Thank you Sun Devil nation for your incredible support all season long. pic.twitter.com/QRDXdXxgLb
— Sun Devil MBB (@SunDevilHoops) March 3, 2018
Coach Bobby Hurley has announced the 2018-19 @SunDeviHoops non-conference schedule and it is shocking to no one it is tough, with plenty of away-from-home big-win opportunities along with the potential No. 1 team in the nation coming to town Dec. 22.
"I love it. It's always one of the highlights for me as I work with my staff on it," notes Coach Hurley, who will have taken his team to three SEC arenas in four years after next year. "The assistant coaches have input and feedback and Dave Cohen works with us, he certainly spends a lot of time on scheduling as well. It's very challenging to play three true road games -- versus two SEC opponents -- and to have a neutral site game against a projected top-10 team in Nevada. We have Kansas coming here. Mississippi State has a solid team coming back...a lot of exciting things for sure."
ASU was 8-22 in its previous 30 non-conference road games, but is now 4-1 under Coach Hurley with wins at San Diego State, UNLV, Creighton and No. 2 Kansas. It will visit San Francisco (Nov. 16), Georgia (Dec. 15) and Vanderbilt (Dec. 17) this season.
As stated earlier today ... https://t.co/YRBwleKCa0 pic.twitter.com/WuFBJpbo2Q
— Sun Devil MBB (@SunDevilHoops) August 14, 2018
WHEN WAS LAST TIME ASU PLAYED THREE NON-CONFERENCE ROADIES? When you toss out neutral site tournaments and talk only true road games, the 2018-19 season will be just the third time since 1989-90 (also in 2010-11 and 2015-16 in Bobby Hurley's first year) that ASU will play three non-conference true road games.
SEASONS OF THREE NON-CONFERENCE ROAD GAMES (1978-79 TO PRESENT) 2018-19 (at San Francisco, at Georgia, at Vanderbilt)
2015-16 (at Creighton, Kentucky and UNLV)
2010-11 (at New Mexico, Baylor and Nevada)
1989-90 (at San Francisco, Northern Arizona and Kansas)
1982-83 (at DePaul, Ohio State and Kansas State)
1981-82 (at Kansas, Utah and Marquette)
1978-79 (at Purdue, Hawaii and San Diego State)
Thrilled to help with distributing back to school supplies @BallForever_ @robedwardss2 @BobbyHurley11 @tcherry002 @1KingZ4 pic.twitter.com/4G5Gq8o7I5
— Sun Devil MBB (@SunDevilHoops) July 25, 2018
@SUNDEVILHOOPS 2018-19 OUT OF LEAGUE SCHEDULE
Tuesday, Nov. 6: Cal State Fullerton
Friday, Nov. 9: McNeese State (MGM Grand Main Event Game at ASU)
Monday, Nov. 12: Long Beach State (MGM Grand Main Event Game at ASU)
Friday, Nov. 16: at San Francisco
Monday, Nov. 19: Mississippi State at T-Mobile Arena (8 p.m. PT/ESPNU)
Wednesday, Nov. 21: vs. St. Mary's/Utah State at T-Mobile Arena
Wednesday, Nov. 28: Nebraska-Omaha
Saturday, Dec. 1: Texas Southern
Friday, Dec. 7: vs. Nevada at STAPLES Center
Saturday, Dec. 15: at Georgia
Monday, Dec. 17: at Vanderbilt
Saturday, Dec. 22: Kansas
Saturday, Dec. 29: Princeton
"Our scheduling is just part of our DNA now"
— Jack Harris (@Jack_A_Harris) June 28, 2018
A detailed look at how #ASU basketball has beefed up its non-conference scheduling and, in the process, raised its national profilehttps://t.co/99CnQrT1Nf
Some highlights from the schedule below...
Paintball with the Squad #ForksUp pic.twitter.com/0sUEs9Wbcq
— Sun Devil MBB (@SunDevilHoops) August 1, 2018
TUESDAY, NOV. 6 VS. CAL STATE FULLERTON The Sun Devils, coming off a NCAA Tournament appearance in 2018, will open the 2018-19 season on Tuesday, Nov. 6, against 2018 Big West Tournament champion Cal State Fullerton in Tempe. It will be the earliest opener in school history. Head coach Dedrique Taylor's Titans return four starters and seven of the eight players that averaged more than 10 minutes per game from the 2017-18 squad. The Titans welcome back each of the top four scorers from last year, led by senior Kyle Allman, Jr., a first-team All-Big West honoree and the Big West Tournament MVP, who scored 19.5 points per game. The 2017-18 team posted one of the best seasons in program history, as the Titans racked up 20 wins for just the seventh time in school history and made their third trip to the Big Dance (also in 2008 and 1978). The 20 victories were the most in a season since the Titans captured 21 wins during the 2011-12 campaign. Taylor was an assistant coach ASU from 2006-07 to 2012-13. He helped guide ASU to four 20-win seasons in his seven seasons, including a 25-10 overall record in 2008-2009 that included a NCAA Tournament win over Temple in Miami. The schools – just 365 miles apart – have met just twice, with ASU winning 83-76 on Nov. 24, 2003, and 87-83 on March 19, 1983, in the National Invitational Tournament.
