Party Like it’s 2014: Arizona State is in the NCAA Tournament

Arizona Statehad to really sweat it out since Wednesday’s loss to Colorado, but the Sun Devils make the Big Dance earning a spot in the First Four.

3:08 p.m. MT.

That is the time when the nation saw the Arizona State pitchfork appear on their televisions as an at-large bid.

The Sun Devils, who were sweating it out Sunday after Davidson upsetDan Hurley‘s Rhode Island Rams in the A-10 Championship Game knocking a team out of the field, made the field of 68 and will play the Syracuse Orange in the First Four Wednesday night.

According to the NCAA Committee Chair Bruce Rasmussen, the Orange were the final team in the field with Arizona State getting in due to their caliber of wins in the non-conference season.

ASU sported a 5-2 record against teams in the NCAA Tournament, including wins over two one-seeds in Kansas and Xavier.

Syracuse, who went 20-13 in a tough ACC conference, were a surprise tournament team with their best win coming against Clemson (58-55) on March 3.

Other notable wins for Syracuse include Louisville (who were on the bubble), Miami and wins over mid-major conference champions in Iona, Texas Southern and Buffalo.

The Sun Devils will faceJim Boeheim‘s vaunted zone defense in Dayton. It will also be a battle of the backcourts in Syracuse’sTyus BattleandFrank Howardversus ASU’sTra HolderandShannon Evans.

Should the Sun Devils defeat Syracuse in Dayton, the 11-seeded Arizona State will face the six-seeded TCU Horned Frogs in Detroit Friday.

Arizona State and TCU were two of the last remaining undefeated teams in the nation back in late December.

The 3-14 matchup in that quadrant is No. 3 Michigan State versus No. 14 Bucknell, champions of the Patriot League.

The Spartans will have a home-court advantage in that quadrant.

Here’s the full Midwest Region and reaction of Arizona State’s inclusion in the NCAA Tournament. Make sure you stay connected with Devils in Detail for coverage of ASU’s run in the Big Dance.

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