Fearless true freshman Austin Nunez key performer for ASU men's basketball

Arizona State true freshman Austin Nunez stepped to the free-throw line at Seattle's Alaska Airlines Arena with less than a second left, his team trailing host Washington by three points. He had just been fouled on a 3-point try so it was up to him and him alone to try and send the contest into overtime.

His first got nothing but net. So did the second.

Huskies coach Mike Hopkins then called time out, trying the age-old tactic of icing the shooter. It didn't work. The third try was as smooth as the first two.

The Sun Devils would go on to lose in overtime but that poise under pressure has become a trademark for one of the program's rookies.

"It says a lot about his poise to make those in that spot. It was very impressive. It wasn't even close either. He didn't even hit rim," ASU coach Bobby Hurley said. "Very cool."

The 6-foot-2, 170-pound guard was confident he was going to make them too. He says when he shoots them in practice he tries to put himself in that position. Time running out. Game on the line.

He had another incentive too. The wrath of father Lupe if he didn't make them.

Such was the case when Austin was in the same situation as a sixth grader in a prestigious AAU event in Las Vegas with his team in overtime of a national semifinal. He missed the first. His team lost.

"He choked. No doubt about it," Lupe Nunez laughed.

"I knew I was going to make them," Austin said, of the attempts in Seattle. "I've been in that situation in high school but he still always messes with me about the ones I missed in the sixth grade. No matter how many I make."

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No stage too big

Nunez and the Sun Devils (18-8, 9-6) will round out the 2022-23 slate of home games this week when they entertain Colorado (14-12, 6-9) in a 6 p.m. game on Thursday and Utah (17-9, 10-5) in a 4 p.m. contest on Saturday at Desert Financial Arena.

It was apparent early in his college career that the stage is not too big for Nunez, a native of Garden Ridge, Texas, 20 or so miles outside of San Antonio. The fourth and fifth games of his young career were the ones the Sun Devils played at the Legends Classic at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, the opponents being Michigan and VCU.

Nunez scored 10 points against VCU, then followed it up with 15 against the then-No. 20 Wolverines, which landed him an All-Tournament selection, along with teammate Desmond Cambridge Jr. who was dubbed the MVP.

Now 24 games into his rookie season, Nunez leads the Sun Devils in free throw percentage at 81.5% (17-for-20). He also leads them in 3-point percentage, having made 20-of-52 (38.5%), although he has fewer attempts than most teammates because he is coming off the bench.

Hurley says Nunez has exceeded his expectations but he isn't necessarily surprised at his success.

"He's got a lot of guts. He's got a lot of fearlessness to how he plays. It's what attracted me to him in recruiting. Watching him you can see how hard he competes. He never cheats you with effort. He plays both ends of the floor and he doesn't back down in the moment. He stepped up in almost every big game we've had this year. That says a lot for a freshman."

Nunez has been up to other challenges too. When ASU squared off against perennial title contender UCLA, Hurley called up his rookie to defend Bruins point guard Tyger Campbell, who has started 121 games over the last four years. Nunez held his own.

"His defense on Campbell was better than anybody's defense on him throughout the game," Hurley said. "He fought like heck over ball screens, got back in front of him, moved his feet. He played both ends of the floor very well.

Lupe Nunez says growing up in a competitive environment served as a good training ground for what was to come.

Lupe Nunez founded and served as co-director for an Under-Armour-sponsored AAU program called Texas Hard Work. Austin credits him for helping him develop the mental side of the game. Lupe stepped away from those obligations in Austin's junior year of high school so he can focus on being a dad to Austin and his two younger siblings.

Austin's mother Tameka played basketball and ran track in high school. She started her collegiate career at Stephen F. Austin but later moved on to University Texas-San Antonio where she excelled in track, specializing in the 100 and 200 meters and the long jump. She competed in the 1996 Olympic Trials alongside the likes of Marion Jones.

So athletics have always been part of the family dynamic.

"He just grew up in an environment where he knew he was expected to compete hard and give everything he had. He played with and against good competition so he always played with a chip on his shoulder," said Lupe Nunez, who has some flexibility with his work schedule and has made a good share of ASU games despite the distance.

"There were times we put him in position to fail because that's part of the process too. Learning to deal with adversity is something you grow from and we wanted him to experience that too."

'Fearless attitude'

Austin agrees.

"The foundation from AAU was teaching me what the right thing to do is. If you turn the ball over, make an effort and go get it. Just don't put your head down and sulk. Go back on defense and you can still make a play. Basketball, so many things can happen. No need to let one mistake turn into two. You can't stop playing," he said. "I have been taught to attack things with a fearless attitude, no matter who is in front of you. Going to be ups and downs, but can't be afraid to go get it."

When it came time to pick a college ASU was a top choice for Nunez because he wanted a chance to see some playing time early. He visited ASU and Howard, with Virginia another school in which there was mutual interest. While Austin made just two "official" visits, he had been to most of the other Texas schools in an "unofficial" capacity.

Nunez liked ASU's style of play and the freedom Hurley gives his players, particularly the guards. The chance to learn from the all-time NCAA leader in assists was a bonus. He also liked the relationship he developed with the coaching staff, most notably associate head coach Jermaine Kimbrough, the first to see him play in person.

Nunez never expected to start but he was confident he could contribute right away.

"Just having the opportunity to have a role on the team. I knew we were a team that was going to have guys back and I knew we were going to get some guys out of the portal," Austin said. "I knew what I was capable of doing and about the right things. So I knew he was going to find a spot for me to get some playing time. I knew it was going to come at some point.

It is evident that Nunez has earned the trust of his teammates, as well as Hurley.

He was in that game against Washington in crunch time because teammate D.J. Horne was struggling. When Horne was suspended for the next game against Washington State for what was deemed "conduct detrimental to the team," it was Nunez logging a season-high 30 minutes.

Two weeks before that the Sun Devils were locked in a tough game against Oregon State in Corvallis. It was Nunez again in the game when it mattered. He hit two free throws with 22 seconds left that put ASU up 71-67 in a game it won 74-69.

"I do feel like over the course of the season I have earned their trust and it feels good," Nunez said. "That doesn't come easy. I think I have shown them I will do whatever it takes to win. I used to be the guy that had to score but there are so many other things you can do to have an impact on the game."

Reach the reporter at Michelle.Gardner@gannett.com or 602 444-4783.  Follow her on Twitter @MGardnerSports.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Pressure no problem for Arizona State basketball freshman Austin Nunez