No. 6 seed Arizona State will take on No. 11 seed Oregon State in the first round on Wednesday, March 8 at 9:30 PM MST. The Sun Devils and Beavers will meet for the third time this season, with ASU emerging victorious in the previous two matchups. Both sides are battling for a spot in the Quarterfinal Round, which would mean a matchup with No. 3 seed USC on Thursday at 9:30 PM MST.
HOW TO FOLLOW
The Sun Devil Men's Basketball game against Oregon State will be broadcasted on Pac-12 Network at 9:30 PM MST. Ted Robinson (play-by-play) and Bill Walton (analyst) will be on the call. All 31 of Arizona State's games this season plus the entire Pac-12 Conference Tournament will be televised, with Coach Hurley's squad making appearances on ESPN, FOX, CBS, and Pac-12 Network in addition to several major network affiliates. Following their iconic call of the shot to beat No. 7 Arizona, make sure to listen to Tim Healey and Kyle Dodd on ESPN 620 (KTAR-AM). The action can also be tracked via live stats available here.
PAC-12 TOURNAMENT
FULL BRACKET/SCHEDULE
Arizona State earned the No. 6 seed at the Pac-12 Conference Tournament hosted at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas after finishing at 11-9 in league play during the regular season. The Sun Devils draw No. 11 seed Oregon State in their opening round matchup, playing the Beavers for the third time this season. Should the Maroon & Gold win and advance to the quarterfinal round, they would play No. 3 seed USC on Thursday at 9:30 PM MST. ASU has won three games at the Pac-12 Tournament in six tries under Bobby Hurley. The program won three games combined over the previous 14 seasons. Arizona State was projected to finish seventh in the Pac-12 preseason poll. It finished the year tied for fifth. This is the first time ASU will be the No. 6 seed in the 23 appearances at the Pac-12 Tournament in program history.
SUN DEVILS IN VEGAS
Head Coach Bobby Hurley's team has enjoyed their share of success in Las Vegas and they look to continue that at the 2023 Pac-12 Men's Basketball Tournament. Arizona State defeated Creighton (NET 14) at Michelob Ultra Arena as a part of the Jack Jones Hoopfest back in December. Facing adversity and resisting several significant momentum shifts in the second half, Arizona State overcame a 21-point swing and downed Creighton 73-71.
Desmond Cambridge Jr. was lethal, dropping his game-high 19 points in only 18 minutes. With ASU taking body blows in the form of a 16-0 Creighton run early in the second half, he drilled two threes in less than 30 seconds to silence the Bluejays faithful. The Sun Devils clamped down defensively - forcing Creighton to miss seven of its final nine shots in the final five minutes - and earned big baskets down the stretch from Warren Washington, Devan Cambridge, and Desmond Cambridge Jr. in the massive win.
Arizona State previously won the 2018 MGM Resorts Main Event and the 2017 Continental Tire Invitational in Las Vegas under Coach Hurley.
ALL-CONFERENCE HONORS
Sun Devil Men's Basketball has two representatives on Pac-12 award lists as Desmond Cambridge Jr.has been named to the All-Pac-12 Second Team and Warren Washington has earned recognition as an honorable mention for the All-Defensive Team, according to an announcement by the league office Tuesday morning.
Cambridge Jr. lands on the Second Team after leading the Pac-12 in Player of the Week Awards, as he is one of only two players in the conference that was recognized three times. The only other player to do so is the Pac-12 Player of the Year, Jaime Jaquez Jr. (UCLA).
Washington safeguarded the metrically second-best defense in the conference. With Washington in the middle, the Sun Devils had the fifth-best two point percentage defense and the 12th best field-goal percentage defense nationally. Both were second in the Pac-12 behind Southern California. His 1.79 blocks per game rank 40th nationally and higher than two of the three centers who earned a selection to the Pac-12 All-Defensive team.
BATTLING THE BEAVERS
Arizona State and Oregon State will meet for the third time this season, with the Sun Devils winning the previous two matchups. Paced by a second consecutive 21-point output by Desmond Cambridge Jr., ASU made up a 16-point first half deficit on the road to defeat the Beavers. In a 68-57 victory in Tempe, Arizona State forced 16 turnovers and had 18 assists on 22 made field goals. This is the first meeting between the two sides at the Pac-12 Tournament since the 2015-16 season. The Sun Devils have won each of the last four and eight of nine matchups in the series.
