Arizona State NCAA primer: Sun Devils set for wild March Madness ride
The Arizona State Sun Devils left for Dayton first thing Monday morning. Coach Bobby Hurley's team might have a tough NCAA tournament path ahead, but at least it is part of the March Madness conversation.
The Sun Devils (22-12) will face Nevada (22-10) at 6:10 p.m. Wednesday in Dayton, Ohio, the winner advancing as No. 11 seed for a Friday game against No. 6 TCU in Denver.
Nevada was the No. 4 finisher in the Mountain West for the regular season. It lost its tournament qualifier to No. 5 seed San Jose State 81-77 in overtime. It was the last team in the field of 68, with ASU the next-to-last in, so the game is a tossup.
It has been a tough last two years with the Sun Devils not living up to expectations. That makes this showing all the more rewarding.
"When I had the board up in my living room, and I was looking at what coaches I had and which players were going to stay, and it was the first year of the portal, it was almost like we were starting from scratch,” Hurley said. “I’m thrilled for everyone involved, certainly for the guys and all the work we put in. We were at ground zero two years ago. It’s been a two-year journey, and it’s just exciting that we have the opportunities in front of us.”
NCAA Tournament odds: 2023 March Madness point spreads, money lines, over/unders for games
A quick look at the Sun Devils and their NCAA tournament prospects:
ASU's five biggest wins
Beat Arizona 89-88 (Feb. 25): Desmond Cambridge Jr. threw up a shot from 60 feet at the buzzer to win at McKale Center, one of the toughest venues for a visiting team to win. The Sun Devils were on the wrong side of the bubble and faced road games at UCLA and USC to end the regular season after that, so this was a resume-booster that resonated nationwide. The fact it was on CBS in a noon time slot was a bonus.
Beat USC 77-72 in the Pac-12 tournament quarterfinal (Thursday): The Sun Devils led wire-to-wire in the win that probably clinched their NCAA spot. USC was seeded third and ASU sixth so it was a notable upset. USC was ranked high enough that it was also considered a Quad 1 win.
Beat Oregon 90-83 (Jan. 12): Another game ASU led start to finish. The Sun Devils led by as many as 35 points so it wasn't even as close as the final score would indicate. It was another Quad 1 victory in another venue in which it is difficult for an opponent to win. ASU would sweep the road trip, beating Oregon State two days later, making it 5-1 in conference pay at the time.
Beat Creighton 73-71 (Dec. 12): This was as part of the Jack Jones Hoop Fest at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. Creighton was the Big East favorite and it is a team that was nationally ranked much of the season, although it is the first team out of the current top 25 poll. It was a game in which the Sun Devils rallied from a double-digit deficit and overcame foul trouble, giving an early season indication of the team's resiliency.
Beat Michigan 87-62 (Nov. 20): ASU's first big win of the season came in the title game of the Legends Classic at Brooklyn, with the Sun Devils dominating the then No. 20-Wolverines. It was only the fifth game of the season and the Sun Devils were working in a lot of newcomers, and yet it looked like the players had been competing together far longer.
Nevada vs. Arizona State odds: NCAA Tournament game point spread, moneyline, over/under
Arizona State's NCAA history
This is ASU's third postseason appearance under Hurley. It had back-to-back trips to the same play-in site, Dayton, in both 2018 and 2019.
In 2018 the Sun Devils 20-12 overall, but lost to Syracuse in the First Four, 60-56. In 2019 the Sun Devils returned to Dayton and beat St. John's 74-65 behind the 21 points of Luguentz Dort. That earned them a pace in the first round game two days later in Tulsa, Okla., where they were dealt a 91-74 loss by Buffalo. Despite that loss the win over St. John's marked the first for the Sun Devils in postseason since 2009.
The Sun Devils appeared headed to a third straight NCAA berth, something that had not been done in 40 years, but the 2020 tournament was canceled due to COVID. ASU had been projected as making the field before the season came to an end just before the start of the Pac-12 tournament.
Overall this will be the 17th NCAA appearance for ASU, which has a 14-17 overall record. The Sun Devils have gone as far as a regional final three times, 1961, 1963 and 1975.
March Madness odds: Houston, Kansas, Alabama, Purdue 2023 men's NCAA Tournament favorites
Bracket-busting: Looking over West Region
A win would advance the Sun Devils to a first-round game on Friday against No. 6 seed TCU in Denver in the West bracket, in which Kansas is the top seed. The bracket right below is the one featuring Grand Canyon and Gonzaga, so the Valley teams could meet if ASU wins twice and the No. 14 Antelopes knock off the No. 3 Bulldogs.
Other West Region highlights:
—Pac-12 rival and conference tournament champion UCLA is the No. 2 seed and will play 15th-seeded UNC Asheville on Thursday in Sacramento.
—Connecticut is the 4 seed in the West, and the Huskies are coached by Dan Hurley, brother of the ASU head coach.
—The West Region semifinals and final will be played in Las Vegas.
—Northwestern as a sleeper: "Dismiss the Wildcats at your own peril. In its last game, Northwestern fell in overtime to Penn State, which nearly beat Purdue in the Big Ten Tournament final. The Wildcats have six Quad 1 victories and are 13th in defensive efficiency."
—UNC Asheville in potential upset of UCLA: Mainly because of key Bruins injuries, losing defensive whiz Jaylen Clark in the regular-season finale, and dynamic center Adem Bona suffering a shoulder injury during the Pac-12 tournament semifinal. "An UNC-Asheville upset would hinge on Drew Pemper, the Tennessee transfer and senior center who scored a school-record 48 points against Presbyterian on Jan. 25. He leads UNC Asheville with 21.1 points per game and 9.4 rebounds per game. "
—Kansas to emerge from the West: The Jayhawks are "battle-tested thanks to Big 12 conference play and has 15 Quad 1 victories — more than any team in the country. Among Kansas’ talent-rich roster, freshman guard Gradey Dick is the one catching the eyes of NBA scouts."
NCAA Tournament schedule, TV: March Madness game times, channels, announcers, how to watch
Keys for the Sun Devils
Fatigue factor: ASU played three games in as many days in the Pac-12 tournament and looked noticeably spent in the second half of the Friday semifinal loss to Arizona. It's a quick turnaround to a Wednesday game in another time zone, then possibly another two days later, with the Sun Devils having to go from Dayton to Denver.
Nunez availability: True freshman Austin Nunez has been the first guard off the bench but has been out of action since sustaining a concussion against Utah on Feb. 18. He is undergoing cardiovascular work in hopes he'll be able to go. Jamiya Neal has performed admirably in his place.
Nevada connection: Forward Warren Washington and guard Desmond Cambridge Jr. were at Nevada last year, so they'll have a little extra motivation. Sometimes that works in your favor but it can work in against a player as well Sometimes it adds even more pressure with a player wanting it a little too badly.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona State primer: Keys to NCAA West bracket, Sun Devils chances
