Comparing the 2023 Arizona State team to past NCAA squads from the school.
Arizona State has not advanced past the first weekend of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament in almost 30 years, and it has been nearly 50 years since they reached the Elite Eight.
Coach Bobby Hurley and the Sun Devils are determined to end their March Madness losing streak as they return to the tournament for the first time since the 2018-19 season.
ASU will begin their Big Dance journey in Dayton on Wednesday at the First Four, facing off against Nevada as both teams compete as 11th seeds. The winner will advance to play against TCU, the sixth seed, on Friday evening.
As of Monday morning, oddsmakers in Arizona are showing confidence in the Sun Devils with ASU being favored at -140 on the moneyline and a 2.5-point spread.
If you’re feeling fortunate and looking to gamble on the Sun Devils, BetMGM Sportsbook Arizona is providing ASU at odds of +20000 to win the championship, alongside teams like USC, Utah State, Boise State, Pittsburgh, and Missouri.
Yengols.com is the ultimate source for information on Arizona sports betting apps. They recently conducted an analysis comparing the current Sun Devil NCAA team to past teams using Ken Pomeroy’s KenPom.com rankings.
ASU NCAA Teams from the 2002-03 season onwards
- During the 2022-23 season, the team is ranked 68th in KenPom and seeded 11th. They will face Nevada in the First Four on Wednesday.
- In the 2018-19 season, the team finished with a record of 57 wins and secured the 11th seed. They began their tournament run by beating St. Johns in the First Four with a score of 74-65. However, their journey was cut short in the First Round when they lost to Buffalo with a score of 91-74.
- During the 2017-18 season, the team ended with a record of 49 wins and 11 losses, ranking as the 11th seed. Their journey came to an end in the First Four game against Syracuse, where they were defeated with a final score of 60-56.
- In the 2013-14 season, the team secured the 10th seed in the playoffs after finishing with a record of 39 wins and 10 losses. However, their playoff run was cut short by a narrow 87-85 defeat to Texas in the first round.
- During the 2008-09 season, the team clinched the 6th seed with a record of 15 wins. They triumphed over Temple in the First Round with a score of 66-57, but were defeated by Syracuse in the Second Round with a score of 78-67.
- During the 2002-03 season, the team ended with a 30-10 record. They came into the tournament as the 10th seed and beat Memphis in the opening round with a score of 84-71. Unfortunately, they were knocked out in the second round by Kansas, losing 108-76.
- Record in the NCAA Tournament: 3 wins, 5 losses
Keep reading yengols.com for the top Arizona sportsbook deals to take advantage of during the NCAA basketball tournament.
What is the historical ranking of this year’s ASU team?
The ASU team this year has the lowest KenPom ranking of any team that has qualified for the Big Dance since 2002.
In 2008-09, ASU had a formidable team led by James Harden and his teammates, who finished the season in 15th place. The team began strong with a 66-57 win against Temple but ultimately fell to Syracuse in the second round with a score of 78-67.
In 2019, ASU entered the NCAA Tournament with their lowest ranking at 57th. Nevertheless, they pulled off a 74-65 victory over St. John’s in Dayton.
Buffalo defeated ASU with a final score of 91-74, bringing an end to the Sun Devils’ March Madness journey before their current successful run.
The journey of ASU to the NCAAs this year
The Sun Devils clinched one of the last four at-large spots in the 2023 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament thanks to a strong finish to the regular season.
ASU finished the year with a 22-12 overall record, including an 11-9 record in Pac-12 games, earning them fifth place in the conference standings.
ASU’s unexpected win over Arizona in Tucson on Feb. 25 gave them a boost heading into the conference tournament last week.
After splitting games in Vegas, winning against USC (77-72) and losing to the Wildcats (78-59), Hurley’s team was awarded the school’s first at-large berth in four years by the selection committee.
The Sun Devils are looking to make it past the opening weekend for the first time since the Clinton Administration. Their journey starts with Wednesday’s game against Nevada in Dayton.
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Peterson Christopher, with over seven years of experience covering sports and sports betting in Arizona, is now the lead writer at yengols.com. He has also contributed to ArizonaSports.com, the Tucson Weekly, and the Green Valley News.
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