EARLIEST SEASON OPENERS IN SUN DEVIL HISTORY
Nov. 6, 2018 -- Cal State Fullerton at ASU
Nov. 8, 2013 -- ASU 96, UMBC 61
Nov. 10, 2017 -- ASU 94, Idaho State 74
Nov. 10, 2012 -- Central Arkansas at Arizona State
Nov. 10, 2000 --Tulsa 69, ASU 67 (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
FRIDAY, NOV. 16 AT SAN FRANCISCO
The Dons went 22-17 last year (and had a Selection Sunday RPI of 139), giving them back-to-back 20-win seasons for the first time since 1981-82. USF advanced to the finals of the College Basketball Invitational, its first postseason tournament finals appearance since 1956, and returns a wealth of talent from last year's team. Highlighting the list of returners is First Team All-West Coast Conference honoree Frankie Ferrari. Joining Ferrari, will be junior Jordan Ratinho, who set the USF single season record for 3-point field goals with 86, as well as the return of Charles Minlend, the 2017 WCC All-Freshman Team honoree who sat out last season. ASU beat USF 75-57 on Dec. 2 last year and topped San Francisco 104-65 in Tempe in the previous meeting on Nov. 20, 2009, as ASU leads the series 5-4. One of the best wins in school history took place vs. USF as ASU beat No. 5 San Francisco 89-70 in Tempe on Dec. 3, 1977. USF had RPI of 94 in 2017-18 and finished 20-13 which included a win over Utah.
ASU VS. SAN FRANCISCO (ASU LEADS 5-4)
#20 ASU 75, San Francisco 57 (Dec. 2, 2017)
ASU 104, San Francisco 65 (Nov. 20, 2009)
ASU 70, at San Francisco 67, 2 OT (Dec. 5, 1989)
ASU 82, San Francisco 76 (Dec. 28, 1988)
#19 San Francisco 102, ASU 90 (Dec. 30, 1977 at Oklahoma City)
ASU 89, #5 San Francisco 70 (Dec. 3, 1977)
#3 San Francisco 114, ASU 96 (Dec. 28, 1976 at Honolulu)
at San Francisco 93, ASU 74 (Jan. 27, 1968)
at #8 San Francisco 91, ASU 75 (Jan. 30, 1965)
LAST YEAR VS. USF (DEC. 2, 2017)
Playing in their first game as a ranked team since 2009, the No. 20 @SunDevilHoops squad moved to 7-0 for the first time since 1980-81 with a 75-57 win over the USF Dons. Romello White led the way with a double-double, putting up 16 points and grabbing 13 rebounds. The team had four other players help contribute by reaching double-digits in points as well. After the Dons started off the game with a three, the Sun Devils went on a 25-3 run over a span of 11 minutes. With six minutes left to go in the half, the Devils built their lead to 21 points, the largest lead of the game. The Dons went on a quick 9-0 to trim the lead heading into the half. In the second half USF lessened the gap multiple times to 12 points, but eventually, the Sun Devils pulled away. USF shot 28.6 percent (18-of-63) and just 27.5 percent (11-of-40) from three. It marked ASU's best defensive field goal percentage since it held LMU to .281 on Nov. 20, 2014.
WORST OPPONENT SHOOTING NIGHTS VS. ASU (2006-07 TO PRESENT)
.208/11-53 by Delaware State (Dec. 5, 2007)
.231/12-52 by Western Illinois (Nov. 13, 2009)
.246/14-57 by Oregon State (Feb. 11, 2010)
.250/12-48 by Delaware State (Dec. 12, 2009)
.255/14-55 by Cal Poly (Nov. 26, 2007)
.267/12-45 by Pepperdine (Nov. 23, 2008)
.281/16-57 by Loyola Marymount (Nov. 20, 2014)
.286/18-63 by San Francisco (Dec. 2, 2017)
MONDAY, NOV. 19 VS. MISSISSIPPI STATE IN LAS VEGAS AT T-MOBLE ARENA
College basketball returns to T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas when the fifth-annual MGM Resorts Main Event tips on Nov. 19-21. The tournament's Heavyweight Bracket will feature Arizona State vs. Mississippi State and Saint Mary's vs. Utah State on Monday, Nov. 19 with the championship and consolation games being played on Wednesday, Nov. 21. Game times will be announced at a later date. Coach Ben Howland's Mississippi State squad will be bolstered by two top-50 recruits and will return all five starters from a 25-12 team last season including leading scorer and All-SEC standout Quinndary Weatherspoon.
bdG News: Tickets for @MGMResortsIntl
— bd Global (@bdGlobalSports) August 7, 2018
Main Event on-sale on Friday, Aug. 10.
