TruTV/Arizona Sports 98.7 FM
At stake: The winner advances to a first-round game against No. 6 TCU (21-12) on Friday in Denver. TCU is ranked No. 22 nationally. The Horned Frogs were fifth in the competitive Big 12 for the regular season.
About the Sun Devils: ASU was tied for fifth in the Pac-12 and won two games at the Pac-12 tournament, eventually losing to Arizona in the semifinal. It was likely the 77-72 win over USC that made the difference in ASU getting in the tournament. Four of the five starters were transfer portal acquisitions during the offseason in PG Frankie Collins (9.9 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 4.4 apg), G Desmond Cambridge Jr. (14 ppg), his brother Devan (9.8 ppg, 5.5 rpg) and F Warren Washington (9.2 ppg, 6.9 rpg). The lone holdover from last year's starting lineup is G D.J. Horne (12.5 ppg, 3.4 rpg). G Austin Nunez, the first guard off the bench, has missed the last six games with a concussion. Sophomore Jamiya Neal has been filling in and managed 45 points, 14 rebounds, 10 assists, three blocks and two steals in six games with a more significant role. ASU's last tournament appearance came in 2019 when it also played in Dayton, winning its game against St. John's but losing a first-rounder to Buffalo two days later.
About the Wolf Pack: Making the tournament is quite the reward for a program that went only 13-18 overall and 6-12 (eighth) in the Mountain West a year ago. Coach Steve Alford lost six players to the transfer portal but went out and got four via that route and brought in two high school products who have contributed. Among the newcomers if G Jarod Lucas (17.3 ppg), a transfer from Oregon State who is particularly dangerous from long distance and was named Newcomer of the Year in the conference. Kenan Blackshear (14.4 ppg) and Will Baker (13.5 ppg) were also all-conference selections. Darrion Williams (7.6 ppg, 7.3 rpg) was the conference Freshman of the Year. This is the 10th appearance in the NCAA Tournament for the Wolf Pack, first since 2019.
They said it: "I have a ton of respect for Steve (Alford). He and I got along very well when he was coaching in our league (at UCLA). I enjoyed the opportunity to get to know Steve and spend time around him. Just a really great guy. He's done an outstanding job obviously or he wouldn't be in this tournament, particularly for what he lost. Look what coach Alford lost last year. For him to have lost that much production to be in the NCAA tournament states volumes about how good of a coach he is." — ASU coach Bobby Hurley on Nevada coach Steve Alford
"It's really great and crazy that we matched up with them. It's great and crazy." — Desmond Cambridge Jr. on playing against his former team
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: ASU's Desmond Cambridge, Warren Washington open NCAAs vs. former school
