Nevada Wolf Pack vs. Arizona State Sun Devils

"North Carolina would've done better" - Fans react to Arizona State's dominant win over Nevada, some thought UNC would have put up a fight against the Sun Devils

Modified Mar 16, 2023 22:20 GMT

Arizona State dominated Nevada in their First Four matchup 98-73 on Wednesday to book a ticket to the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The Sun Devils, the No. 11 seed in the West Region, will take on the No. 6 TCU Horned Frogs on Friday night.

ASU (23-12) was nearly impossible to stop from start to finish, jumping out to an early lead, and they were already up 53-26 at halftime. They shot 67.7% from the field in the first half and finished at 63.6% to seal the blowout.

The Sun Devils also took care of the basketball in the first half with just one turnover before committing six in the second half. Nevertheless, they were just too hot to handle for the Wolf Pack (22-11), especially DJ Horne, who scored 20 points to lead Arizona State.

Meanwhile, Nevada didn't have a bad game offensively. They still shot 48.1% and made 11 3-point shots, the same as Arizona State. It was the Wolf Pack's poor defense in the paint that really made the game easier for the Sun Devils.

ASU coach Bobby Hurley said that the win was the Sun Devils' best performance of the season. Hurley praised his players for doing a great job on both sides of the floor.

"It was a complete performance for us," Hurley said. "You want to be playing this way at this time of year. That's what it’s all about. I truly believe that our schedule and the games we've been in, especially late in the season, prepare you for these types of games.

"And it was across the board, just everyone contributed. Our defense was outstanding in the first half."

Fans on social media quickly jumped on Nevada for their poor performance against ASU. Others were excited for the Sun Devils' matchup with TCU (21-12), but some thought that North Carolina (20-13) could have done a better job than the Wolf Pack.

Here are some of the best comments on Twitter:

Clyde 🇺🇦 🇺🇸

@potroastnut

@ByChrisMurray You've got to think that North Carolina would've done better

Brian Y

@byysports

@MarchMadnessMBB @SunDevilHoops @ASU @TheSunDevils @pac12 North Carolina and Oklahoma State fans showing the committee the final score:

popps

@Noles4life73

@MarchMadnessMBB @SunDevilHoops @ASU @TheSunDevils @pac12 Every year the @NCAA sends these mtn west teams to tourney and they suck every year.

John Benavidez

@ProfBenavidez

@MarchMadnessMBB @SunDevilHoops @ASU @TheSunDevils @pac12 Live look at Steve Alford

Deano

@lavaracer

@MarchMadnessMBB @SunDevilHoops @ASU @TheSunDevils @pac12 TCU watching tape to game plan ASU

Nicholas Pribila

@NicholasPribila

@ByChrisMurray Beyond ugly. Not sure what happened to this team the final month of the season! ASU made some tough shots, but our Defense was terrible and allowed them to get to any spot they wanted. Giving up 98 points clearly the D was bad. Overall, proud of the guys.

Michael Wong

@michaelwong77

@MarchMadnessMBB @SunDevilHoops @ASU @TheSunDevils @pac12 TCU by 20

Jack McKenney

@j_mckenney15

@MarchMadnessMBB @SunDevilHoops @ASU @TheSunDevils @pac12 "Let's put Nevada in the field of 68"

RampageT

@RR4mpage

@MarchMadnessMBB @SunDevilHoops @ASU @TheSunDevils @pac12 They got in over UNC

C_simmons🧋

@Csimmon77856253

@MarchMadnessMBB @SunDevilHoops @ASU @TheSunDevils @pac12 This is great news for Arizona State! They are moving on to face TCU Friday and I think they will win. Check my pin tweet bro

Also Read: "Purdue losing by 15 sadly" - Fans react to FDU's win over Texas Southern; some predict Knights can upset No. 1 Purdue in first round

TCU vs. Arizona State preview

TCU will face Arizona State in the first round.

No. 6 TCU will take on No. 11 Arizona State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. TCU is the favorite to advance to the second round.

The Horned Frogs are looking to ride on the shoulders of Mike Miles Jr., who has been their best player this season. Miles is averaging 17.3 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game.

Meanwhile, the Sun Devils have a respectable defense that could surprise TCU. Their shooting has been inconsistent all season long, but they could also stay hot for Friday's matchup.

Also Read: "Game was horribly officiated", "My bracket is TOAST" - Fans react to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi beating SEMO in the first game of the tournament

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Edited by
Juan Paolo David