Heavyweight Bracket features @SunDevilHoops @HailStateMBK @saintmaryshoops and @USUBasketball on Nov. 19/21 at @TMobileArena.#NeonHoops @NeonHoopsLVhttps://t.co/TBLphcoZgy
FRIDAY, DEC. 7 VS. NEVADA AT STAPLES CENTER
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame has announced the field for the third annual Basketball Hall of Fame Classic presented by Citi, held in conjunction with STAPLES Center on Friday, December 7, 2018. The one-day triple header will feature Texas Christian vs. USC, St. Mary's vs. New Mexico, and Nevada vs. Arizona State. Game times and television broadcast information will be released at a later date. Nevada coached by former Sun Devil assistant Eric Musselman, has been a top-10 fixture in summer polls after reaching the Sweet 16 last season. ASU IN NEUTRAL SITE NON-CONFERENCE GAMES UNDER BOBBY HURLEY
ASU vs. Nevada (Dec. 7, 2018 at STAPLES Center, Los Angeles)
ASU 82, St. John's 70 (Dec. 8, 2017 at STAPLES Center, Los Angeles)
ASU 102, #15 Xavier 86 (Nov. 24, 2017 at Orleans Arena, Las Vegas)
ASU 92, Kansas State 90 (Nov. 23, 2017 at Orleans Arena, Las Vegas)
#18 Purdue 97, ASU 64 (Dec. 6, 2016, at New York City/Jimmy V Classic)
#1 Kentucky 115, ASU 69 (Nov. 28, 2016 at Bahamas)
Davidson 68, ASU 60 (Nov. 19, 2016 at Orlando)
ASU 80, Tulane 71 (Nov. 18, 2016 at Orlando)
Northern Iowa 82, ASU 63 (Nov. 17, 2016 at Orlando)
Marquette 78, ASU 73, OT (Nov. 24, 2015 at Barclays Center)
ASU 79, NC State 76 (Nov. 23, 2015 at Barclays Center)
SATURDAY, DEC. 15 AT GEORGIA
Tom Crean's squad will return the trip to Tempe in December of 2019. It will mark ASU's second trip to an SEC school under Bobby Hurley, with the third coming two days later when ASU travels to Vanderbilt. ASU visited Kentucky in December of 2015, Coach Hurley's first year.
MONDAY, DEC. 17 AT VANDERBILT
ASU is 4-0 vs. Vanderbilt including last year's December 17 win. Prior to that the last meeting was in Las Vegas as ASU won 87-68 on Nov. 27, 2004. ASU also won 67-61 (Dec. 28, 1994) and 65-53 (Dec. 5, 1981). Vanderbilt, a 2017 NCAA Tournament team, was just the second SEC team to visit Wells Fargo Arena in previous 23 seasons, as ASU topped No. 18 Texas A&M 67-54 on Dec. 5, 2015, but prior to that tilt the last SEC program to visit Tempe was Vanderbilt on Dec. 29, 1994.
SATURDAY, DEC. 22 VS. KANSAS
Everyone knows the deal here. This is big. Potentially the biggest non-conference home game in school history? Sure why not unless you can find one bigger. You can't. It is.
SATURDAY, DEC. 29 VS. PRINCETON
ASU will make an Ivy league trip next season, this year the Tigers are the final non-conference game before ASU opens Pac-12 play.
2018-19 @SUNDEVILHOOPS PAC-12 PAIRINGSSCREAM! The @Pac12Network pairings are here for 2018-19 https://t.co/Nctcqsu45l Are you ready @ASU_Alumni @ASU @942Crew @SunDevilTix @sundevilclub ? pic.twitter.com/qzXVIULaOj
— Sun Devil MBB (@SunDevilHoops) July 16, 2018
Jan. 2-6: Colorado/Utah
Jan. 9-13: at California/Stanford
Jan. 16-20: Oregon/Oregon State
Jan. 23-27: at UCLA/USC
Jan. 30-Feb. 3: Arizona
Feb. 6-10: Washington State/Washington
Feb. 13-17: at Utah/Colorado
Feb. 20-24: Stanford/California
Feb. 27-Mar. 3: at Oregon State/Oregon
Mar. 6-9: at Arizona