Pac-12 Preview: Will 7 teams make the NCAA tournament again?
By Ben Dull
Arizona State Sun Devils
This Round of 32 team from last season graduated five seniors. Three of those five were starters for last season’s squad. Two transfers and two freshmen now occupy those roster spots for head coach Charli Turner Thorne. This season will be her 21st leading the Sun Devils. She also will be integrating two new full-time assistants to her staff.
More on the Sun Devils:
Numbers & notes
20-13 overall in ’16-’17, 9-9 (5th) in Pac-12, eliminated in Round of 32 by South Carolina
The Sun Devils were defeated by South Carolina, the eventual national champion, by just three points in the Round of 32.
ASU won five of its first seven Pac-12 games in ’16-’17, lost four straight, then rebounded to go 4-3 leading up to the conference tournament.
ASU was picked to finish sixth in the preseason Pac-12 media and coaches polls.
Briann January, a WNBA All-Star and champion and PG of the WNBA’s Indiana Fever, enters her first season with the coaching staff.
Angie Nelp is also in her first year as an assistant coach following her time as an assistant at Rice University.
The Sun Devils do not have any seniors on their roster, but they do have five juniors and four sophomores.
Departures
Sophie Brunner — 13.6 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 51.4 FG%, ’16-’17 All-Pac-12, ’16-’17 Pac-12 All-Defense honorable mention
Quinn Dornstauder — 10.4 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 50.0 FG%, ’16-’17 All-Pac-12 honorable mention
Kelsey Moos — 4.7 PPG, 5.9 RPG, ’16-’17 Pac-12 All-Defense honorable mention
Armani Hawkins — 7.3 MPG
Sara Hattis — 5.5 MPG
Sydney Goodson (transferred to Texas Tech)
Returners
Reili Richardson, G (So) — 8.4 PPG, 3.8 APG, 1.1 SPG, 28.4 MPG (25 starts)
Sabrina Haines, G (Jr) — 6.9 PPG, 38.7 3PT%, 2.4 APG, 27.2 MPG (32 starts)
Robbi Ryan, G (So) — 6.5 PPG, 23 MPG (12 starts)
Kianna Ibis, F (Jr) — 5.3 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 17.1 MPG, played in all 33 games
Kiara Russell, G (So) — 4.4 PPG, 20.1 MPG, played in 27 games (9 starts)
Jamie Ruden (F, So) and Charnea Johnson–Chapman (F, Jr) are also back for the Sun Devils.
“Last year [the young guards] didn’t know what they didn’t know, but now they know. So Sabrina, Robbi Ryan, Reili Richardson, Kiara Russell are a year older, a year wiser, have really grown immensely, and we’re super excited about how we’re coming together,” Turner Thorne said at Pac-12 media day. “So I think it’s kind of a fun blend. We don’t have any seniors, but we’re really built with some tremendous juniors and sophomores, and we’re excited about it.”
Fresh faces
Courtney Ekmark, G (UConn transfer from Arcadia, Arizona)
Sophie Elenga, F (Cochise College (Douglas, AZ) transfer)
Eva Rubin, C (named to Illinois All-Area and All-Conference teams, McDonalds All-American nominee)
Bre’Yanna Sanders, G (named to MaxPreps and Cal-Hi Sports all-state teams, helped lead Clovis West HS to 34-2 record and CIF State Open Division Title)
“We lost our front line. We lost Kelsey, Sophie and Quinn. But we’ve added Courtney; Sophia Elenga, an incredibly talented junior college post from France; and we get Jamie Ruden back, who did not get to play a single game in the Pac-12, but you get incredible glimpses of her abilities in postseason,” Turner Thorne said.
5 games to watch
December 21 v. Arkansas, 1:00 PM PST (Pac-12 Networks)
January 7 v. Stanford, 1:00 PM PST (ESPN2)
January 28 @ Cal, 3:00 PM PST (Pac-12 Networks)
February 11 @ UCLA, 1:00 PM PST (Pac-12 Networks)
February 23 v. Oregon, 5:00 PM PST (Pac-12 Networks)
The Sun Devils host an SEC opponent during the non-conference prior to the start of 2018. In Pac-12 play, ASU will be on ESPN2 once this season in that matchup with Stanford. The Sun Devils swept Cal last season, including a 2OT victory in Tempe; they travel to Berkeley at the end of January. ASU will travel to UCLA, a team that beat them by single digits three times last season, February 11 for their only meet of the season. ASU beat Oregon at home last season; they will look to do the same as they host the Ducks on the final weekend prior to the conference tournament.