Arizona State hoops completed its non-conference slate ahead of the holiday break and now it enters Big 12 play for the first time in program history. At 9-2, head coach Bobby Hurley has the team in a good spot to take on a new conference and challenge for a spot in the NCAA Tournament, but do the pundits agree?
ESPN's Joe Lunardi and CBS Sports' Jerry Palm released their projected brackets prior to the week of Christmas, so let's examine where in the field of 68 the Sun Devils land at the moment.
Lunardi put ASU in the West region as an 11-seed facing six-seed Illinois, labeling the Devils as one of the last four teams with a bye - meaning as of now, the team is avoiding the play-in games in Dayton, Ohio as part of the "First Four."
Palm has a little more confidence in Hurley's squad. He put ASU in the West region as a seven-seed facing 10-seed Wisconsin. That assessment is probably a little more optimistic than reality suggests in the long run, as the Devils two losses have been to Top 10 foes without a single ranked win to their resume.
ASU hoops still has a lot of work to do in order to get to March Madness
Lunardi and Palm aren't the only major outlets assessing ASU's resume and where it would fit in the NCAA Tournament if it started today.
Jon Rothstein of College Hoops Today predicts the Devils will make the field with their current record and a projection of success in the Big 12. However, he does award a whopping eight bids to the conference at the moment.
Teamrankings.com is less optimistic, listing ASU outside the top 68 and only giving it a 36 percent chance of qualifying in its current position.
As the team enters conference play on New Year's Eve against BYU, there are five ranked opponents potentially awaiting the Devils down the road. It will be imperative for them to pick up at least two while taking care of business elsewhere in order to maintain a tournament-caliber resume.