Arizona Basketball: Wildcats look for redemption against rival Sun Devils in Tempe

The Arizona Wildcats basketball team looks to bounce back against the Sun Devils in Tempe after getting swept by USC and UCLA on the road.

Rivalry time. In one of the most heated rivalries in the country, the Arizona Wildcats travel up to Tempe to play the Arizona State Sun Devils. Both teams share the same record in the Pac-12 at 5-3 and both teams are coming off a loss. The Wildcats, who got swept against USC and UCLA, will look to gain some confidence back, with Chase Jeter still questionable for Thursday night’s game (as of this post).

Coming off one the worst offensive back to back offensive outings, the Wildcats will need to make their shots if they want to have any chance against their opponent. The Sun Devils have the strength and size advantage with two players at 6-foot-8, Zylan Cheatham, Taeshon Cherry, and De’Quon Lake, who is listed at 6-foot-10. Luguentz Dort leads their team in scoring, averaging 16.0 points per game. This team moves the ball around very well and has the size inside to really hurt the Wildcats.

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If Jeter is not playing again, Coach Sean Miller will rely once again on Ryan Luther and Ira Lee to limit scoring on defense and be active on the glass. Because the Wildcats will more than likely be undersized, everyone will need to remain attentive and box out their man. A team like the Sun Devils, if you give them extra chances on offense, especially at home with the crowd behind them, they will be hard to beat.

Heading into Tempe, Miller knows his teams’ confidence is at an all-time low. The best remedy for that is to find ways to get some easy buckets early. Yes, that is easier said than done because the Wildcats will likely see a zone defense. As history has shown, this team doesn’t do so well against the zone. Ball penetration and taking good shots from inside and out will be key.

Limiting turnovers and preventing the crowd from getting into the game will be another deciding factor in this game. The Sun Devils players know, their fans know, everyone knows how beatable the Wildcats are now. The last thing this team wants to do is give them easy points off turnovers. That is something that this team can control and has done a decent job of it in the last couple of games.

Make your shots. If the Wildcats can make more of their shots, they can win the game, period. The last two games were lost because, for the most part, their shots weren’t dropping.

Against UCLA, the Wildcats shot 33.3% and against USC they shot 27.8% from the field. That type of shooting can not happen again. Doesn’t matter who you play, if you can’t make buckets, you can’t win games. Especially against the Sun Devils, who lead the Pac-12 in points per game with 78.8. Missed layups, can’t happen. Forced shots, can’t happen. This team needs to find a way to get the ball through the net, simple as that.

The one consistent bright spot for this year’s team has been the play of Brandon Williams. He seems to be the one player that finds ways to get points on the board for his team. For this team to be successful going forward other players, such as Brandon Randolph and Luther will need to step up their game.

Coach Miller and Ira Lee provide their thoughts and insight heading into Thursday night against the Sun Devils during the Tuesday press conference:

Game Information:
Records: Arizona  (14-7, 5-3) Tied for 4th ASU(14-6, 5-3) 4th

Last Matchup: Arizona over ASU, 77-70 2/15/18 (in Tempe)

Time: 7:00 pm MST/ 6:00 pm PST

Location: Tempe, AZ  at Wells Fargo Arena (14,100)

Live Stream: WatchESPN

Television: ESPN2

Radio: Arizona IMG Sports Network Arizona Wildcats (Try TuneIn Radio) or 107.5 KHYT (Tucson)

Many players are going through a slump, but they need to find a way to work together and get back to playing that winning style of basketball. Yes, they don’t have a Deandre Ayton or Lauri Markkanen they can rely on, but they can Bear Down! So many times this year and in recent program history, Wildcat basketball has faced all sorts of adversity, this is nothing new. Wildcat fans need to remain calm and don’t panic. This time, more than ever, they need our support.