Arizona State men's basketball opens against East Tennessee State

East Tennessee State at Arizona State

When: Nov. 2 at 8 p.m.

Where: Desert Financial Arena

TV: ESPN+

About the matchup: This is the season opener for both schools. It will mark the debut of new ASU coach Randy Bennett, who took over the Sun Devils program after 25 years at Saint Mary's. The two schools have never played. Ironically, one of the biggest wins in East Tennessee's school's history came in the 1992 NCAA Tournament when the Buccaneers upset the then-No. 3 seed Arizona 87-80 in a first-round Southeast Regional game.

About the Buccaneers: The team is coached by Brooks Savage, who is starting his fourth year. He was part of the staff under Steve Forbes from 2015-20. East Tennessee State was 23-11 last season. The team was picked second in the Southern Conference preseason poll behind Furman. Senior guard B.J. Ward, a transfer from Southeast Missouri, was named to the preseason team. He started all 33 games a year ago, averaging 10.9 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game. The other player to watch is South Alabama transfer Jayden Cooper, who had 22 points in an exhibition game against High Point. East Tennessee was outrebounded in that game, 46-25. ETSU does have size at guard with 6-5 senior Maki Johnson, the top returner from last year’s Southern Conference regular-season champion. Tyran Mason, a 6-6 transfer from Texas-Arlington, is another likely starter.

About the Sun Devils: ASU has turned over its roster, with just two players returning from a team that went 17-16. The most notable additions are forward Paulius Murauskas and wing Dillan Shaw, both of whom followed Bennett over from Saint Mary's. Murauskas was named to the Big 12 preseason team as Newcomer of the Year. The other likely starters are Emmanuel Innocenti, a transfer from Gonzaga; center Ben Defty (Boston College) and point guard Joel Foxwell (Portland State). Few know exactly what to expect from the new-look ASU team. They were picked as high as fifth in one national preseason publication but checked in at 12th in the Big 12 coaches' preseason poll.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona State men's basketball opens against East Tennessee State