Two days ago, Bobby Hurley arrived in Dayton, Ohio, with an overwhelming sense of familiarity. As he entered the practice floor at the University of Dayton Arena, his team officially began an NCAA Tournament run that would take place on the same court, the same time and with the same seed it held a season ago.
Jokingly, Hurley suggested buying a house here. After all, Arizona State and First Four contemporary N.C. Central became the first schools to play at Dayton in consecutive seasons.
Perceptible scenery aside, ASU’s fourth-year coach noted another important connection — his team’s opponent, St.