Dec. 17, 2012
Arizona State men's hoops is 9-2 and after playing 10 games in 28 days has a week off between its Dartmouth win on Dec. 15 and its road tilt against Texas Tech on Dec. 22 (1 p.m. CT and Noon MT on FOX Sports Arizona). A break usually means good things for a Coach Sendek led Sun Devil squad, especially in the past six seasons.
The Sun Devils are 17-8 (.667) in past six years when Herb Sendek and his staff have at least five full days in between games, and seven of the wins have been against teams that would make the NCAA Tournament in that season.
Last year's notable was an 87-80 win over NCAA-bubble worthy Arizona in the regular season finale on March 4.
Wins in 2009-10 included MWC Tournament champion San Diego State (five-game win streak at the time), home win over Pac-10 Tournament champ and No. 24 Washington and a win at Arizona. That San Diego State win registers to this day, as it remains the last time a Pac-12 team beat the Aztecs.
In 2008-09 the five-day layoff wins included ASU's first NCAA Tournament win since 2003 (over Temple), a win over Arizona (entered the game on seven-game win streak) and a neutral site win over a 10-0 BYU team that had a guy named Jimmer as a sophomore.
In 2007-08, the wins included ASU's first win in Tucson in 13 seasons, an overtime win at California in which ASU was playing as a ranked team for the first time in 13 seasons and a 22-point win over #17 Xavier in December of 2007 that is ASU's largest victory margin over a ranked opponent.
ASU IN PAST SIX SEASONS WITH AT LEAST FIVE DAYS TO PREPARE
2007-2008 (4-0)
ASU 77, #17 Xavier (NCAA) 55 (Dec. 15, 2007)
ASU 95, Saint Francis (Pa.) 56 (Dec. 20, 2007)
#22 ASU 99, @California (NIT) 90, 2 OT (Jan. 17, 2008)
ASU 59, @Arizona (NCAA) 54 (Feb. 10, 2008)
2008-2009 (5-1)
#20 ASU 59, IUPUI 58, OT (Dec. 14, 2008)
#20 ASU 76, BYU (NCAA) 75 (Dec. 20, 2008 @Glendale)
#17 ASU 84, Central Connecticut State 47 (Dec. 20, 2008)
Washington State (NIT) 65, #14 ASU 55 (Jan. 28, 2009)
#14 ASU 79, Arizona (NCAA) 68 (Feb. 22, 2009)
#19 ASU 66, Temple (NCAA) 57 (Mar. 20, 2009 @NCAA)
2009-2010 (3-2)
ASU 55, San Diego State (NCAA) 52 (Dec. 19, 2009)
@UCLA 72, ASU 70 (Dec. 31, 2009)
ASU 68, #24 Washington (NCAA) 51 (Jan. 8, 2010)
Arizona 77, ASU 58 (Jan. 23, 2010)
ASU 73, @Arizona 69 (Feb. 21, 2010)
2010-2011 (2-2)
ASU 71, Gardner-Webb 48 (Dec. 11, 2010)
ASU 78, @Nevada 75 (Dec. 17, 2010)
@Oregon State 80, ASU 58 (Dec. 30, 2010)
#15 Arizona 67, ASU 52 (Feb. 13, 2011)
2011-2012 (2-3)
Fairfield 55, ASU 44 @Orlando (Nov. 24, 2011)
ASU 67, @Tulsa 64 (Dec. 3, 2011)
NAU 69, ASU 68 (Dec. 17, 2011)
@Arizona 68, ASU 51 (Dec. 31, 2011)
ASU 87, Arizona 80 (Mar. 4, 2012)
2012-2013 (1-0)
ASU 97, Florida A&M 70 (Nov. 20, 2012)