Arizona State Sun Devils men's basketball

This might just be the norm, the way they've been recruiting.

And so I think that at Arizona State, at Cincinnati to start the conference schedule, really can't mess around there.

you gotta, you gotta establish yourself as a big dog.

I'm in the conference, someone who's like going to compete.

You have a target on your back this season.

How are you going to fare in your third conference game at the Marriott Center in Provo on a Saturday night? That place is going to be going bananas.

bananas yeah oh i can't wait there's gonna be there's gonna be some good stuff i will reiterate i think you're right that's why i said i'm more of just excited to see them do it i don't think they'll necessarily struggle um but it is arizona is going to be this team's first road test no disrespect to arizona state i don't know exactly what they got cooking over there we'll get more in depth as the season comes closer into these these opponents and all that but But the non-con is outside of Maui.

You don't leave the state of Utah.

Before that, a two-game road swing where they go to West Virginia on the 6th of February and at Oklahoma State on February 10th.

They return home for a Saturday home game against Kansas, another home game against Cincinnati in the middle of the week, and then a Friday night game at Arizona State under first-year head coach at ASU, Randy Bennett.

A trip to Waco, I would imagine Iowa State doesn't come home in between those two trips on February 23rd.

A home game against TCU for a whiteout on the 27th of February.

Oklahoma State, I think, has had the talent to be a tournament team last season and didn't end up pulling it off.

I think those are two pretty tough but winnable road games before the matchup against Kansas.

But when you get past those two road games, the other road games at Arizona State, at Baylor, I think ASU will be better under Randy Bennett, but he is still an older coach coming from St. Mary's.

I think that's gonna be a-- I think they're gonna be a safe team over the next five years, but I don't necessarily think that's gonna be a team that jumps up and beats a ton of great opponents over the years.

So Armani Hansberry is the first guy, my first uncut gem that I want you to keep an eye on this year.

When we come back, we are going to talk about my Lithuanian brethren who is headed to Arizona State.

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I got more coming on noceilingsmba.com.

So if you want the rest, head there next week.

But today we're talking about Paulus Marouskis, who is headed to Arizona State, spent the last two years at St. Mary's, started his career at Arizona.

He is a swing forward who is 6'8", 225 or 230 pounds.

Bruce Hardy...

From Arizona State, made the tackle.

One of only two high school athletes ever put on the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine, Bruce Hardy from Bingham City, Utah.

You know who the other one was? No way.

It was Rick Mount.

You're in the big leagues.

Hey, Bruce Hardy played at Arizona State.

Was a quarterback at one time.

So the Cowboys get it sixty-seven yards away.

Bruce Hardy from Arizona State made the tackle.

One of only two high school athletes ever put on the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine, Bruce Hardy from Bingham City, Utah.

You know who the other one was? No way.

You're in the big leagues.

Hey.

Bruce Hardy played at Arizona State.

Was a quarterback at one time.

Yes.

Ballot from Arizona to be a bunch of guys.

And it was a train wreck.

And then he ends up at Maryland says, well, somebody still believes that he could play at the high major level, right? And he did not have a good year and only managed to be healthy enough to play in 17 games.

Pretty, uh, you know, significant place in the rotation.

Yeah.

I mean, look, top 100 guy, NBA bloodlines, his father, Eddie house, I believe played at Arizona state was a big time scorer in college.

Um, a guy probably has a role to play on this team.

Uh, lot of ways you could go with this.

So St. Mary's I think would've been the obvious favorite had Randy Bennett not left for Arizona State, but they still may be, but I think that's going to be a bit of an interesting dynamic this year as they transition to a completely new era, and I believe lost a player already in Miles J. Um, we'll j- we'll just say opting out, uh, in whatever way he chose to opt out.

Uh, if it's not them, it could be Santa Clara, it could be Loyola Marymount, Pacific, San Francisco.

Uh, I'm really intrigued by what this league could be this year, because this, while there are conferences with greater amounts of realignment and greater amounts of up-down, you know, movement, I think the WCC is going to be the most different-looking conference versus last year to me, just because you won't have Gonzaga hanging over it like a specter the whole year.