Annual Excuses For ASU Hoops Begin

[Brian in Mesa]

Such an ignorant comment. For one, we beat UK in the NC game without Derek Anderson but I suppose I could bring up Arenas being injured in the '01 NC game but I don't make excuses.

That was my point.

Arenas getting injured is part of the game. It sucks, but it happens.

Anderson wasn't held out due to injury. He had been cleared by doctors to play. It was Pitino's decision all the way. If he hadn't held out a healthy Derek Anderson to ensure his high draft spot in the upcoming draft - you guys might not have won that, especially since the UK team took it to OT even without Derek.

You might have still won, if Derek had played, but we'll never know.

I'm not trying to take anything away from that team, it had an incredible run, beating other #1 seeds, etc...I'm talking about ALL the teams since Lute's been there. To me, it is shocking that there has only been one of his teams that won it all.

Just goes to show how difficult it is to do, I guess.

 

[NickelBack]

with all the boys lute has put in the pros,and all of the great guard duos hes had i would say only 1 title is a little dissapointing,but i sure wouldnt mind having a title in tempe.

Ditto.

When we resort to the 'only one national championship' arguement in Hoops, it sort of takes the heat out of the old 'pop-off when you go to a Rose Bowl' arguement we use in football.

 

[MaoTosiFanClub]

Just goes to show how difficult it is to do, I guess.

That's what makes the NCAA Tournament so great. The "best" team doesn't always win. The '03 and '98 UA teams were far better than the Pac-10 fifth place finsihing '97 squad but the previous two got bounced in the Elite 8.

 

[Lefty]

I'll take 4 Final Fours and a national championship. I watch the 97 championship game 2-3 times ayear. It's memories that every Wildcat fan will have for the rest of their lives.

As for the title game in 2001 against Duke, I believe if Arenas was 100% they would of won. They totally destroyed the Spartans in the semifinals. I know injuries play a part in sports but what I did not like in the Duke game was how awful the officiating was. Williams clearly fouled Gardner and that should of been his 5th foul.

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This year there are about 10-12 teams that have a legitimate shot at winning it all. It should be a great tournament. I love the month of March.

 

[ajcardfan]

Two smallest Pac-10 crowds of the year for the Devils this week at Wells Fargo....

ASU has NEVER drawn well in basketball. Even back in the day of Ned Wulk's great teams and players, the arena was routinely 2/3rds full. ASU is a college basketball backwater. I still attend some ASU football and basketball games every year and have since 1978. I've never gotten used to the lack of enthusiasm on campus for their teams.

 

[NickelBack]

Pac-10 standings heading into this weekend's games. If the conference tournament started today, it would be USC and Oregon on the outside looking in.


Arizona (9) 13-2
Washington (14) 11-3
Stanford 9-5
UCLA 8-7
Arizona St. 7-8
Oregon St. 6-8
California 5-9
Washington St. 5-9
Oregon 4-10
USC 4-11

 

[Renz]

Pac-10 standings heading into this weekend's games. If the conference tournament started today, it would be USC and Oregon on the outside looking in.


Arizona (9) 13-2
Washington (14) 11-3
Stanford 9-5
UCLA 8-7
Arizona St. 7-8
Oregon St. 6-8
California 5-9
Washington St. 5-9
Oregon 4-10
USC 4-11

I think ASU is definitely in the Pac-10 tournament this year. I'd love to see a first round game of ASU vs UCLA. The loser would not be going to the NCAA's.

 

[Russ Smith]

I think ASU is definitely in the Pac-10 tournament this year. I'd love to see a first round game of ASU vs UCLA. The loser would not be going to the NCAA's.

That's the matchup right 4 vs. 5? UCLA beat ASU twice, tough to do it 3 times in one year and maybe Evans finally figures out that UCLA is going to double Diogu so he ought to go to plan B?

ESPN has UCLA still in but I'm not convinced. I think they have to win out in pac 10 play, probably will lose at Notre Dame, and then I figure they need one win in the conference tourney to get a bid. Frankly I think ASU needs more than one win in the conf tourney because they had such a weak non conference schedule.

It's one of those weird arguments, UCLA played a tougher schedule but lost most of the tough games, ASU played a weaker schedule, which do you reward? Right now the kicker is obvious, UCLA swept ASU, but if ASU wins in the conf tourney and wins another game that might do it.

