ASU Basketball: Tough December slate could define season

ASU basketball earned a spot in the NCAA Tournament due to quality non-conference wins. A brutal December stretch could make or break their season.

According to azcentral’s Doug Haller, Arizona State’s non-conference schedule is locked in and it’s a doozy.

The Sun Devils, who earned one of the final four bids into the NCAA Tournament last season, have once again built a stacked non-conference schedule.

To begin the season, they’ll host the Big West Tournament champions Cal State Fullerton with their first big test coming in mid-November in Las Vegas when they’ll face a likely top-15 team in Mississippi State.

It’ll be their December stretch that could define Arizona State’s season. In every season under head coach Bobby Hurley, Arizona State has had a strong non-conference season and a poor conference season.

2015-16: 10-4 in non-conference, 5-13 in Pac-12 play

2016-17: 8-7 in non-conference, 7-11 in Pac-12 play

2017-18: 12-2 in non-conference, 8-10 in Pac-12 play

The first game in Dec. against perennial NCAA Tournament team and fellow First Four team from last season Texas Southern. The Tigers have made the Big Dance in four of the last five seasons, but they are undergoing a coaching change after Mike Davis accepted the job at Detroit Mercy.

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After that home game, the Sun Devils enter their gauntlet with four tough games in a 15-day span.

In Los Angeles on Dec. 7, ASU will face a likely top-10 in Nevada at Staples Center as former ASU assistant Eric Musselman leads the loaded Wolfpack. Nevada reached the Sweet 16 last season and return the core of their roster led by forwards Caleb and Cody Martin.

Nevada will have four of their five leading scorers back next season plus the addition of freshman center Jordan Brown, a four-star prospect ranked 33rd overall in the 2018 recruiting class according to ESPN.

Eight days later, the Sun Devils will begin their two-game SEC road trip with games against Georgia on Dec. 15 and Vanderbilt on Dec. 17.

The Bulldogs have a new head coach in Tom Crean after spending a year with ESPN after being fired at Indiana. Arizona State should be able to win this game before their game against the Commodores.

Vanderbilt will seek payback on their homecourt after the Sun Devils defeated Vandy 76-64 in Tempe last season.

This is going to be a much-improved team as Vanderbilt welcomes in one of their best recruiting classes in school history. The Commodores have the ninth-best recruiting class in the nation according to ESPN signing two five-star recruits in guard Darius Garland (ranked 16th overall) and forward Simisola Shittu (ranked 19th overall).

Following the Vandy game, the one everyone has circled on their calendars for two years will take place at Wells Fargo Arena when the Kansas Jayhawks come to Tempe to face off against ASU.

Who could forget Arizona State’s upset win at Allen Fieldhouse last year? This year, Kansas loses its talisman Devonte’ Graham to the NBA but they will be one of the teams in the conversation to be the preseason No. 1 team.

Kansas welcomes in three of the top 27 players in this year’s recruiting class according to ESPN led by guard Quentin Grimes who’s ranked as the eighth-best prospect.

Joining Grimes is guard Devon Dotson (ranked 24th overall by ESPN) and center David McCormack (ranked 27th overall) to round out the recruiting class. The Jayhawks also return guard Lagerald Vick, center Udoka Azubuike and forward Silvio De Sousa from last year’s team.

ASU wraps up the non-conference schedule with a home game against Princeton on Dec. 29. This stretch in December could define Arizona State’s season and they will need to pick up wins during this stretch considering the Pac-12 could be trending towards another down year.

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The Sun Devils also haven’t fared well in conference play so these non-conference games will be crucial. However, Hurley will have his deepest and most talented team yet and Arizona State should be up to challenge to face this tough non-conference slate.

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