SUSTAINED SUCCESS
Sun Devil Men's Basketball has now won 20 games for the fourth time in the last six years. They had accomplished the feat only eight times in the previous 33 years. Bobby Hurley has patrolled his squads to two NCAA tournaments and were in prime position for a third before COVID-19 canceled March Madness.
LOCKING IT DOWN
Arizona State is one of the best defensive teams in the country, making it difficult on opposing offenses. The Sun Devils rank 11th in the nation holding opponents to just 39.4% shooting from the field. ASU is 7-0 this season when giving up less than 60 points and have held opponents to 40% or less from the field 15 games this season. ASU is 9-0 when opponents shoot under 35%.
DOUBLE DOUBLE-DOUBLE
Devan Cambridge and Warren Washington each had double-doubles at USc. It was Washington's second of the season and Cambridge's third. Washington has had five straight contests in double-figures. In fact, two of Cambridge's double-doubles have come in conference play on the road (at Stanford).
TURNOVER MARGIN
The Sun Devils remain one of only four teams in the Power 5, Big East and Mountain West to have forced double digit turnovers in each conference game this season. ASU has had 23 consecutive conference games forcing double-digit turnovers, the most in the Pac-12. In fact, it's the 29th time in the last 31 games forcing double-digit turnovers, and 56 of 62 dating back to the start of last season.
HORNE SCORING
DJ Horne led the Sun Devils in scoring for the eight time this season, second on the team behind Desmond Cambridge Jr. Horne had 20, his second time this season with 20. He is averaging 15.8 points per game in his last eight contests.
HOME AWAY FROM HOME
Only four teams in the AP Top 25 have more wins than ASU's seven on the road. They are four of the top five teams in the nation. (No. 1 Houston, No. 2 Alabama, No. 4 UCLA, No. 5 Purdue and No. 6 Marquette). Only six of the AP Top 25 teams have double-digit wins away from home. ASU has 10 wins away from home.
COLLINS IS BALLIN'
Transfer point guard Frankie Collins has added a different dimension to the Sun Devils offense. Not only can he score at a high level, he has emerged one of the best passers in the conference. He has led the Sun Devils in assists in 19 of 30 games he's played, boasting the the highest assist rate in the Pac-12 per KenPom. Collins' 4.4 assists per game is sixth in the Pac-12. He is one of only two players in the Pac-12 to average at least 10 points, 4.4 assists, and 4.4 rebounds per game, joined by USC's Drew Peterson. Peterson averages 35.6 minutes per game while Collins does it in only 28.6 minutes per game.
COMFORTABLE WHEN IT'S CLOSE
Coach Hurley's team has played in a two-possession game in 13 of its 31 contests, boasting a 9-4 record. The Sun Devils are 33-17 in two possession games over the last four seasons, trailing only Wisconsin for the most wins in the Division I during that span.
1. Wisconsin 35
2. Arizona State 33
3. Western Kentucky 32
Providence 31
5. Kansas 31
6. Miami (FL) 30
Arizona State had a three-game stretch in conference play where over 95% of its minutes were separated by two possessions or less, which concluded a seven-game span where 86% of its minutes were separated by two possessions or less.MILESTONE MOMENT
Fifth-year guard Desmond Cambridge Jr. reached a significant milestone in a win over Washington earlier in the season. He surpassed 2,000 career points, becoming the 10th active player in the NCAA to reach the mark. His 2,238 points rank 10th among active NCAA players and his 368 threes rank sixth among active players. He is one of four active players with over 2,235 points and 605 rebounds in his career and has played the fewest games of anyone to accomplish the feat. Cambridge Jr. also ranks 34th in career steals (184) and 47th in career blocks (143) among active players.
Cambridge Jr. extended his Pac-12-leading 26th straight game with a made three-pointer last night vs. UCLA. He is just the fourth Sun Devil in the last 20 seasons to record one or more three-pointers made in at least 25 consecutive games.
2012-13: Jonathan Gilling, 29
2006-07: Christian Polk, 28
2021-22: DJ Horne, 26
2022-23: Desmond Cambridge Jr. 26
PROTECTING THE PAINT
Arizona State continues to find themselves near the top of the national rankings in blocks and rebounds per game. 12 players have recorded at least one block this season, led by Warren Washington's 52. Washington 1.79 blocks per game put him at 40th in the country and 3rd in the Pac-12. Arizona State had 20 offensive rebounds at USC, the fourth time this season the Sun Devils had at least 20 offensive boards.
