Arizona State upsets Kansas State after losing leading scorer

Led by its star-studded freshmen class, the Arizona State men's basketball stunned Kansas State 66-54 on the road Sunday afternoon.

The win snapped a six-game losing streak for Arizona State (13-14, 4-12) and came a few hours after news broke that the Sun Devils' leading scorer, BJ Freeman, had been dismissed from the team.

Junior center Shawn Phillips Jr. started in place of Freeman, giving the Sun Devils a bigger lineup against the Wildcats. It paid off as Phillips finished with 10 points, 11 rebounds and 2 blocks to help spark the upset.

But Arizona State's freshmen were the real story, led by five-star forward Jayden Quaintance. After being sidelined for two games with a foot injury, Quaintance looked explosive against Kansas State, finishing with 18 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals. He knocked down two 3-pointers and shot 8-of-11 from the field.

Freshman guards Amier Ali and Joson Sanon came off the bench to combine for 20 points and four key 3-pointers. Ali, who has played big minutes the past five games, scored 11 points on 3-of-6 shooting from downtown. Sanon, who has been struggling with his shot, had 9 points and 3 rebounds.

The Sun Devils were 5.5-point underdogs to Kansas State.