ASU men looking for better showing vs. rival Arizona
The No. 22 University of Arizona men’s basketball team should be confident heading into Saturday’s showdown against rival Arizona State at Desert Financial Arena. When the teams met in Tucson three weeks the Wildcats won by 28 points.
The Sun Devils (11-7, 2-3) are focusing on some of the little things that led to that game getting out of hand early. They’re also happy to have a healthy Romello White this time.
The teams will tip off at 7:30 p.m. with bragging rights on the line. Teams are also jockeying for position in what has been a topsy-turvy Pac-12 season already.
ASU coach Bobby Hurley knows his team has a tough task ahead because he sees an Arizona team that is playing better than it was when the two last played.
“I notice a little more urgency. I think hearing (Arizona coach) Sean (Miller) talk about his team, just getting 50-50 (balls), just minor details,” he said. “I think they’re rebounding with energy and then they’re getting more production, especially off their bench and key guys making shots. They’ve hit the 3 pretty well over the last couple of games.”
The Wildcats (13-5, 3-2), who are just one game behind first-place Stanford in the conference, were victorious 75-47 on Jan. 4, gaining a bit of redemption after getting swept the previous season by the Sun Devils.
For ASU there were many columns on the boxscore that stood out. It was outrebounded 49-35, with White managing only five, half his season average. He was slowed by a sprained ankle sustained in the previous game and didn’t score either.
The Georgia native has six double-doubles on the season and comes into the contest tied for first in the conference in rebounding.
“We know that it’s going to be a battle in there. I’m excited that Romello is at full strength and hopefully he’ll be who he normally is. But it’s a collective thing. They have great size around the basket and a lot of talent,” Hurley said. “(White) is one of our key players. So anytime he’s going well and feeling great, then you feel good about that.”
Free-throw shooting and ball movement were the other issues as ASU went just 8-of-19 from the line and registered only two assists, both factors over which it has control.
Junior point guard Remy Martin (19.5 ppg) is the catalyst of the offense on both ends of the floor and comes in with six straight games of 20 points or more. He is one of four Sun Devils averaging double figures, the others being White (10.7 ppg, 9.3 rpg), Alonzo Verge (12.2 ppg) and Rob Edwards (10.1 ppg).
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Pac-12 Network. 98.7 (FM) — The Sun Devils will be looking for redemption after losing by 28 points to the Wildcats when the two played three weeks ago. Junior PG Remy Martin has scored 78 points in his last three games against Arizona but it is senior guard Rob Edwards whose output seems to be the key to ASU’s success. Arizona has yet to win a true road game. The Wildcats have a trio of talented freshmen leading the way in Zeke Nnaji (16.7 ppg, 8.7 rpg), Nico Mannion (14 ppg 6.1 apg) and Josh Green (12.7 ppg, 4.9 rpg).
—Utah Valley is coming off a 58-57 overtime loss at CSU Bakersfield. GCU lost its first WAC game this season at Bakersfield. Guard Isaiah White had 13 points and 18 losses in the loss for Utah Valley. White leads the WAC in rebounding at 9.4 a game. GCU has won three in a row after dropping its first two WAC games. Five players, led by Carlos Johnson (17 points) and Alessandro Lever (16), scored in double figures in Thursday’s 80-77 win over Seattle.
Martin, who has scored 78 points in the last three outings against Arizona, says his team isn’t dwelling on the lopsided loss the last time the teams played.
“It doesn’t matter if you lose by 30 or lose by three, it’s still just one loss,” he said. “I give them credit because they got us good but we’re not thinking about that game any more. We know what we did wrong and where we have to be better.”
Arizona has played a difficult schedule, which featured losses to Baylor and Gonzaga. The Wildcats may loom as the favorite against the Sun Devils, but road wins have been hard to come by. Miller’s squad is 10-1 at McKale Center but is 0-3 on the road and 3-1 in neutral court games.
Freshmen Zeke Nnaji (16.7 ppg, 8.7 rpg), Nico Mannion (14 ppg, 6.1 apg) and Josh Green (12.7 ppg) have been stellar with Nnaji named the Pac-12 Freshman of the Week this week for a third time. He had 17 points, 11 rebounds and two steals last time vs. ASU.
Both teams appreciate the extra time they have to prepare for the lone game they are playing this week.
“We play these guys twice in a short period of time. The fact we only have one games still comes at a good time for us because we have so many new faces,” Miller said. “Anytime we have a chance to continue to work on what we do I think it’s a positive thing, especially for this year’s team.”