TEMPE, Ariz. -- After a brief experiment, Arizona State is back where it began the season, with true freshmen Tra Holder and Kodi Justice at point guard.
The return to youth is not without its benefits -- both Holder and Justice have a good feel for the position, and because of that the Sun Devils' turnovers could diminish. That has been their Achilles' heel in an 8-8 start that includes a 0-3 record in the Pac-12.
ASU can put the ball in the basket. It ranks in the top third in Division I in adjusted shooting percentage, which is weighted to include the value of 3-pointers. But the Sun Devils lose several possessions each game with a 15.1-turnover average, which ranks 310th among the 345 schools in Division I.
"We've gone full circle," ASU coach Herb Sendek said.
It is likely the Sun Devils will need to be at their efficient best Thursday (8 p.m. MT, FOX Sports 1) when they play host to No. 8 Utah (13-2, 3-0), which held Pac-12 opponents USC, UCLA and Colorado to 55, 39 and 49 points in winning by an average of 27 points per game the past two weekends.
ASU's changes return natural scorer Gerry Blakes to off guard, where he was the Sun Devils' leading scorer before a five-game look at the point. Blakes, 6-foot-4, provided a more physical defensive presence at the point and new off guard Roosevelt Scott brought athleticism, but ASU's inability to get into its offense against Pac-12 opponents was the overriding issue.
"As time has gone on, we think it would be best for us to put him (Blakes) back to where he is the most natural and most comfortable," Sendek said this week. "We have a team right now that is learning on the fly. We just have to stay with it."
Small forward Shaquielle McKissic leads the team with an 11.0 scoring average, while Blakes (10.8), forward Savon Goodman (10.7 in seven games) and center Eric Jacobsen (10.2) are right behind.
Holder started five nonconference games and Justice started six, and both had their moments.
ASU vs. No. 8 UTAH
When: 8 p.m. Thursday
Where: Wells Fargo Arena
TV: FOX Sports 1
ASU vs. COLORADO
When: 2:30 p.m. Saturday
Where: Wells Fargo Arena
Justice had 12 points, five rebounds and six assists in a victory over UNLV, and Holder leads the team in assists despite limited time while averaging an assist every eight minutes, the best ratio on the team among those in the rotation.
Justice came off the bench and commanded the offense well in the second half of a 55-47 loss at Oregon State on Thursday, and Holder came off the bench with one of his best floor games with four assists in a 59-56 loss at Oregon on Saturday.
"I think both me and Kodi are ready to take the next step," said the 6-1 Holder. "We have to do a better job of leading the team into the offense and being a pest on defense."
Holder has shown an ability to penetrate into the lane, but at times this season the play has bogged down there because the length of the defenders at this level have taken some of his options away.
"In high school you had a six-five dude" protecting the basket," Holder said. "Now you have a seven-footer, so you really have to know how to read the defense. At this level, I have to know how to keep my dribble and find the open man. Keep the game simple. Make the easy play."
Although two-year starter Jahii Carson had not announced his intent to forego his final year of eligibility when Holder and Justice committed to ASU, Holder understood that he could jump into the lineup. He could not wait, and his confidence shows.
"You can't play the game in fear, then the defense is going to see that and attack you, or the offense is going to see that and attack you," Holder said. "You just have to stay poised and stay confident and be ready when your jersey is called."
Playing through mistakes has been part of the learning process, and Holder said it was difficult at the beginning of the year.
"Now, my coach has been on me about getting ready for the next play and making up for it," Holder said, "So now if I make a mistake, I'm getting ready to play defense or make a good pass to a teammate.
"There's been a lot of bumps in the road for me, but that's cool. That's part of life."
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