ARIZONA STATE BASKETBALL

ASU men prepare for first ever Wooden Legacy Tournament on Thanksgiving

Nov 27, 2013, 6:10 PM | Updated: 6:10 pm

Thanksgiving is usually a time for turkey and football, but if you want to change it up a little, you can catch Jahii Carson and the Sun Devils play in one of the nation’s premier basketball tournaments.

With Arizona State’s men’s basketball getting a lot of recognition recently, now’s the time to board the bandwagon in what is shaping out to be a special season. ASU, sitting at 6-0 to start the year, embarks on Southern California to participate in the first ever Wooden Legacy Tournament — a combination of the John R. Wooden Classic and the Anaheim Classic.

The Sun Devils will start play with arguably the toughest opponent right out of the gates, the Creighton Bluejays. The Jays are undefeated on the season and currently sit at number twenty in the AP poll. They are a familiar foe for these Devils, as the teams battled each other last year at the Las Vegas Invitational title game in what amounted to be an 87-73 Creighton victory.

Some future NBA players will be on display in this matchup, as well, as Jahii Carson gets another shot to beat Doug McDermott and company. Slowing Creighton’s star, who’s averaging 27.5 points per game on the season, will undoubtedly be a top priority for the Sun Devils. The winner advances to the semifinals and will play the winner of the College of Charleston and San Diego State matchup.

Rounding out the rest of the tournament will be Miami vs. George Washington and Marquette vs. Cal State Fullerton. Games will be played at Cal State Fullerton’s Titan Arena on Nov. 28 and 29, before switching venues to the Honda Center in Anaheim for its Dec. 1 championship game.

ASU’s first-round game against Creighton can be heard at 9:00 p.m. MDT on Arizona Sports 620 AM on Thanksgiving day.

Arizona State Basketball

Jerrance Howard...

Arizona Sports

Arizona State basketball reportedly hires Jerrance Howard to Bobby Hurley’s coaching staff

Arizona State basketball has reportedly hired former Kansas and Texas assistant coach Jerrance Howard to join Bobby Hurley's staff.

2 days ago

Frankie Collins spearheaded ASU's defense with six first half steals in a win against USC on Jan. 2...

David Veenstra

Former Arizona State basketball guard Frankie Collins reportedly commits to TCU

Former Arizona State guard Frankie Collins has committed to TCU. Collins has one year of eligibility remaining.

6 days ago

Arizona State head coach Bobby Hurley and assistant Jermaine Kimbrough...

Arizona Sports

Grand Canyon hires Bobby Hurley’s top Arizona State assistant, Jermaine Kimbrough

Arizona State assistant coach Jermaine Kimbrough has departed Bobby Hurley's staff and joined nearby Grand Canyon head coach Bryce Drew.

7 days ago

Bobby Hurley claps during a game...

Arizona Sports

Former Ball State leader Basheer Jihad commits to ASU, Bryant Selebangue in portal

Former Ball State Cardinals forward Basheer Jihad has committed to the Arizona State Sun Devils men's basketball program.

8 days ago

South Carolina celebrates winning an NCAA Championship...

Associated Press

NCAA women’s title between South Carolina, Iowa was most-watched hoops game in 5 years

South Carolina's victory over Iowa in the women's NCAA championship game had a preliminary audience average of 18.7 million on ABC and ESPN.

10 days ago

UConn wins 2024 National Championship...

Bailey Leasure

UConn becomes 1st back-to-back national champion since 2007 with win over Purdue

UConn defeated Purdue to win its sixth championship in program history Monday at State Farm Stadium.

11 days ago

ASU men prepare for first ever Wooden Legacy Tournament on Thanksgiving