Thank you Sun Devil nation for your incredible support all season long. pic.twitter.com/QRDXdXxgLb
— Sun Devil MBB (@SunDevilHoops) March 3, 2018
Bobby Hurley, Zylan Cheatham and Remy Martin attended Pac-12 Media Day on Thursday (Oct. 11) as the free exhibition game on Oct. 30 against Arizona Christian (6 p.m.) is right around the corner. Here are some random notes, tweets and numbers on the Sun Devils.
Lu Dort was excellent today. Absolute freight train in the open court and high energy defender. Seems to be making strides with his shooting and IQ. Also liked what I saw from Cleveland St transfer Rob Edwards, who brings a lot of toughness and shot-making. ASU will be very good. https://t.co/kQKmwxtnDX
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) October 4, 2018
1: Villanova was the only team to have zero double-digit defeats in 2017-18, but ASU came close as it was one of just eight teams with one double-digit loss. The others were Cincinnati, Clemson, Duke, Nevada, Purdue, Virginia and Wichita State.
#ForksUp for @SunDevilHoops' @BobbyHurley11 at the #Pac12Hoops Media Day podium now. https://t.co/qy9Ku7h8Tg
— Pac-12 Conference (@pac12) October 11, 2018
3: ASU reached No. 3 in the Associated Press poll last year in late December, matching the best ranking in school history. ASU entered the polls after beating Kansas State and #15 Xavier in the Continental Tire Invitational on Thanksgiving weekend. It moved up to No. 5 after winning at second-ranked Kansas 95-85 on Dec. 10. It then reached No. 3 and was the last undefeated team in the nation when it took to the floor on Saturday, Dec. 30, in the Pac-12 opener at Arizona. The No. 3 ranking is the best in school history, matched only on March 9, 1981 when ASU was 22-3 and on Jan. 7, 1963, when ASU was 10-1.Sorry Z you have to wait Remy is first. ?? pic.twitter.com/UgpyupYKDb
— Sun Devil MBB (@SunDevilHoops) October 11, 2018
Bobby Hurley at Pac-12 media day on his highly regarded freshman guard: "Luguentz Dort (@luguentz) is a shut down defensive player."
— SunDevilSource.com (@SunDevilSource) October 11, 2018
"He just wants to lock you up and he has the physical tools to do it."
4: ASU already had four wins over ranked teams in Coach Hurley's three seasons, including the big win at No. 2 Kansas on Dec. 10, 2017. @SUNDEVILHOOPS WINS OVER RANKED TEAMS UNDER BOBBY HURLEY
ASU 95, #2 Kansas 85 (Dec. 10, 2017)
ASU 102, #15 Xavier 86 (Nov. 24, 2017)
ASU 74, #23 USC 67 (Feb. 12, 2016)
ASU 67, #18 Texas A&M 54 (Dec. 5, 2015)
4: ASU reached the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2014 last, and for just the fourth time in 23 seasons. In that time it also made the tournament in 2009 and 2003.
6: The Sun Devils have been picked sixth in this year's media poll.
2018-19 PAC-12 MEN'S BASKETBALL PRESEASON MEDIA POLL
1. Oregon (16) - 288 points
2. UCLA (6) - 264
3. Washington (2) - 249
4. Arizona (1) - 205
5. USC - 203
6. Arizona State - 165
7. Colorado - 161
8. Utah - 122
9. Stanford - 109
10. Oregon State - 102
11. California - 45
12. Washington State - 37
SUN DEVILS IN PRESEASON PAC-12 PREDICTION
2018-19: 6th
2017-18: 6th
2016-17: 11th
2015-16: 8th
2014-15: 9th
2013-14: 7th
2012-13: 11th
2011-12: 9th
7: ASU posted seven wins when trailing at the half in 2017-18, tied for eighth-most in the nation. In the Pac-12 only Arizona (six) had more than five.
15: ASU made its 15th NCAA appearance and first since 2014 in 2018. ASU is 13-15 and has reached the Final Eight on three occasions (1961, 1963 and 1975) under Ned Wulk. Utah, Oregon State and UCLA eliminated ASU in those years. ASU fell to Texas in Milwaukee in 2014. In 2009, sixth-seeded ASU beat #11 Temple 66-57 in Miami before falling to #3-seeded Syracuse 78-68. In 2003, ASU was a 10-seed and beat seventh-seeded Memphis 84-71 before eventual national runner-up Kansas beat ASU 108-76 in Oklahoma City under Rob Evans. In 1995 under Bill Frieder, ASU (fifth seed in the Southeast) beat Ball State 81-66 and topped Manhattan 64-54 in Memphis to advance to the Sweet Sixteen, where it fell to second-ranked Kentucky 97-67 in Birmingham.
