Arizona State traveled to Tucson seeking to hand Arizona their second consecutive loss against ASU at the McKale Center. Alas, the game went incredibly south for the Sun Devils though, losing 105-60 and dropping to 13-13 (7-8 Pac-12) while the Wildcats improved to 20-5 (11-4). Here are five takeaways from ASU's historic rivalry game loss.

ASU was out-talented.

It is no secret that in order to have a team ranked at the number five spot in the nation, you're going to have some talent on the roster. Tommy Lloyd has recruited continentally effectively and internationally well, especially with the likes of Oumar Ballo (Mali) and Pelle Larson (Sweden). That talent was in full effect tonight.

In a larger scope, Arizona had six players in double digits tonight versus ASU's three. Starters Jose Perez, Adam Miller, and Jamiya Neal did what they could against Arizona, but the depth was simply not there to compete.

ASU only had a combined 10 bench points compared to the staggering 45 points from Arizona. In fact, the Wildcats' leading scorer, Jaden Bradley, came off the bench to score 21 points and shoot 72.7% from the field.

The Arizona game plan was simple: to get Ballo going early, as he had nine in the first half. If it wasn't Ballo down low in the paint, Caleb Love would be there to attempt a shot in which eight field goals were made in the first half alone. As well as ASU played having a five-point lead in the first half, the consistency of the Wildcats trickling down to the bench was too much for a starting rotation-dependent ASU squad.

The defense collapsed in the paint.

Tonight, Arizona shot an average of 40% from beyond the arc, but in any case, shots from behind the three-point line were not needed against the Sun Devils. Lloyd's player's offensive execution was without fault, getting things going in the paint.

Arizona posted a bewildering 52 points in the paint compared to the Sun Devils' 16 points. Playing close to the rim allowed the Wildcats to finish shooting 57% from the field overall, as Arizona not only attempted fewer threes than ASU but ended up with more field goals attempted/made.

Back door cuts made by Keshad Johnson and Bradley allowed the two to score a combined 35 points, while only one three was made between the two players. If that was not enough, the aforementioned Ballo was a perfect 5-5 in the paint, aiding his 15-point performance.

The Sun Devils simply did not have an answer and did not make any close-out adjustments to try and limit the damage.

ASU ran out of gas early.

As things got underway in Tucson, ASU made true of Adam Miller's words after the Oregon State win. Miller insinuated that in a rivalry game, teams are going to exchange blows and runs. Whoever can withstand the most has the best chance of winning the game.

ASU battled through five ties and six lead changes in the first half through the first 8 minutes and 52 seconds of play. ASU was going shot for shot with the best team in the conference, as Neal had six points while Perez had three field goals, keeping the Wildcats within two just under nine minutes into the first half.

After leading by two, Arizona then went into a 21-7 run to end the first half as the halftime score was 49-31. The Wildcats did not look back as the combination of foul trouble and lack of offensive spark had Arizona outscore the Sun Devils 56-29 in the second half.

This ASU team has shown signs of resiliency this season, coming back against the Bay Schools on the road and bouncing back in the win column like last Saturday, but the Wildcats delivered the knockout run early, and it seemed ASU gave everything they could in the first 10 minutes.

Phillips Jr. and Gaffney Foul Trouble doomed the Devils.

Playing big in the paint would be a key factor for ASU if they wanted a chance to win. Shawn Phillips Jr. started again today, maintaining the four-guard lineup while head coach Bobby Hurley opted for the true center rather than the lengthy forward Alonzo Gaffney.

Phillips Jr. would make things difficult for Hurley's game management, though, especially against a big center like Ballo. Phillips Jr. had two personal fouls in the first four minutes and four seconds. The 7' 0" sophomore ended the first half with three personal fouls.

In Gaffney's case, the dynamic forward also had two personal fouls within two minutes of substituting for Phillips Jr. Ballo put the Sun Devils in an interesting position within the first six or so minutes of the game as any height in the paint was in danger for the rest of the game.

Foul trouble was huge as 6' 8" Bryant Selebangue was then dealt the task of defending the rim against a seven-foot Ballo. Not only was defense affected, but rebounding was as well in a game where ASU needed every possession possible. ASU was outrebounded 46-28 as the uphill battle for ASU continued to get steeper.

Both players eventually fouled out. Phillips Jr. with 8:52 left in the game, and Gaffney out of the game with 5:18 left. The game was already trailing towards out of reach, but the two frontcourt players fouling put the ASU guards in a position where they needed to attack from a distance. Something that could not be relied on, shooting 36% overall.

What a difference a year makes.

This ASU was hoping to be the first to beat Arizona twice at home under Lloyd. That was evident not to be the case tonight, but in retrospect, it has been a complete 180 from where the Sun Devils were last year.

Before the "Miracle at McKale" took place last year on Feb. 25th, 2023, ASU was in a much different spot. ASU was 19-9 overall, trying to secure their 20th win and establish a case to be invited to the 2023 NCAA Tournament. In which case, the 2022-2023 team was invited thanks in large part to Desmond Cambridge Jr.'s buzzer-beater.

Not only has this team seen leaders of that team like Devan Cambridge, Warren Washington, and DJ Horne leave, but they have also slowly seen tournament hopes fade this season. The only hope now lies in winning the Pac-12 tournament in a couple of weeks.

As ASU fans are surely reflecting on where the excitement went from that day versus a 45-point road loss to their rival this year, Hurley might answer with NIL troubles or simple inferiorness. Nonetheless, Hurley has stated before he has no intentions of giving up, and Arizona comes to Tempe on the 28th for a hopeful cleaning of the slate.

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