No. 4 Arizona Basketball faces tough challenge in Pullman

Fresh off sweeping ASU and the Los Angeles schools, No. 4 Arizona Basketball (20-2, 10-1) returns to action to take on Wazzu (14-7, 7-3) in another tough battle.   

After putting together a huge week last week by sweeping the Los Angeles schools and starting this week off with a win over ASU, Arizona Basketball is back in action against Washington State.

These two teams have not yet met this season; however, coming in, this one should be a battle as both teams currently rank in the Top 5 of the conference standings.

The Wildcats should be feeling good as they sit comfortably atop the Pac-12 standings. However, now isn’t the time to get complacent, as this is a big game with huge, conference implications.

Washington State is a talented and well-coached team, and after winning five-straight games, they are going to pose a significant challenge for Arizona.

Hopefully, even with Arizona playing their fourth game in the last week, head coach Tommy Lloyd will have his team ready to roll!

Getting to Know the details of Arizona Basketball’s opponent, the Washington State Cougars.

Team: Washington State Cougars

Conference: Pac-12 Conference

2020-21 Record: Finishing the year with a 14-12 (7-12) record in 2020-21, the Cougars finished in 10th place in the conference, ending their season with a First Round loss to ASU in the Conference Tournament.

Head Coach: Kyle Smith is in his 3rd season with the Cougars, having compiled a 44–36 (20-27) record so far. Kyle is currently coaching his 9th season in the NCAA overall, making previous stops at Columbia (2010-16) and San Francisco (2016-19), where he has compiled a 208–158 record overall as a head coach.

Keys to the Game:

Bring the Energy – Washington State is a talented and skilled team, and there is some concern that the Wildcats may be a bit tired as they are playing in their fourth game in the past week.

From the start, the Wildcats are going to have to bring the energy in this one if they are going to win, and should they start fast and start with a sense of urgency, then I like their chances of winning.

Stick to Your Strengths – Arizona is a good team and when they stick to what they do best, they are easily one of the best teams in the country.

Against Wazzu, the Wildcats need to force the Cougars to play to their style and pace if they are going to win.

Washington State is going to try and slow this game down, and should Arizona play to their strengths, I see them winning this one.

Protect the Basketball – A constant theme on the season, Arizona plays at a fast pace, as they are averaging 76.0 possessions per game. On the flip side of that, they are averaging 13.7 turnovers per game.

As a team, the Cougars average 6.4 steals per game, and they force teams to 14.4 turnovers per game. Against Wazzu, the Wildcats will need to protect the basketball, as more opportunities for the Cougars is not a good thing and is something that cannot happen if they are going to win.

Arizona Basketball versus the Washington State Cougars game information and details:

Date: Thursday, Feb. 10, 2022

Time: 7:00 P.M. MST / 6:00 P.M. PST

Location: Beasley Coliseum, Pullman, Wash. (12,058)

Spread: -6.0 Arizona (Also, don’t forget to use WynnBet to enhance your overall betting experience)

Television: FS1

Radio: 107.5 FM (Tucson) / 1290AM (Tucson) | Arizona IMG Sports Network

Team Records:

No. 4 Arizona Wildcats (20-2, 10-1): Winners of four-straight games, Arizona Basketball returns to action to take on a talented and well-coached Washington State team in what should be a tough test for the Wildcats.

Washington State Cougars (14-7, 7-3): Winners of five-straight games, the Cougars have been playing well, but will arguably have their toughest challenge yet as they welcome No. 4 Arizona to town.

Head-to-Head Record (since 1949-50): Arizona has dominated this matchup, leading the head-to-head series with the Cougars 68-17, which includes 17 wins out of the last 18 meetings.

Last Meeting vs. Washington State: The last time the Wildcats played the Cougars was in Tucson where Arizona came away with the dominant, 69-53 win.

My Prediction: Arizona 78 Washington State 67 – Coming into this game as a slight favorite, Arizona will have a battle on their hands as the Cougars are a talented and well-coached team. However, I feel the Wildcats will be ready, just edging out the Cougars in the final minutes of the game to improve to 21-2 (11-1).