Arizona Basketball: Pac-12 play opens up against in-state rival ASU

Arizona Basketball just released the weekly pairings for the 2019-20 Pac-12 season with a game against Arizona State to kick things off.

As each day goes by, we get that much closer to the start of the 2019-20 Arizona Basketball season and eventually the start of the Pac-12 season. Times of the games have yet to be released, but the weekly pairings have. There a couple of slight changes compared to the last season, which includes the Wildcats opening Pac-12 game at home versus Arizona State.

During the 2017-18 season, the Wildcat and Sun Devils met on the opening day of the Pac-12 play. ASU game into Tucson undefeated and No.3 in the country, before Deandre Ayton and the Wildcats, handed the Sun Devils their first defeat of the year 84-78.

Then last season happened. In one of those rare feats in which the Sun Devils swept the Wildcats, in which one game even went into OT where the Wildcats loss 95-88. This time around the Wildcats will be looking to kick off the new year and Pac-12 play with a statement win against the Sun Devils.

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They are the more athletic team of the two and expect the Wildcats to feed of the McKale Center crowd. Whenever these two teams meet emotions can run high and it will be important for everyone to remain focused on the task on hand – dominating those Sun Devils!

After the opening game, the Wildcats face the Oregon schools on the road for their first true road test of the season. Both games will be a challenge and will be an opportunity for the Wildcats to send a message to the rest of the Pac-12. Next, they come back home to play Colorado and Utah, before going back on the road to face ASU in Tempe.

They stay on the road as they go on to face the Washington schools. The Huskies will likely be one of the teams at the top of the Pac-12 this season for the title. A strong incoming class combined with returners from last season make them a team to be taken seriously.

After two road games, the Wildcats travel back home to take on UCLA and USC. Both of these two California schools will be a challenge as well and the Wildcats will need to play as a cohesive unit to come away with the sweep. Unlike last season in which Arizona just played each of these two teams once, they play them twice. Will be interesting and exciting at the same time watching Shareef O’ Neal take on the original team he committed to.

Next, the Wildcat get “back on the road again” as they take on California and Stanford for their only meetings of the season. Arizona should have the edge in this one, but can never guarantee anything in Pac-12 play. Back home the Wildcats go to take on the Oregon schools one more time.

Then they go back on the road for the last time this season against the UCLA and USC schools. Finally, to wrap things up they face the Washington schools at home. Depending on how this Pac-12 season plays out, the Wildcats and Huskies could be playing for the regular Pac-12 season title.

Well, there you have it! The Pac-12 season weekly pairings are set. Who will come out on top and who won’t? At Zona Zealots, we are excited about the Pac-12 season ahead and the strong possibility of Arizona Basketball getting back on top! As always, Bear Down, Arizona!