DON'T COUNT US OUT
The Sun Devils have six halftime comebacks this year and three on the road (OSU, Colorado and SMU). Four of the six comebacks have come away from home, in addition to a neutral site contest against VCU at the Legends Classic held in Brooklyn, NY. 18 of the 39 halftime comebacks under Coach Hurley have been on the road and 23 have come in Pac-12 play. The Sun Devils trailed by as many as 16 on the road against Oregon State, making it the largest comeback since they overcame a 22-point deficit against Arizona on February 25, 2020. The win was also ASU's largest road comeback since trailing by 18 at Georgia on December 15, 2018.
While they didn't qualify as comebacks, in wins over Creighton and Stanford away from home, ASU withstood 16-0 and 14-0 runs respectively in the second half and still came away with a victory. Prior to their 65-57 loss to Arizona State after leading 26-25 at the half, Utah was undefeated (17-0) when taking the advantage into the break.
ROAD WARRIORS
Arizona State picked up a signature win on the road, defeating No. 7 Arizona in the McKale Center. This continues a trend of success for the Sun Devils away from home. They have won a total of 10 games away from home, including seven road wins. The Sun Devils also swept two road Pac-12 series this season (Oregon, Bays). It is the first time ASU has swept the Bay schools since 2019-20. ASU's seven total road wins are second in the Pac-12, more than Arizona, Utah and Oregon. It is just the third time since joining the conference and the first since the 1980-81 season that Arizona State has swept two road series in the same season. Arizona State has the second most league play road wins at six.
EXPERIENCE ON OUR SIDE
Coach Hurley's team has a veteran presence, with several players boasting a plethora of experience at the Division I level. In total, Sun Devils have played in 964 career games. That includes some notable names...
Desmond Cambridge Jr. - 142
Luther Muhammad - 125
Devan Cambridge - 122
DJ Horne - 115
Alonzo Gaffney - 78
Warren Washington - 77
Frankie Collins - 61
DEFENSIVE DOMINANCE
The Sun Devils have the fifth best two point percentage defense in the nation according to KenPom, allowing teams to shoot only 43.3% from inside the arc. Coach Hurley's squad is 29th in KenPom's adjusted defensive efficiency metric and 17th in opponent effective field goal percentage. KenPom also rates ASU 17th in the country in block %.
SHARING THE ROCK
Arizona State has had at least 20 assists five times this season. It is the most such instances through 20 games since the Sun Devils, led by James Harden, had six in the 2008-09 season. ASU has had 10 games this season with at least a 60% A/FGM ratio. It's the most since the Sun Devils had 13 such games in the 2015-16 season. This season, Arizona State has 430 assists on 764 made baskets, a percentage of 56.28. It's tracking to be the highest in a Sun Devil season since the 2013-14 campaign.
OVERCOMING ADVERSITY
Three of the Sun Devils' losses have come away from home and with a key piece of their rotation sidelined.
at Texas Southern - No Jamiya Neal
at San Francisco - No Desmond Cambridge Jr.
at Washington State - No DJ Horne
at No. 4 UCLA - No Austin Nunez
at USC - No Austin Nunez
In contrast, ASU has been able to overcome players missing to earn key victories.
vs. NAU – won 84-68 without Desmond Cambridge Jr.
at Colorado – won 60-59 without Frankie Collins
at Stanford – won 68-65 without Warren Washington
at California – won 70-62 without Warren Washington
at No. 7 Arizona – won 89-88 without Austin Nunez
ASU's regular starting lineup of Frankie Collins, DJ Horne, Desmond Cambridge Jr., Devan Cambridge and Warren Washington is 14-6.
- ASU is 13-1 when Devan Cambridge scores in double-figures. The first loss was at USC to close the regular season.
- Arizona State has outscored its opponent on the fastbreak in 21 of 31 games this season.
- Sun Devils Hoops is 8-5 when Warren Washington scores in double-figures.
- ASU is 10-0 when shooting over 45%.
Arizona State was extremely successful in the non-conference portion of their schedule, finishing with an 8-2 record. That included several marquee victories away from home. The Sun Devils won the Legends Classic in Brooklyn with wins over VCU and No. 20 Michigan. The Maroon & Gold also traveled to SMU and defeated the Mustangs at Moody Coliseum. Arguably the biggest win came in Las Vegas, when Coach Hurley's team withstood a big second half run to edge Creighton at the Jack Jones Hoopfest.
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