Sun Devils stay focused on their next home foe

Arizona State basketball coach Bobby Hurley wasn’t about to let his team get down on itself when it was 1-3 in Pac-12 play. So he isn’t going to let it get too high now that it has worked its way into title contention.

Moments after the Sun Devils (18-8, 9-4) upset No. 14 Oregon 77-72 in front of a raucous crowd at Desert Financial Arena, the fifth-year ASU coach was warning about the potential of his next foe — Oregon State.

The Beavers (15-11, 5-9) make their annual appearance in Tempe on Saturday with the contest set for a 6 p.m. tipoff. Oregon State is coming off a lop-sided loss at Arizona on Thursday in which its star player Tres Tinkle was ejected after a flagrant foul that came seemingly out of frustration.

While the Beavers sit in ninth place they have notched wins this season over both Arizona and Oregon. Their biggest issues have been 3-point shooting and rebounding, both categories in which they rank last in the Pac-12.

“They’re coming in here after a loss and they’re going to be desperate and hungry and they’re a veteran team. We have to be ready,” Hurley said.

ASU owns a 48-43 all-time record against the Beavers, which includes an 82-76 win at Corvallis in January. The Sun Devils swept the series last season.

Last year Arizona State tended to play up or down to the level of the competition. While it had some quality wins on its resume, it also had some mindnumbing losses most notably a 21-point loss at home at Washington State.

The Sun Devils have won six straight games and eight of their last nine. They have five games left in the regular season, three of those at home. They head into Saturday’s game tied for second with Arizona, just a half game behind Colorado (21-6, 10-4).

This year’s squad has not been dealt what can be considered a damaging loss. All say focus has been the key in staying the course and earning an NCAA post-season bid for the third time in as many years. Current projections have the Sun Devils in the field anywhere from a seventh to an 11th seed depending on whose bracket in which you put the most stock.

“We know what we have to do,” saiRob Edwards, who had 24 in Thursday’s marquee win. “We don’t want to have to sit there on selection Sunday wondering if we’re going to be in.”

Hurley settling on a lineup has coincided with the win streak. That quintet includes Edwards, junior point guard Remy Martin (19. 2ppg, 4 apg), senior forward Mickey Mitchell and junior forwards Romello White (10.4 ppg, 9.3 rpg) and Kimani Lawrence.

White has eight double-doubles on the season. While he isn’t going to post the gaudy point totals of some of his teammates, Hurley has praised his effort in the paint, highlighted by an 11-rebound effort in Thursday’s win.

Mitchell isn’t going to fill a stats sheet

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Oregon State is coming off an 89-63 loss at Arizona. It is led by senior Tres Tinkle (18 ppg, 6.9 rpg), one of the Pac-12’s leading scorers despite being held to 10 points and ejected in Thursday’s loss. It’s second leading scorer is junior Ethan Thompson (14.9 ppg). ASU has won six straight games and eight of its last nine and is coming off a 77-72 upset of No. 14 Oregon. Guards Alonzo Verge and Rob Edwards combined for 50 points on what was a rare off night for Remy Martin. The Sun Devils are 8-2 in games decided by five points or fewer.

Arizona

The game of the day in the Pac-12 features two nationally ranked teams. When they played in Eugene in January it was Oregon prevailing 74-73 in overtime. Oregon is looking to rebound from a 77-72 loss at Arizona State in which much-heralded point guard Payton Pritchard fouled out with 2:15 to play and his team trailing by five points. Arizona is coming off an 89-63 victory over Oregon State in which freshman Josh Green tallied 18 points, six assists and four steals. The Wildcats have won six of their last seven games.

GCU

GCU gave up 54 points in the first half of a 95-89 loss at Seattle on Thursday night. Freshman PG Jovan Blacksher Jr., had a career-high 21 points on 7 of 10 shooting. He also had five assists and one turnover. GCU still would have the No. 2 seed in the WAC Tournament if it started now. The Lopes have 4 more WAC games, the final three at home. Utah Valley beat GCU 73-69 last month. GCU made 4 of 21 3-pointers and shot 40 percent from the field. Utah Valley is coming off a 72-58 win over CSU Bakersfield with Brandon Averette scoring 20 points. either but has been a good passer and has come up with some key plays, including a rebound and bucket down the stretch that went a long way in securing Thursday’s win.

Junior guard Alonzo Verge (14.5 ppg) could start but Hurley likes the energy he brings off the bench. He had 26 on Thursday and is the leading candidate for Sixth Man of the Year.

Players such as those buying into their roles has been the major factor in the team’s success. And while the Sun Devils have had a better showing offensively in recent games, they still rely on defense.