nERD: 15.85
Historical Comp: 2007 Texas Longhorns, 25-10, 4 seed, lost in Round of 32
The combination of high-powered offense and relatively lackluster defense makes it easy to connect Arizona State to the 2007 Texas squad that featured Kevin Durant.
While the Sun Devils are not as reliant on their top scorer to carry the load as Texas was, they do have a dynamic scoring option in senior guard Tra Holder, who averages 21.6 points per game. Arizona State has five players, three seniors and two freshmen, averaging 25-plus minutes and 10-plus points per game, giving them a nice mix of veterans and youth.
Despite ranking eighth in the country in offensive rating and reaching as high as number three in the AP poll, the Sun Devils can be a regression candidate due in large part to their ranking of 140th in defensive rating, something that hampered Texas, as well.