43.9: ASU averaged 43.9 points in the second half in 2017-18, tied for fifth in the nation with Buffalo. Niagara (45.0), Villanova (44.9), Portland State (44.1) and Marshall (44.0) were the top four teams. ASU's 43.9 points average in the second half in 2017-18 is tied for sixth-best by a Pac-12 team in the past 22 seasons.
PAC-12 SECOND HALF POINTS (1996-97 TO PRESENT/PAST 22 SEASONS)
Arizona, 1997-98, 48.5
UCLA, 2016-17, 46.6
Arizona, 2003-04, 45.2
Arizona, 1996-97, 44.4
Washington, 2004-05, 44.3
Arizona State, 2017-18, 43.9
USC, 1996-97, 43.9
82.7: ASU has been in the Pac-10/12 for more than four decades, but two of its top eight scoring teams have come in two of Bobby Hurley's first three seasons. ASU led the league in scoring last year at 82.7 points per game, third-best in school history. Also at this rest in peace to former interim Coach Don Newman, who passed away this fall. His 1997-98 dropped buckets to the tune of 84.5 points per game.
TOP SCORING SUN DEVIL TEAMS IN PAC-10/12 HISTORY
84.5/1997-1998 (Don Newman)
84.5/1992-1993 (Bill Frieder/Pac-10 leader)
82.7/2017-2018 (Bobby Hurley/Pac-12 leader)
79.6/1988-1989 (Steve Patterson)
79.3/1999-2000 (Rob Evans/Pac-10 leader)
79.3/1990-1991 (Bill Frieder)
79.2/1980-1981 (Ned Wulk/Pac-10 leader)
78.6/2016-2017 (Bobby Hurley)
10,603: That is the record average attendance that was set last year.
6 (AS IN SIXTH MAN REMY MARTIN): The Pac-12 Sixth Man of the Year officially returned for the first time in 30+ seasons in 2017-18 and freshman Remy Martin shared the award with CU's Devon Collier. Players must not have exceeded more than 1/3 starts in league games. The previous Pac-10 Sixth Man of the Year was awarded from 1984-87. Martin – with zero starts -- averaged 9.6 points, had 94 assists and was 71-of-94 (.755) from the free throw line in 23.8 minutes per game. He had 20 double-figure scoring games including 15 of the final 21 tilts. He had a season-best 21 at No. 2 Kansas on Dec. 10. Against Utah on Jan. 25, he had a personal second-half 10-0 run in 2:18 that gave ASU a three-point lead after being down seven. At WSU on Feb. 4, he had all 10 points in the final 6:20 and added two steals as ASU outscored WSU 19-9 in final seven minutes. He also had 20 in the Pac-12 Tournament loss to Colorado.
THE RANKINGS: ASU entered the Associated Press rankings for the first time since the 2008-09 season this year on Nov. 27 after it beat Kansas State and No. 15 Xavier in the Continental Tire Invitational over Thanksgiving and was 6-0. It moved up to No. 5 after winning at second-ranked Kansas 95-85 on Dec. 10. It then reached No. 3 -- matching the highest ranking in school history -- and was the last undefeated team in the nation when it took to the floor on Saturday, Dec. 30, in the Pac-12 opener at Arizona.ASU IN THE ASSOCIATED PRESS POLL IN 2017-18
2/12: 25 (19-6)
1/29: 25 (16-5)
1/22: 21 (15-4)
1/15: 16 (14-3)
1/8: 11 (13-2)
1/1: 4 (12-1)
12/25: 3 (12-0)
12/18: 3 (10-0) (matched highest ranking in school history).
12/11: 5 (9-0)
12/4: 16 (7-0)
11/27: 20 (6-0)
DROPPING 80: ASU has averaged 80.6 points per game the past two seasons, as it averaged 78.6 in 2016-17 and 82.7 this past season, the best scoring seasons since the 1997-98 team averaged 84.5. It marks the first time ASU has averaged more than 78 points per game in back-to-back seasons since 1980-81 (79.2) and 1979-80 (78.2). Coach Hurley's last two squads rank third and eighth among ASU teams in scoring in its 41 years of Pac-10/12 play. This past year marked just the fourth time ASU has led the Pac-12 in scoring. Eddie House's 1999-2000 squad did it in 1999-2000 (79.3), in addition to 1992-93 (84.5) and 1980-81 (79.2).
MOST SUN DEVIL POINTS PER GAME SINCE JOINING PAC-10 (1978-79)
84.5/1997-1998 (Don Newman)
84.5/1992-1993 (Bill Frieder/Pac-10 leader)
82.7/2017-2018 (Bobby Hurley/Pac-12 leader)
79.6/1988-1989 (Steve Patterson)
79.3/1999-2000 (Rob Evans/Pac-10 leader)
79.3/1990-1991 (Bill Frieder)
79.2/1980-1981 (Ned Wulk/Pac-10 leader)
78.6/2016-2017 (Bobby Hurley)