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Emotional Fontan
Befitting his up-and-down career at USC, Jio Fontan's Senior Day was an adventure. He was beset by foul trouble and a wrist injury which limited his action to 22 minutes. He committed a flagrant foul and ended up fouling out. Despite the pain in his wrist, which needs an MRI, he persevered and captained his team to a victory. "It just represented all the struggles and all the highs that I went through and growing up as a man here," Fontan said about Senior Day. "At the end of today, I just wanted to be able to smile and walk with a win." He certainly was smiling as he took a victory lap around Galen Center and then choked up in the press conference. Similarly to Matt Barkley, Fontan's greatest legacy will be leading the program out of dark times and always representing with toughness and class.A Chance for Chass
With Fontan relegated to the bench for long stretches, Chass Bryan was pressed into 18 minutes of duty, his longest stint on the court in the Bob Cantu era. "He did what we needed him to do," said the interim head coach about his freshman walk-on point guard. "He facilitated the ball. I thought he was poised." Fontan seconded Cantu's assessment saying Bryan is "playing beyond his years." He did not have a single turnover and made a big bucket in the final minutes.
Defending the Three
When the Trojans and Sun Devils met previously in Tempe, ASU won a shootout putting up 98 points and making nine threes. Cantu and his staff devised a strategy to change the outcome. "The emphasis all week was to defend the three-point line," Cantu said. "The guys really followed the game plan." After Jahii Carson's potential game-winning three at the buzzer went begging, the Sun Devils finished the afternoon 1/12 from behind the arc.
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Sugiyama Starts
On a team of mostly transfers, the longest tenured Trojan, walk-on Tyler Sugiyama, was rewarded with a chance to start on Senior Day. Cantu tipped the game with five seniors on the floor in Sugiyama, Fontan, Eric Wise, Aaron Fuller and James Blasczyk.
(Photo by Pierson Clair)
