Sun Devils just miss out on AP Preseason Top 25

On Tuesday in Kansas City for the Big 12 Basketball Media Days, Molly Miller and her three players in attendance - McKinna Brackens, Ruby Whitehorn, and Rashunda Jones - talked about how they're built to expand on last year's runaway success that saw the Sun Devils reach the NCAA Tournament.

Just a few hours later, the Associated Press released their preseason Top 25 and, while the voters are clearly expecting big things from Miller's squad, they're not ready just yet to lump them in with the best of the best.

Arizona State did not make the Top 25 to start the season, but they are the second team listed in the Receiving Votes category, effectively making them the 27th team in the nation. That's not bad for a program that didn't receive a single vote this time last year.

It also means the Sun Devils aren't too far off from getting into the Top 25.

Their non-conference schedule doesn't have any marquee matchups, but they will face off against two teams - UNLV and Stanford - that came close to reaching the tournament last year and should have good squads again this year.

Another strong performance in the non-conference schedule - last year Arizona State was undefeated in that stretch - could see them ranked at the start of Big 12 play. That would be crucial considering the AP doesn't have the greatest opinion of the conference coming into the year.

Only three Big 12 teams start the year in the Top 25. TCU leads the conference at No. 15, with Oklahoma State at No. 22 and West Virginia at No. 24. Meanwhile, Baylor, Kansas, and Colorado were all behind the Sun Devils in the Receiving Votes category.

It doesn't seem like it'll take much for the Sun Devils to climb into the Top 25 this year, a clear reflection of their earned respect following last season's surprise success, but with that respect comes a greater level of difficulty in living up to the expectations.