The quarterfinal matchup will be the third meeting of the season between Arizona State (21-11, 11-9) and USC (22-9, 14-6). The winner moves on to the semifinal round where they will face the winner of the Stanford/Arizona matchup. The Sun Devils have another opportunity to add to their postseason resume as Selection Sunday approaches.
HOW TO FOLLOW
The Sun Devil Men's Basketball game against USC will be the lone Pac-12 Tournament quarterfinal to be broadcast on ESPN, scheduled for a 9:30 PM MST tip-off. Dave Pasch (play-by-play) and Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer 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 Arizona Sports 98.7 FM (KMVP). 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 defeated No. 11 seed Oregon State, 63-57, in the opening round to advance to the quarterfinals. They play No. 3 seed USC today at 9:30 PM MST on ESPN for a spot in the Semifinals. The winner of this matchup will play the winner of the Stanford/Arizona game. ASU has now won four games at the Pac-12 Tournament in seven tries under Bobby Hurley. The program won three games combined over the previous 14 seasons.
LAST TIME OUT
The Arizona State men's basketball combined scintillating defense, proficient passing and tough offensive rebounding en-route to a 63-57 win against the Oregon State Beavers Wednesday night at T-Mobile Arena in the first round of the Pac-12 Tournament. Three Sun Devils scored in double-figures as Warren Washington paced the ASU offense with 15 points. Frankie Collins collected a team-high five assists as the Sun Devils had 17 dimes on 23 made baskets. Arizona State used suffocating defense down the stretch, holding Oregon State (11-21, 5-15) to a span of over nine minutes without a basket early in the second half and causing the Beavers to miss 11 of their last 12 shots. Two runs of 10-0 and 7-0 edged Arizona State to victory.
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. The Sun Devils already have two wins in the city this year after defeating Oregon State yesterday. Arizona State also took down Creighton (NET 14) at Michelob Ultra Arena as a part of the Jack Jones Hoopfest back in December. 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.
SUSTAINED SUCCESS
Sun Devil Men's Basketball has now won 20 games for the fourth time in the last six years. ASU has at least 21 wins in a season for the second time in the Hurley era. They had accomplished the feat only eight times in the previous 33 years. Coach 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 for opposing offenses to score. The Sun Devils rank 9th in the nation holding opponents to just 39.3% shooting from the field. ASU is 9-0 this season when giving up less than 60 points and have held opponents to 40%
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 24 consecutive conference games forcing double-digit turnovers, the most in the Pac-12. In fact, it's the 30th time in the last 32 games forcing double-digit turnovers, and 57 of 63 dating back to the start of last season.
HOME AWAY FROM HOME
Through games on Wednesday, Arizona State has Only eight of the AP Top 25 teams have double-digit wins away from home, including the top four in the nation. ASU has 11 wins away from home. Four of ASU's 21 wins have come on a neutral floor, including two in Las Vegas (Creighton). The Sun Devils are 4-0 in neutral site games this season. The 11 wins away from home tie the Pac-12 lead with UCLA.
COMFORTABLE WHEN IT'S CLOSE
Coach Hurley's team has played in a two-possession game in 14 of its 32 contests, boasting a 10-4 record. The Sun Devils are 34-17 in two possession games over the last four seasons, trailing only Wisconsin for the most wins in the Division I during that span. Arizona State has won three of its last four close games.
1. Wisconsin 35
2. Arizona State 34
3. Western Kentucky 33
Providence 31
5. Kansas 31
6. Miami (FL) 30
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 2,251 points rank 8th among active NCAA players and his 371 threes rank sixth among active players. He is one of four active players with over 2,250 points and 610 rebounds in his career and has played the fewest games of anyone to accomplish the feat. Cambridge Jr. also ranks 33rd in career steals (186) and 47th in career blocks (143) among active players.
Cambridge Jr. extended his Pac-12-leading 27th straight game with three three-pointers last night vs. Oregon State. He is just the third Sun Devil in the last 20 seasons to record one or more three-pointers made in at least 27 consecutive games.
2012-13: Jonathan Gilling, 29
2006-07: Christian Polk, 28
2022-23: Desmond Cambridge Jr. 27
He now has 22 times in 32 games this season that he has scored in double figures. The Sun Devils are 15-7 in the 22 games Cambridge Jr. scores in double figures. He has been in double figures in the last eight games.
