THIS IS MARCH: The Arizona State Sun Devils (22-9; 12-6) -- who advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2014 last year and just the fourth time in 24 seasons -- faces Oregon in the Pac-12 semifinals after its 83-72 win over UCLA Thursday. ESPN has the broadcast with Dave Pasch, Bill Walton and Molly McGrath on the call. The Sun Devils have an 11-5 mark in Quad 1 & 2 games, including Quad 1 wins over Kansas in Tempe and Mountain West co-champ Utah State and Mississippi State in Las Vegas (in T-Mobile Arena), as Rob Edwards missed both Las Vegas wins with a back injury.
SOLID: ASU finished second in the Pac-12 for just the fourth time in its 41-year Pac-10/12 history, as it also finished second in 2009-10, 1980-81 and 1979-80. ASU won 12 loop games for just the sixth time.
BEST PAC-12 RECORDS
16-2 (1): 1980-81
15-3 (2): 1979-80
12-6 (4): 2018-19, 2009-10, 1994-95, 1982-83
MARCH CHATTER: This time of the year brings people chirping about Quads and bubbles, so here is one on ASU: its 11 wins and 11-5 (.667) mark vs. Quads 1&2 is the best by any team projected as a 10-12 seed. Also, it is hard to find many in the same boat with an OOC SOS of 42.
13 QUICK SPARKY NOTES (IN HONOR OF 2018 NBA MVP JAMES HARDEN)
v 11-5 mark in Quad 1&2 games
v Quad 1 wins over Kansas State, Utah State and Mississippi State
v Second in the Pac-12 in scoring (77.9)
v Second in Pac-12 in FG% defense (.412)
v Leads league in offensive rebounds per game (12.2)
v Has held 13 opponents under 40 percent shooting (8 Pac-12 games)/12-1 in those games
v Zylan Cheatham is averaging 11.7 ppg, 10.5 rpg (Pac-12 leader) and 3.3 apg
v 6-4 in two-possession games this year after going 4-7 last year (12-16 previous 3 seasons)
v 21 halftime-deficit comebacks under Bobby Hurley (12 previous 5 seasons)
v Kansas was sixth top-10 OOC opponent Coach Hurley played, ASU faced one in previous 17 seasons
v Remy Martin leads P12 with 2.7 A/TO; second at 5.2 assists per game
v Best approach vertical on team is Zylan Cheatham at 41.5 inches, Remy Martin not far behind at 40
v Seven Sun Devils have led the team in scoring this year
GAME 31: ASU 83, UCLA 72 (MAR. 14, 2019): ASU led for more than 36 minutes and by as much as 23 in the Pac-12 Tournament quarterfinal game, as Romello White matched his season high with 19 points and ASU put five players in double digits. The Sun Devils outscored UCLA 34-20 in the paint and jumped out to a 45-29 lead as Zylan Cheatham notched his 13th double-double with 13 points and 13 rebounds.
ALL-PAC-12: Luguentz Dort earned Pac-12 Freshman of the Year, second-team All-Pac-12 and All-Defense team, Zylan Cheatham earned first-team and All-Defense and Remy Martin earned second-team All-Pac-12 in a vote of the league's coaches. Dort joins Jahii Carson (Co-Freshman of the Year in 2012-13), Ike Diogu (2002-03), Jamal Faulkner (1990-91) and Byron Scott (1979-80) as Sun Devils to win FOY. Cheatham and Dort become just the third and fourth Sun Devils to earn a spot on the All-Defense team since it was created in 2007-08, as Jordan Bachynski (2013-14 Defensive Player of the Year along with 2012-13 selection) did it twice along with Carrick Felix in 2012-13.
JUMP: Best standing verticals on the team: De'Quon Lake and Luguentz Dort both did 34 inches, while Zylan Cheatham is at 33.5 inches.
ATTENDANCE: Last year ASU averaged a school-record 10,603 fans, as the 4,103 extra bodies from 2016-17 to 2017-18 was the second-best increase in all of college hoops. This year 168,602 entered "The Bank" -- the nickname student broadcaster Braiden Bell tagged Wells Fargo Arena last year -- an average of 10,538, second-best in school history.
SWEEPS: ASU had two-game sweeps of Arizona (first since 2008-09), Oregon State (first since 2009-10) and Cal (second straight). It marked first time ASU had swept three teams since sweeping four in 2009-10.
REMY: Remy had his November and early December ruined by a bum ankle but check out his numbers after first eight games and digest some quick notes. He was the only player with an 11-assist game in a Pac-12 road game this year (11 at UCLA) and his 10 made free throws vs. Arizona matched the most in a league tilt.
REMY FIRST 8/PAST 23
FG: 18-55 (.327)/113-266 (.424)
3PT: 4-22 (.182)/37-109 (.339)
APG: 4.0/5.2
A-TO: 2:1/2.8:1
PPG: 10.5/13.2
20+ PT GAMES: 0/5
DUNKS: 0/2
Z NOTE: Zylan Cheatham has 13 double-doubles – but is five points and five rebounds shy of EIGHT more. He needed one more point and one more rebound vs. Washington, one more point at UCLA and at Vanderbilt, two more points vs. Cal and one more rebound four times (vs. Oregon, MSU, Long Beach State and Cal State Fullerton).
FTS: ASU has made timley free throws to seal wins...20-of-24 (.833) at Utah, including 17-of-19 (.895) in second half...15-of-19 (.789) in second half and overtime vs. UA...Rob Edwards hit two with 12 seconds left in 70-67 win over OSU to give ASU the three-point lead on Jan. 17...come-from behind win at Cal, 13-of-16 in second half...made 6-of-8 in final five minutes against Kansas, including two by Rob Edwards with six seconds left to make it a two-possession game…nine of final 11 in second half at Georgia…10-14 in final 4:03 vs. Utah State, including six straight in two-minute stretch after USU buckets…Remy Martin made two with 10 seconds left to make it five-point lead over MSU as ASU made all six in second half...8-of-10 in second OT against CSF.
WINGSPAN: ASU has five players with wingspan of at least 6-11: De'Quon Lake (7-2), Zylan Cheatham (7-0.5), Romello White (7-0.25), Vitaliy Shibel (6-11.75) and Kimani Lawrence (6-11.5).
RUN AND JUMP: Best approach vertical on the team is Zylan Cheatham at 41.5 inches, with Remy Martin not far behind at 40 inches.
KEY STAT?: ASU is 6-0 when Rob Edwards scores 15, with wins over Kansas, Arizona, at Utah, Stanford, California and UCLA (Pac-12).