ASU alumnus Gov. Doug Ducey picks Sun Devils to win NCAA Tournament

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey has predicted that the Arizona State Sun Devils will be cutting down the nets in Minneapolis come April.

“April 6, that weekend, ASU is going to defeat Duke,” Ducey told Doug & Wolf Friday morning on 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station.

“Bobby Hurley is going to take down his alma mater to go to the finals against Ohio State who beats Virginia. Bobby Hurley will go down in history as the youngest and greatest coach in college basketball.”

The state’s 23rd governor believes Arizona State will upset No. 1 overall seed Duke, whom Hurley won back-to-back national championships with as a player in 1991 and 1992.

“He was that good and the reason we know Duke basketball is because of Bobby Hurley,” Ducey said.

The 54-year-old governor also has the Sun Devils defeating Ohio State in the national championship game.

Perhaps the Arizona State University graduate wants revenge from the 1997 Rose Bowl game in which Ohio State defeated ASU, ending the Sun Devils’ undefeated season and any shot at being named national champions.

There were even discussions of a possible wager on the bracket selections that would see “Doug & Wolf Day” implemented into the state calendar should the two show hosts come out as victors.

But Arizona State has to get through another former Hurley side if Ducey doesn’t want to see his bracket busted in the first round.

The Sun Devils will take on sixth-seeded Buffalo at 1 p.m. on Friday. Hurley was Buffalo’s head coach from 2013-15, making it to the second round of the NCAA Tournament in 2015, his final season in Buffalo before calling the Valley home.

“Look what he’s done for Sun Devil nation and for our basketball squad,” Ducey said. “How exciting is it to go to ‘The Bank’ and watch those games? Look what they did to Kansas. I think it was the greatest night ever for Sun Devil basketball.”

ASU looks to advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since Herb Sendek’s 2008-09 season that was led by James Harden.

The game can seen on TNT or listen live on 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station.

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