Arizona State's Current Tournament Path After Field Expansion

Arizona State already has some favor in its hands by virtue of being a member of the Big 12, but a vote that officially expanded the tournament field to 76 teams further solidified the belief that it will be part of March Madness 10 months down the road.

Where Does Arizona State Stand in Projections?

ESPN bracket expert Joe Lunardi currently has the Sun Devils slotted as an 11-seed and a play-in squad. They would take on Clemson for the right to face 6-seed Nebraska in the round of 64, which would ironically lead to playing Mark Few, Massamba Diop, and the Gonzaga Bulldogs in the next round with another victory.

The potential for a matchup of that magnitude shows just how far Bennett has taken the program in just a few weeks, as he has assembled an all-star coaching staff, a fundamentally sound roster, and positioned the Sun Devils to be a real threat in non-conference play with the addition of high-level talent.

How Arizona State Can Improve Tournament Stock

Arizona State would have reached the tournament this March had the change taken effect sooner, which should inherently mean that they already have an inside track to reaching that benchmark in 2027.

Forward Paulius Murauskas is the exact all-around star player that the Sun Devils desperately needed, as he ties the full roster together while also providing floor-raising capabilities.

There are several other means beyond Murauskas that could change ASU's fortunes over the next year. This includes rounding out the roster effectively, earning multiple Quad 1 victories in non-conference play to set the tone for Big 12 play, and helping newcomers such as Joel Foxwell make a swift transition from the mid-major to the high-major level.

The Big 12 is also in something of a limbo, as the flagship programs are being forced to essentially start fresh after mass departures from the most recent teams, while Cincinnati and Kansas State are also going through changes at head coach.

Arizona State is uniquely positioned to finish in the middle quadrant of the Big 12, which would be probable to translate into a single-digit tournament seed as Selection Sunday approaches.