Maroon Madness: No. 3 Andre Ethier vs. No. 6 Lionel Hollins

The Matchup: This contest pits a couple of Sun Devils who had success numerous years apart from each other. Andre Ethier starred on the baseball diamond for ASU from 2002-03 before going on to a great career in Major League Baseball. Lionel Hollins was ASU’s primary point guard from 1973-75 including leading the Sun Devils to the Elite Eight in 1975 prior to being selected in the first round of the NBA Draft.

No. 3 Andre Ethier:

Basic info: Born: April, 10 1982 in Phoenix, Arizona. High School: St. Mary’s (Arizona). Height/weight: 6-foot-2, 210 pounds. ASU Career: 2002-03. MLB Career: Dodgers: (2006-17).

Notables: Ethier, a two-time National League All-Star, played 11 seasons for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Originally drafted by the Oakland Athletics in the second round, Ethier was traded to the Dodgers for Milton Bradley and Antonio Perez in 2005. Ethier, a career .285 hitter was one of the best left-handed hitters in the National League during the late 2000s. No stranger to the postseason, Ethier made the playoffs seven of his 12 seasons wearing Dodger blue. He’s currently a free agent after the Dodgers bought out his contact in November 2017.

What you don’t know: Prior to transferring to Arizona State, Ethier starred at Chandler-Gilbert Community College where he was named team MVP in 2001.

Andre Ethier — pro stats:

.285 career hitter

641 runs scored

303 doubles

34 triples

162 home runs

607 RBI

No. 6 Lionel Hollins

Basic info: Born: October 19, 1953 in Ark City, Kansas. High School: Rancho (Nevada). Height/weight: 6-foot-3, 185 pounds. ASU career: 1973-75. NBA Career: Trailblazers (1975-80), 76ers (1980-82), Clippers (1982-83), Pistons (1983-84), Rockets (1984-85) NBA head coaching career: Grizzlies: (2009-13), Nets (2014-16)

Notables: After a strong three seasons at ASU, Hollins was drafted by the Portland Trailblazers sixth overall in the 1975 NBA Draft. Hollins had a solid NBA career as a primary point guard during the 1970s and 80s. He won his first and only championship in 1977, and was an NBA all-star in 1978. After his playing career, Hollins would go into coaching and got his first head coaching job with the Memphis Grizzlies in 2009. Hollins took the Grizzlies to the Western Conference Finals in 2013, his final year with the team.

What you don’t know: Hollins earned a degree in sociology from ASU in 1986 after finishing his playing career in the NBA and was a member of the ASU basketball coaching staff.

Lionel Hollins — pro stats:

673 games

11.6 PPG

2.4 RPG

4.5 APG

1-time All-Star

2-time All-Defensive Team

NBA Champion with the 1976-1977 Portland Trailblazers