With “Feast Week” in full swing, ASU basketball is one of the teams that has made a statement in its early-season tournament.
There are three weeks that stuff the appetites of college hoops fanatics – the opening round of the NCAA Tournament, conference tournament week and this week’s filling of ranked matchups before and after turkey hits the dinner table.
While top-tier teams have showed out, the Pac-12 has also made a mark. But it might not have come from who you’d expect.
With Oregon traveling to New York for the 2K Empire Classic, many expected an eventual showdown between the Ducks and then-15th-ranked Syracuse. The matchup came, but in the consolation game, as OU initially fell to unranked Iowa in their first loss of the season.
Across the country, Arizona State returned from a 7-day layoff to face No. 15 Mississippi State on Monday. After leading by as many as 18, a late surge from Kimani Lawrence helped the Sun Devils hold on and advance to tonight’s championship game in the MGM Resorts Main Event.
A matchup with Gonzaga and Arizona could’ve been an NCAA Championship preview a year ago, but the newly-built Wildcats hung close with one of Mark Few’s best teams last night. A 28-point outing from Justin Coleman showed Sean Miller hasn’t been voided of a fearless point guard.
Even as Stanford faltered against Wisconsin, a surprisingly successful showing came from Oregon State. The Beavers took third place at the Paradise Jam Tournament, losing only to Missouri in a close, methodical game.
Games are still to be played, but like football, Pac-12 basketball may be as unpredictable as any Power 5 conference. Here’s how our team ranked each squad with December quickly approaching.