 

[NickelBack]

The loser would not be going to the NCAA's.

I don't think that ASU gets in - even if they beat UCLA in a 4/5 game - unless they somehow manage to get to .500 in conference play.

 

[WizardOfAz]

ASU had a chance last night at UW but blew it late down the stretch.

 

[NickelBack]

Standings heading into Saturday's must win game at Wazzou:

Arizona (9) 14-2
Washington (14) 12-3
Stanford 9-6
UCLA 9-7
Oregon St. 7-8
Arizona St. 7-9
Oregon 5-10
California 5-10
Washington St. 5-10
USC 4-12

 

[sly fly]

ASU had a chance last night at UW but blew it late down the stretch.

Nate Robinson is one of those special "college" players. He was not going to let UW lose that one. His final bucket in which he spun and hung in the air against Braxton was a strong, naddsy (is that a word?) move.

I can see UW making a strong run in the NCAA's. Robinson reminds me of Mateen Cleaves with hops and a J.

I though ASU hung tough. And, they actually played like a tournament team. Ike was just a monster down low. K. Krueger hits nothing but clutch 3's. And, that's it. Morril has hands of stone. Braxton has no confidence from beyond 2 feet. T Jackson is nothing more than a nice defender. Steve Moore worries me. Serge Angounou and Bryson Krueger were no shows.

 

[ajcardfan]

ASU had a chance last night at UW but blew it late down the stretch.

Nah, that was, easily, one of ASU's best 3 efforts this year. They wouldn't be on the outside of the NCAAs looking in if they had performed like that against USC, Cal, or UCLA. Sometimes, the other team is just real good and plays good. Washington had a phenomenal night shooting the ball.

 

[Russ Smith]

Nate Robinson is one of those special "college" players. He was not going to let UW lose that one. His final bucket in which he spun and hung in the air against Braxton was a strong, naddsy (is that a word?) move.

I can see UW making a strong run in the NCAA's. Robinson reminds me of Mateen Cleaves with hops and a J.

.

The scary thing to me about Robinson is I not only saw his dad play in college (football) I saw him play in highschool in San jose. his name was Jacque but the local paper used always spell it Jock, so when he got to college he was calling himself Jacque "don't call me jock" Robinson. he was great in basketball too but he didn't have Nate's hops, he could jump but not like that.

Of course I saw Kurt Rambis play in highschool but I was in elementary school and he was just the local star.

 

[WizardOfAz]

Another road loss for the Devils - to a team behind them in the conference standings.

 

[Renz]

Another road loss for the Devils - to a team behind them in the conference standings.

They are just shoveling dirt on Rob Evans' grave now.

 

[NickelBack]

Final games prior to conference tourney:


Arizona (11) 14-3
Washington (10) 13-3
Stanford 10-6
UCLA 9-7
Oregon St. 8-8
Arizona St. 7-10
Washington St. 6-10
Oregon 5-11
California 5-11
USC 4-12

 

[WizardOfAz]

Perhaps, if the Devils play well in LA, they can earn a home game in the first round ot the N.I.T.!

 

[NickelBack]

I read they beat Fairleigh Dickinson by 8 points!! Does anybody even know Fairleigh Dickinson?

Fairleigh Dickinson made it to the Big Dance!

 

[Brian in Mesa]

Fairleigh Dickinson made it to the Big Dance!

And some people said our out of conference schedule was weak...

 

[ajcardfan]

Fairleigh Dickinson made it to the Big Dance!

So did Delaware St.! Clearly, ASU was worn out by their brutal nonconference schedule!

 

[Dback Jon]

So did Delaware St.! Clearly, ASU was worn out by their brutal nonconference schedule!

Yeah - those 16 seeds are tough competition.......

 

[Brian in Mesa]

Yeah - those 16 seeds are tough competition.......

Tougher than a Lumberjack...

 

[NickelBack]

Perhaps, if the Devils play well in LA, they can earn a home game in the first round ot the N.I.T.!

No, on the road at UNLV.

 

[WizardOfAz]

Well another season is in the books.

ASU starts the season 11-1 and finishes 18-14, what more can be said?