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The Sun Devil Sweet 16 Tournament is underway.
For the uninitiated, here's what's going on. With ASU out of the NCAA Tournament, we've decided to make a bracket that ASU fans can follow. We've taken the top 16 players (arguably) in Sun Devil history, seeded them and placed them into four regions. Fans will vote and the winners advance until the champions is crowned.
Let's get it started with out first match-up.
Sparky Region - First Round
#1 seed Danny White vs. #4 seed Derek Hagan
The Case For White
ASU has been known for outstanding quarterback play over the decades, and it all began with Danny White.
During his three years as a starting quarterback (1971-1973), he posted a sensational 32-4 record, including a phenomenal 21-1 mark at Sun Devil Stadium. Included in that run were three WAC titles and victories in the first three Fiesta Bowls. In his final season in 1973, he was a first-team All-American as he lead the 11-1 Sun Devils to a No. 9 ranking in the final AP poll.
Upon his departure, his 64 touchdown passes and 6,717 career passing yards stood as school records for over 20 years. His No. 11 jersey number was retired by ASU in 1997.
The Case For Hagan
The Sun Devils have a long and illustrious history of wide receivers, but none have had the level of production as Hagan.
After a solid freshman season in 2002, he exploded to top 1,000 yards in 2003. He had his best statistical season as a junior, hauling in 83 passes for 1,248 yards and 10 touchdowns. He completed the hat trick of 1,000 seasons as a senior, posting a 77-1,210-9 line.
He earned All-Pac-10 honors twice and was a two-time Biletnikoff Award semi-finalist. His 258 career receptions were the most in Pac-10 conference history when he graduated, and his 3,939 receiving yards were second-most all-time.
So there you have it. The cases have been laid out, so now it's time to vote on who advances to the next round.
Coming Tuesday evening: John Jefferson vs. Ron Pritchard.