T-HORNE IN THE SIDE OF OPPONENTS
In a pivotal part of the season down the stretch, DJ Horne has turned up his scoring. He is averaging exactly 15 points per game over his last nine contests with all but one output in double digits. He has one missed a single free throw over those nine games, totaling 15-16 from the charity stripe.
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 53. Washington 1.8 blocks per game put him at 41st in the country and 3rd in the Pac-12.
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 11 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 finished with the second most league play road wins at six.
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 28th in KenPom's adjusted defensive efficiency metric and 14th in opponent effective field goal percentage. KenPom also rates ASU 17th in the country in block %.
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 973 career games. That includes some notable names...
Desmond Cambridge Jr. - 143
Luther Muhammad - 126
Devan Cambridge - 123
DJ Horne - 116
Alonzo Gaffney - 79
Warren Washington - 78
Frankie Collins - 62
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. In the win over Oregon State, the Sun Devils had 17 assists on 23 made baskets, good for a 73.9 A/FGM ratio. It is the second highest of conference play. ASU had 18 assists on 22 made baskets against the Beavers in Corvallis earlier this season. ASU has had 11 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. In fact, 456 of ASU's 806 field goals this season have come on assisted baskets. That's good for 56.58%. It is tracking to be the highest percentage of assists to made field goals in a season since 471 out of 836 field goals were assisted on in the 2013-14 season (56.34%).
CONQUERING CONFERENCE CONTENDERS
Arizona State owns victories over the following teams that were among the best in their respective conferences:
- NAU – Made Big Sky Tournament Championship Game
- VCU – Won the Atlantic 10 Regular Season Championship; in A-10 Tournament Semifinals
- Grambling State – Tied for the SWAC Regular Season Championship
- Alcorn State – Tied for the SWAC Regular Season Championship
- Creighton – Finished third in the Big East with a 14-6 record
- at Oregon – Finished fourth in the Pac-12
- at Arizona – Finished second in the Pac-12 with a 14-6 record
OVERCOMING ADVERSITY
FIve 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
vs. Oregon State - won 63-57 without Austin Nunez
ASU's regular starting lineup of Frankie Collins, DJ Horne, Desmond Cambridge Jr., Devan Cambridge and Warren Washington is 15-6.
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.
EMPTY THE NOTEBOOK
- The Sun Devils are 10-0 when shooting at least 45%.
- ASU has outscored its opponent on the fastbreak in 22 of 32 games this season including both contests against USC by a total margin of +8. The Sun Devils have outscored their opponents on the fastbreak in the last two games.
- Warren Washington paced the Sun Devil offense with 15 points. It was the fourth time this season Washington has led the Sun Devil offense in scoring. ASU is 9-5 when he scores in double-figures.
- With 11 offensive rebounds, ASU now has two straight games with double-digit offensive rebounds for the fourth time. The Sun Devils snatched 20 rebounds on the road against USC last week.
ASU has had 39 comebacks when trailing at the half in the Bobby Hurley era, 18 of which have come in true-road games. In three second halves against Oregon State this season, ASU outscored them 106-80 (+26). Oregon State has shot 25-for-83 (30.1%) from the field in the second half of games against of the three matchups.
AGAINST THE TROJANS
Arizona State had 20 offensive rebounds, the fourth time this season the Sun Devils had at least 20 offensive boards in the last game. The 20 offensive boards is tied for ASU's most of the season. It has happened in four contests. The next-highest single-game offensive rebound tally for the Sun Devils was also against USC. ASU had 17 in the game in Tempe.
ASU closed both games against USC on massive runs. In the home game against the Trojans, the Sun Devils closed on a 16-0 advantage and 20-9 in the contest at the Galen Center.
Horne had 20 points, his second time this season with 20 at the Galen Center. Washington has had nine offensive rebounds and 10 defensive rebounds in the two contests against the Trojans. Warren Washington was a +/- high +5 for ASU in the road contest while Austin Nunez was +11 for the Sun Devils at home.
DEVAN DOES IT ALL
In the spirit of ASU's rock fights against the Trojans, Devan Cambridge leads Arizona State in +/- in conference play with a +43 tally. It is the first time in several weeks he has moved past brother Desmond for the team-lead in league play. Desmond closely trails at +42.
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