Arizona State Sun Devils
Pac-12 (25-6, 16-2)
Arizona State comes into the NCAA Tournament as one of the hotter teams in the nation. One of the biggest keys to success for the Sun Devils all season long has been its commitment to outstanding defense, especially when it comes to rebounding the basketball. Arizona State is usually the smaller team, but their experience and relentless effort is usually too much for opposing teams to deal with on a nightly basis.
Big Wins: 12/21 Florida State (68-56), 2/5 UCLA (65-61), 2/14 at Stanford (63-61)
Bad Losses: 11/15 Kentucky (64-68), 12/5 VCU (58-60), 2/1 at Oregon State (44-67)
Coach: Charli Turner Thorne
Why They Can Surprise:
The Sun Devils should be able to draw upon the experience from last year in the NCAA Tournament when they came ever so close to getting back to the Elite Eight for the third time in program history. Experience in the backcourt should also carry Arizona State far in the NCAA Tournament, as redshirt senior Katie Hempen along with seniors Elisha Davis and Arnecia Hawkins are battle tested. They will be well prepared to help the Sun Devils deal with any challenges that pop up for them during the postseason as Arizona State advances deeper in the NCAA Tournament. In addition, the ability to make teams turn the basketball over will be a tremendous asset for the Sun Devils. Every possession becomes more and more precious in the postseason, so creating easy scoring opportunities in transition is going to be critical.
Why They Can Disappoint:
The loss at Oregon State, where the Beavers caught fire in the second half and outscored Arizona State, is a perfect example of how they could potentially disappoint. Oregon State shot almost 60 percent against Sun Devils, outscored them in the second half 36-15 and completely shut down Arizona State in the second half. Health is another potential issue as injuries did slow the Sun Devils early on in the season especially in the frontcourt. The trio of Sophie Brunner, Quinn Dornstauder, and Kelsey Moos have to continue to stay healthy in the postseason. Foul trouble is another potential issue as Arizona State plays eight to nine players most nights and if they run into a taller and more athletic teams in the NCAA tournament that can attack the basket, staying disciplined defensively will have to happen.
Probable Starters:
Katie Hempen, Senior, Guard, 9.2 ppg, 2.6 apg
Arnecia Hawkins, Senior, Guard, 8.9 ppg, 1.6 apg
Elisha Davis, Senior, Guard, 7.9 ppg, 4.9 apg
Kelsey Moos, Junior, Forward, 5.7 ppg, 6.0 rpg
Sophie Brunner, Junior, Forward, 10.8 ppg, 7.5 rpg
Key Roleplayers:
Peace Amukamura, Senior, Guard, 3.0 ppg, 1.4 apg
Sabrina Haines, Freshman, Guard, 5.4 ppg
Quinn Dornstauder, Junior, Forward, 9.6 ppg, 4.5 rpg
Eliza Normen, Redshirt Senior, Guard, 1.9 ppg
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 63.6 (183rd in nation, 10th in conference)
Scoring Defense: 53.7 (17, 3)
Field-Goal Percentage: 41.4 (98, 6)
Field-Goal Defense: 39.7 (185, 6)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 5.1 (200, 6)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 33.0 (86, 7)
Free-Throw Percentage: 72.1 (88, 4)
Rebound Margin: 5.4 (49, 4)
Assists Per Game: 14.9 (62, 4)
Turnovers Per Game: 14.7 (86, 4)
Recent Postseason Appearances:
2015 NCAA First Round win over Ohio
2015 NCAA Second Round win over Arkansas-Little Rock
2015 NCAA Third Round loss to Florida State
2014 NCAA First Round win over Vanderbilt
2014 NCAA Second Round loss to Notre Dame
2012 NIT First Round loss to Pacific
2011 NCAA Round of 64 loss to Temple
2010 NIT Round of 64 win over New Mexico State
2010 NIT Round of 32 loss to BYU
2009 NCAA Round of 64 win over Georgia
2009 NCAA Round of 32 win over Florida State
2009 NCAA Regional Semifinal win over Texas A&M
2009 NCAA Regional Final loss to Connecticut
2008 NCAA Round of 64 win over Temple
2008 NCAA Round of 32 loss to Duke
2007 NCAA Round of 64 win over UC Riverside
2007 NCAA Round of 32 win over Louisville
2007 NCAA Regional Semifinal win over Bowling Green
2007 NCAA Regional Final loss to Rutgers
*all team stats through 3/3
