RED WOLVES (cont.)
cient in those areas, but mostly efficient in guys retaining information and how hard they play, just to see if the conditioning is there.” unior point guard Caleb Fields, ASU’s lone returning starter, said he’s been impressed with the Red Wolves’ versatility, length and shooting ability.
“I think it’s good to go out and play somebody else besides ourselves to see where we match up with different lineups and different teams,” Fields said. ields has made 74 career starts at ASU, including all 29 games last season. He averaged 7.3 points, 4.4 assists and 3.6 rebounds for the 2021-22 Red Wolves.
Senior guard/forward Markise Davis averaged 6.2 points while seeing action in 25 games, with seven starts. Sophomore guards Malcolm Farrington and Avery Felts were also part of the rotation along with junior forward Antwon Jackson. Redshirt freshman guard Caleb London is back after sitting out last season with an injury.
“Caleb Fields and Markise will have the most experience as far as minutes played over the last two and a half years, especially Fields, who has started since he walked through the door. I know those guys, I feel comfortable,” Balado said. “The returners right now know the system, they feel comfortable. You can tell at times they make adjustments on their own because they know what they’re doing. Malcolm and Avery are guys who are going to play a lot.
“To tell you who starts, I don’t know. I plan to start a different lineup every game. I plan to play different guys together, so it’s not even about who’s ready. It’s more so getting
“He said he’s not going down there to lose, so play as hard as you can,” Fields said. “No matter who we’re playing, we’re going down there to win, but it’s kind of hard because we have new guys and the zone, or different stuff, he’ll put in later. I think we’ll figure it out.”
ASU’s backcourt additions include junior college transfers Mak Manciel and Detrick Reeves along with freshman Terrance Ford Jr.
Newcomers on the front line include 6-8 graduate transfer Omar El-Sheikh, 7-2 Florida State transfer Alaaeddine Boutayeb, 6-6 junior college transfer Julian Lual and 6-10 freshman Izaiyah Nelson.
Balado said El-Sheikh, who has previous Division I experience at Fairfield, has caught on quickly as a graduate transfer. Ford has made the biggest jump from day one because he’s facing Fields every day in practice, Balado said, while Nelson has had the most consistent summer and Manciel plays with confidence.
“The things I’m looking for are effort, enthusiasm and execution,” Balado said.
“Whatever the outcome of the game, and we obviously want to win, I want to see those three things on a consistent basis by everybody. Then we’ll figure out what the best lineups are playing with each other.”
