by Cal Aboud, Sun Devil Communications Student Assistant
Eight Sun Devil hoops opponents were drafted this year, including four in the first round.
How did they do at Wells Fargo Arena in the past two years? Not any better than anyone else, as ASU is 31-4 in the past two years in Tempe, 47-8 (.854) the past three seasons and its 21-6 (.778) Pac-12 home mark is tied with Oregon for third in the league in that time. ASU is 49-8 in past 57 home games, including three wins over Arizona in that time frame.
TOP PAC-12 HOME RECORDS PAST THREE YEARS (2012-15)
ARIZONA (25-2)
UCLA (23-4)
ARIZONA STATE/OREGON (21-6)
The eight draft picks in the past two years played a total of 12 games against Arizona State in Tempe. Only two of the players posted a win (Joe Young and Delon Wright). Take a look below at the eight opponent picks did in Tempe the past two years.
NO. 8: STANLEY JOHNSON, ARIZONA (0-1)
Johnson averaged 13.8 points and shot .446 from the field, but on Feb. 7 he was 6-of-17 and ASU held him to just two rebounds before he fouled out with 40 seconds left in ASU's 81-78 win over the sixth-ranked Wildcats, the fifth-highest ranked team the Sun Devils have defeated at home.
ASU HIGHEST RANKED TEAMS DEFEATED AT HOME
ASU 69, #2 Arizona 66 (Feb. 14, 2014)
ASU 68, #4 Oregon State 60 (March 6, 1982)
ASU 77, #5 Arizona 74 (Feb. 20, 1992)
ASU 89, #5 San Francisco 70 (Dec. 3, 1977)
ASU 81, #6 Arizona 78 (Feb. 7, 2015)
NO. 17: RASHAD VAUGHN, UNLV (0-1)
The Mountain West Conference Freshman of the Year and 2014 McDonald's All-American averaged 17.8 points on the year. Against the Sun Devils in Tempe, he had just 10 in a 73-55 ASU victory after trailing by 15 in the first half.
NO. 20: DELON WRIGHT, UTAH (1-1)
Utah got the best of ASU in Tempe this past year, but in 2013-14 the Sun Devils held off the Utes. Wright was first-team Pac-12 selection, but ASU did manage to get a 79-75 win in 2013-14.
NO. 23: RONDAE HOLLIS-JEFFERSON, ARIZONA (0-2)
He helped lead the Wildcats to the Elite Eight the past two years and a 67-9 mark, but left Tempe without a win. He had 14 points and eight rebounds in the loss this year and ASU held him to nine in the double-overtime loss on Feb. 14, 2014. Two of the best opponents to ever step foot in Wells Fargo Arena went home without a W in the past two seasons.
BEST OPPONENT RECORDS AT WFA (1978-79 TO PRESENT/MINIMUM 20 WINS)
ASU 69, #2 Arizona (23-1/.958) 66, 2 OT--Feb. 14, 2014
#3 Arizona (25-2/.926) 101, ASU 73--Feb. 27, 1988
ASU 81, #6 Arizona (20-2/.909) 78--Feb. 7, 2015
NO. 30: KEVON LOONEY, UCLA (0-1)
He was solid in Tempe with 16 points and six boards, but he fouled out and ASU notched a solid 68-66 win on the night James Harden's jersey went into the rafters.
NO. 34: ANTHONY BROWN, STANFORD (0-2)
Brown had 21 in a 76-64 Sun Devil win in 2014, and then last season he was 6-of-13 from the floor in a 67-62 Sun Devil win. In 2013-14 at Wells Fargo Arena ASU had one of its most impressive wins of the season vs. the Cardinal, as it never trailed and led 39-29 at halftime en route to a 76-64 win on Feb. 26, 2014. ASU jumped out to an 8-0 lead just 83 seconds into the game and Stanford got no closer than nine in the second half against a team that would wind up in the Sweet 16.
NO. 43: JOE YOUNG, OREGON (1-1)
Young was really good against ASU, and in 2014 he had 29...in the second half...but he fell victim to a Jordan Bachynski walk-off block (a blockoff?) as ASU won 74-72. Last year he had just 14 points, but his jumper late sealed a 68-67 Oregon win in overtime.
NO. 46: NORMAL POWELL, UCLA (0-1)
Like Kevon Looney, Powell played well against ASU this past year, but the Sun Devils got the win. UCLA has won a lot more games in the series, but let's concentrate on some stuff that is good for ASU. The Sun Devils have won four of the past six vs. UCLA in Wells Fargo Arena, including a 78-60 win on Jan. 26, 2013, over a UCLA team that would eventually win the Pac-12 title.
SPARKY BEATS LEAGUE CHAMPS: ASU is the only team in the league to beat the league champion in each of the past three seasons. ASU and Oregon State beat Arizona last season (14-2). In 2013-14 only California, Oregon and Arizona State beat the Wildcats (15-3). In 2012-13, UCLA won the league despite going 13-5, with losses at WSU, at Cal, at Oregon, at ASU and to USC in Pauley Pavilion.