Bracketology 2023: Pittsburgh, West Virginia among Wednesday’s biggest winners
Arizona State Sun Devils
Having to stay up until 2:00 am east coast time isn’t fun but you have to when there’s a bubble team that with a loss, would 100% be out. That was Arizona State’s case, taking on 11-seed Oregon State in the first round of the Pac-12 Tournament.
It was a game that the Sun Devils struggled to get ahead, even trailing in the second half. But they managed to hold on for the win, 63-57, thanks to 15 points and nine rebounds from Warren Washington. It’s a Quad 4 victory and if and if anything may drop down the metrics for the Sun Devils a bit but most importantly, it keeps their season alive.
The last thing Arizona State needed was another Quad 4 defeat to match with Texas Southern, who did advance in the SWAC Tournament semifinals after beating Alcorn State. This team has a NET ranking in the 60s and just 8-10 against Quad 1/2 opponents but does have signature victories over Arizona and Creighton to help its case.
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The good news for the Sun Devils is that they have a winnable game up next in the tournament, the USC Trojans, who beat ASU to end the regular season, 68-65. This team will have to get some revenge to feel good about its chances on Sunday but considering how close the game was Wednesday night, the Devils are just lucky to still be playing.