March Madness Awaits

According to Espn.com – Bracketology, currently the Devils are slotted as the 10 seed in the west facing off against BYU.  A second round match-up against Kansas awaits them next.  If the miracle on ice repeats itself, but with ASU and a basketball, they would then likely face off against the likes of Georgetown or Clemson.  Following two upsets, Cinderella, aka the Sun Devils, would have a rematch shot at UCLA.  Why stop there?  I might be dreaming by now, but the Final Four match-up would slot the Devils in a showdown with one of either Memphis, Texas, or Wisconsin, who headline the South region.  On to the championship I say…lets see…there is Duke, Tennessee, North Carolina and perhaps Xavier.  Wait a tick, didn’t we already handle them quite easily this year?

My point is that ASU is tested and primed to make a historic run.  Why not the Devils?  It all starts with a couple wins this weekend in Oregon to ensure not just a spot in the NCAA tournament, but a seed that elevates our chances of making the “Run heard ’round the world.” (or so I will call it)

Round 2 vs. Washington St.

The Cougars might have given the Devils a shot to the mouth in the final seconds at Wells Fargo Arena the last time these two met, but this time (hopefully) they won’t have the worst referee crew in the nation working the game.  I hate to use the ref excuse, but how do you not call a foul on the last second drive, at home, to win the game, when Harden goes flying to the ground after getting mugged?

 Lets just hope this one is decided by the players and not the officials. 

A few things to watch for: 

• Ty Abbott – How will he follow up his 30 point game?  Can he stay hot?
• Jeff Pendergraph – Can he stay out of foul trouble and be a contributor in this one?
• James Harden – Can he get back on track as a player of the year candid

This is one of those games that could really spring board the Devils into the Tournament spot light.  They already have good wins of the likes of Xavier, Stanford, and Arizona (twice).  Adding Washington St. and USC or UCLA, would put us in a great position to get to the big dance.