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ASU Men’s Basketball: Top 10 Moments of Non-Conference Play

by Blake Harris -

The Arizona State Sun Devils are 12-0. ASU has the best record in the PAC-12. The Sun Devils are ranked third in the entire nation.

Just over a month ago, most ASU fans would have thought any of those statements were unlikely, but to have all three? Unreal. Just like that, non-conference play has come and gone, and the Arizona State Sun Devils are one of the best teams in the country. A team that was picked to finish sixth in the Pac-12 this season is currently one of the Final Four favorites. Through 12 games, ASU is off to their best start in program history. Tempe is currently the place to be, as the Sun Devils have brought excitement back to the sport of basketball that has been missing for decades. With last weeks win over Pacific, ASU successfully got through non-conference play without a loss. ASU has given us countless plays and moments through those 12 games, and picking 10 of the best truly was difficult. But we decided to give it a shot.

#10: Archie Claus 

We kick things off with the famous “Curtain of Distraction”. With ASU catching the eyes of everyone in the country, they’re also catching eyes of locals in Tempe and Phoenix. One of them, is D-Backs pitcher Archie Bradley. Bradley joined the students in the curtain of distraction, where he dressed up as Santa Claus. There’s no question that Archie is one of the more passionate players in baseball, and he showed it here. Jumping into the stands and pumping up the crowd, nobody arguably had more fun that morning than Archie Bradley.

 

#9: Welcome to the De’Quon Lake Show

What a first impression. In his first game with the Sun Devils, De’Quon Lake scored 24 points and grabbed eight rebounds. That was the most scored in a Sun Devil debut since 2003. On top of that, Lake gave us many highlights as well, including this thunderous hammer.

 

#8 NO FLY ZONE

Remy Martin stands just at six feet tall. That didn’t stop him from getting up and emphatically swatting this shot away.

 

#7: Tra Holder from Sparky Land 

Tra Holder is having an incredible year. He’s averaging over 21 points a game and is a strong candidate for Pac-12 player of the year. We know he likes to shoot the long ball, but this was just absurd. With seconds remaining in the half, Holder pulls up nearly from where Sparky is and drains the three as time expires to end the first half.

 

#6: Chef Remy

What a nickname. This won’t be Martin’s only time in the top 10, so we’ll just let you enjoy this play and get to him later.

 

#5: Dreamin’ of a White Christmas

What a sequence of events this was. Romello White, who has been an absolute force to be reckoned with, has been one of the difference makers this year for the Sun Devils. The freshman is averaging 15 points and nearly nine rebounds a game for ASU. He has given them that inside presence that they so desperately coveted last season. This play showed us that White can do it all, as he had the emphatic swat, and then proceeded to hustle down the court where he slammed it down, enlightening the Sun Devil crowd.

 

#4: Guard U

ASU has now coined the phrase “Guard U”, and it couldn’t be more fitting. Led by their three senior guards, ASU has established themselves as having one of the best guard duos, scratch that, trios, in the entire country. On this play, Tra Holder gets the steal and gets fancy with his assist to Shannon Evans, who goes up-and-under for the insane layup.

 

#3: Arizona State Upsets Xavier, Wins Las Vegas Invitational 

After a close win the day before, ASU immediately had to turn around and face one of the toughest teams in the nation. Xavier, who was 5-0 and ranked No. 15 at the time, were 6.5 point favorites over the Sun Devils. ASU found themselves down 15 in the first half, but a quick 15-2 run brought them within two at halftime. The Sun Devils piled on 58 in the second half, led by Tra Holder who scored 22 of his 40 points in the second half. Arizona State went on to win the game 102-86. At the time, this was ASU’s best win of the season. As of now, it is still Xavier’s only loss on the season. After winning this game, ASU cracked the top 25 for the first time since the 2009 season.

 

#2: Chef Remy with the SportsCenter Top 10

Told you we’d be back. There hasn’t been a player more electrifying for ASU than the freshman Remy Martin. Coming off the bench, Remy brings a tough and tenacious style of play. Known for his scrappy defense, Martin showed us that he has quite the handles as well. This play earned him No. 1 on SportsCenter’s top 10 plays.

 

#1: Arizona State Upsets Kansas on the Road

Arguably one of the best wins in program history. The Sun Devils marched into Lawrence and handed the Jayhawks a loss on their home-court. Something that rarely happens. It looked as if it was going to be a long day, as ASU fell behind early. Slowly but surely, the Devils inched their way back into the game, one bucket at a time. They found themselves down only three at the half. Shannon Evans, Tra Holder, and Remy Martin all scored more than 20, and ASU outscored Kansas 58-45 in the second half. The win propelled ASU from No. 16 to No. 5 in the AP poll. The highest ASU ranking since the 80’s.

It’s hard to believe all these memorable moments have taken place over the course of 12 games.  This is an exciting Sun Devil team, one that has all of Tempe buzzing. With conference play beginning this weekend, it’s safe to assume, the best moments of the season might still be ahead.

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