After being criticized by bracketologists for playing a weak non-conference schedule last year, the ASU men’s basketball team has added several powerhouses to its 2013-14 slate.
With the addition of ASU’s home-and-home series with UNLV, the Sun Devils have completed their non-conference schedule for next season, the team announced Thursday.
ASU finished its non-conference play 11-2 last year but the Sun Devils’ soft schedule hurt their chances of reaching the NCAA Tournament with their opponents finishing with a combined record of 181-223 (.448). The combined record of the Sun Devils’ guaranteed non-conference foes next season is actually worse at 135-187 (.419), but a heavy field awaits ASU at the Wooden Legacy during Thanksgiving weekend.
The Sun Devils will play two true road games this season compared to last year’s one and ASU will face two opponents (DePaul and Texas Tech) from last season’s schedule. The Sun Devils play two NCAA Tournament teams from last year (UNLV and Marquette) and could see three more at the Wooden Legacy.
Here's what ASU’s non-conference lineup looks like for 2013-14:
Nov. 8 vs. Maryland-Baltimore County
Nov. 12 vs. Miami (Ohio)
Nov. 15 vs. Idaho State
Nov. 19 at UNLV
Nov. 22 vs. Bradley
Nov. 25 vs. Marquette
Nov. 28 - Dec. 1 at Wooden Legacy
Dec. 6 at DePaul
Dec. 14 vs. Grambling
Dec. 21 vs. Texas Tech
Dec. 28 vs. UC-Irvine
Some notes about the schedule:
- Miami (Ohio) is where ASU coach Herb Sendek received his first head coaching position.
- UNLV (25-10) made the NCAA Tournament six out of the last seven years and is one of the most coveted basketball programs on the West Coast, but this could be an intriguing matchup for the Sun Devils. Not only did the Rebels lose star freshman forward Anthony Bennett to the NBA Draft this summer, but UNLV also saw forward Mike Moser transfer to Oregon and guard Katin Reinhardt leave the program for USC. The Rebels only return two of their top-eight scorers from last year, but a win over UNLV should still give ASU some respect from bracketologists down the road. The Rebels went 18-3 at Thomas & Mack Center with losses coming to Oregon, Fresno State and New Mexico in the championship round of the Mountain West Tournament. UNLV will come to Tempe in 2014-15.
- Marquette (26-9) will likely be the strongest opponent the Sun Devils face all season, and ASU gets homecourt against the Golden Eagles in Tempe. Marquette finished 2012-13 with an RPI of 12 and made it all the way up to the Elite Eight in its eighth straight NCAA Tournament appearance. There's a chance the Sun Devils could face the Golden Eagles again later that week. Marquette won’t have former Sun Devil guard Trent Lockett due to graduation over the offseason.
- The Wooden Legacy, set to take place in Anaheim, Calif., is packed with talent. Good or bad, it will most likely be a huge turning point of the Sun Devils’ season. The seven other entrants in the Wooden Legacy are Marquette, Miami (29-7), Creighton (28-8), San Diego State (23-11), College of Charleston (24-10), Cal State Fullerton (14-18) and George Washington (13-17). Marquette, Miami, Creighton and San Diego State all made the NCAA Tournament, so it will be a great benchmark for ASU to see if it’s worthy to be a tournament team by then. Bracket pairings will be announced sometime over the summer.
- ASU gets a rematch against DePaul (11-21) in Chicago after the Blue Demons’ 78-61 shellacking over the Sun Devils in Tempe last season.
- A huge reason why the combined record of ASU’s non-conference foes for 2013-14 is worse than it seems is because of Grambling. The Tigers finished a whopping 0-28 in 2012-13 and last won on March 3, 2012 against Alabama A&M.
- ASU gets to host Texas Tech (11-20) after travelling to Lubbock last season and defeating the Red Raiders 77-62. However, Texas Tech will be a harder matchup this upcoming December. It retains all five starters under new coach Tubby Smith, who last coached Minnesota and has taken his teams to the NCAA Tournament in 19 of the past 20 years.
Reach the reporter at jnacion@asu.edu or follow him on Twitter @Josh_Nacion