Waxing his usual poetic after finishing another round atop the leader board, legendary golfer Lee Trevino was once asked by a reporter if there is more pressure to being on top. "This isn't pressure," Trevino said. "Pressure is when you bet $50 with someone on the course, but you only have $10 in your pocket."
Trevino's definition of pressure, while certainly true, discounts what it's like when the odds are in one's favor, and everyone and his brother wants to knock off the top dog, so to speak. Beginning Sunday, the ASU wrestling team will be in that position as they host the Pac-10 Championships.
"It's going to be tough," said senior Nick Frost. "Being at home puts a lot more pressure on you because everyone's gunning for you. That always makes it harder."
Sun Devils coach Thom Ortiz believes being the home favorite can work two ways.
"Sometimes a guy steps up because he's wrestling at home," Ortiz said. "But sometimes he can't take the pressure. I've seen both happen before."
Of course, there are the fringe benefits of staying home.
"It's pretty cool. There's no traveling; there's no hotels," said sophomore Ryan Bader. "It feels good to sleep in your own bed."
The 21st ranked Sun Devils (11-8, 6-1 Pac-10) come into the Pac-10 Tournament as defending champions. Since joining the Pac-10, ASU has won more conference titles than any other school. This is something Coach Ortiz takes little solace in.
"We may be favored, but on paper I think it looks pretty competitive," he said. "Of course you have Oregon State. But you can never count out Stanford, Boise State, or Cal-Poly."
What may further ASU's position as the favorite is the fact that the team hasn't competed in two weeks, which has given those nursing injuries a chance to rest.
"We've got a couple of people banged up," Frost said. While he may be speaking for the team, he is one of those on that list. Frost was lost for a significant amount of time during the second half of the season due to a leg injury.
Adding to the pressure cooker, there are several ASU wrestlers hoping that strong showings during the tournament will turn into tickets to the NCAA Championships in mid-March.
The Pac-10 conference is allowed 41 entrants into the NCAA Tournament and the top four finishers in each weight class will earn spots. There will be one "wild card" spot per weight class for those who finish outside the top four. This means that, in spite of how well one performed throughout the season, without a strong tournament, he could be sitting at home when nationals rolls around.
One Sun Devil grappler doesn't seem to mind that pressure.
"I'm not worried about it," Bader said. Bader enters the Pac-10s with a 26-6 mark and has been ranked as high as 2nd in the national rankings during the regular season. "I'm just going to do what I've done all season. This is what we work for. It all comes down to this."
Reach the reporter at vic.vela@asu.edu.
