Arizona State (13-5 overall, 4-2 conference) travels to southern California this week for a pivotal two-game road trip against the Los Angeles schools. The first leg of the trip is a Thursday night matchup against UCLA.
ASU is coming off one of its best performances of the season -- a 78-64 win over Oregon on Saturday night. The Sun Devils used a 19-0 run late in the second half to put away the Ducks. The critical stretch, which lasted just under four minutes, illustrated the potential of this team when they’re firing on all cylinders.
“The ball was flying around the court, and guys were flying around the court defensively,” said ASU forward Zylan Cheatham. “We were playing together -- and when we do that, we’re going to be tough to beat.”
Indeed, when ASU plays as they did against Oregon, you can make a strong argument that the Sun Devils are the team to beat in the Pac-12 Conference.
Effective on both ends of the floor in Saturday’s win, ASU certainly looked the part.
The Sun Devils shot 51 percent from the field, sank 11 three-pointers, and assisted on 17 of their 25 made field goals. The hot shooting from three-point range continued an encouraging trend for ASU, who has improved dramatically in this category over the last few games.
However, let’s make no mistake, if this team is going to make a serious push for an NCAA Tournament berth, strong rebounding and defense will need to be its calling card.
Although ASU was out-rebounded on Saturday—for only the third time this season—the defense once again shined. They held Oregon to 32 percent shooting from the field. It was the second straight game—and the fourth time in five contests—in which ASU forced its opponent to shoot less than 40 percent.
The Sun Devils really turned up the heat in the second half, when they limited the Ducks to only 25 points on a mere 28 percent shooting from the field.
“It was kind of getting back to a standard we’ve seen with this team earlier,” said ASU head coach Bobby Hurley. “You know the potential is there…if you play a certain way. It was nice to see us defend that way.”
After an impressive sweep of the Oregon schools, it’s imperative ASU maintains its focus on the upcoming road trip. The Sun Devils have suffered from bouts of complacency this season, especially after big wins (see: the Princeton and Cal games).
However, ASU cannot afford to have a mental lapse against a talented, albeit mercurial, UCLA team that is desperately trying to revive its season.
The 2018-19 campaign has been a forgettable one for the Pac-12’s flagship program. UCLA (10-8, 3-2) fired coach Steve Alford midway through the season, ending a tumultuous five-and-a-half year run in Westwood.
Picked to finish second in the conference’s preseason poll, the Bruins have arguably been one of the biggest disappointments in college basketball thus far. Despite having a roster littered with four- and five-star prospects, UCLA has continually struggled with chemistry, ball control, and poor shooting.
Under interim coach Murry Bartow, the Bruins appeared to turn a corner – rattling off three wins to open Pac-12 play. They have come back down to Earth, however, in recent games losing the last two by double digits. The latest setback was a 13-point loss to crosstown rival USC, which snapped a four-game winning streak against the Trojans.
With as much talent and depth as any team in the conference, however, UCLA should not be overlooked. If they can figure things out, the Bruins still have the potential to be a dangerous team.
Case in point: Two weeks ago in Eugene, UCLA trailed Oregon by nine points with less than a minute remaining. The Bruins appeared to be toast – but somehow managed to erase the nine-point deficit and force overtime, before escaping with a three-point victory.
On the season, UCLA has been paced by sophomore Kris Wilkes. A silky smooth 6-foot-8 wing, Wilkes is one of the top scorers (17.1 points per game) in the conference. His impressive quickness and ball handling allow him to score at all three levels.
Sharing the backcourt with Wilkes is fellow sophomore Jaylen Hands. With Aaron Holiday running the point last season, Hands played off the ball and never seemed to be comfortable in UCLA’s offense. However, he’s back at his natural position this season and has proven he’s one of the top point guards in the conference. He leads the Pac-12 with 6.4 assists per contest.
Shooting guard Prince Ali (10.6 PPG), a redshirt junior, is the only upperclassman in UCLA’s regular rotation. He’s been a steadying force for the young Bruins, who have been plagued by inconsistent play this season.
In the frontcourt, UCLA has gotten a ton of production from star freshman Moses Brown. The 7-1 center has been one of the few bright spots for the Bruins. He is among the league leaders in rebounding (8.9 per game), blocked shots (2.3) and field goal percentage (.659). It’s a bit surprising UCLA doesn’t make a more concerted effort to get the ball to Brown, who averages only 7.7 shots per game.
For better or worse, the Bruins’ rotation has been relatively consistent in 2018-19 with Brown, Wilkes, Ali and Hands starting every game. The role of fifth starter, however, has been assumed by a number of players including forwards Jalen Hill, Cody Riley, and Chris Smith.
Smith has started in recent weeks, but Bartow suggested to reporters on Tuesday that he might go back to a more traditional lineup—with two big men—against the Sun Devils. If that happens, look for Hill or Riley to get the starting nod on Thursday night.
The Bruins, who typically go nine deep, have a solid second unit. Along with the previously mentioned frontcourt players, UCLA has a pair of talented freshmen in Jules Bernard and David Singleton, who give the team valuable depth in the backcourt.
Probable Starters:
G – Remy Martin (12.3 PPG, 4.3 APG) / G – Jaylen Hands (11.8 PPG, 6.4 APG)
G – Luguentz Dort (16.4 PPG, 4.4 RPG) / G – Prince Ali (10.6 PPG, 2.6 RPG)
G – Rob Edwards (10.3 PPG, 42% 3-PT) / F – Kris Wilkes (17.1 PPG, 4.9 RPG)
F – Zylan Cheatham (12.1 PPG, 9.6 RPG) / F – Cody Riley (6.9 PPG, 4.8 RPG)
F – Romello White (9 PPG, 5.9 RPG) / C – Moses Brown (11.3 RPG, 8.9 RPG)
Why ASU Can Win: The Sun Devils are starting to defend at an elite level, and that’s bad news for the Bruins, who are the worst 3-point and free-throw shooting team in the conference.
ASU should be able to feast on UCLA’s ball handlers. The Bruins are one of the most turnover-prone teams in the conference – and average nearly 15 miscues per game, which is the second-most among Pac-12 schools.
The youth and inexperience of the Bruins should also benefit the Sun Devils. Five players in UCLA’s nine-man rotation are freshmen, and only one upperclassman (Ali) gets regular playing time.
Why UCLA Can Win: The Bruins are one of the few teams that can match ASU’s physicality in the paint. In fact, UCLA averages a league-best 42.9 rebounds per game.
They also have plenty of size and length in the frontcourt, which could pose problems for the Sun Devils. As a team, the Bruins average nearly 5 blocks per contest.
On offense, the Bruins have multiple players—Wilkes, Hands, and Ali—who are capable of creating their own offense off the bounce. Also keep an eye on Brown, who has the size and athleticism to inflict damage around the hoop.
Key Stat: The Bruins have had issues taking care of the ball all season long, and it’s only gotten worse in recent weeks. UCLA is averaging a whopping 18 turnovers per game in Pac-12 play.
X-Factor: Can ASU keep up its torrid three-point shooting? After shooting only 32.5 percent from beyond the arc in non-conference play, the Sun Devils have been torching the nets in recent weeks. Over the last three games, ASU has shot 41.1 percent (30-of-73) from 3-point range. When the outside shot is falling, it naturally adds another dimension to the Sun Devil offense.
Prediction: UCLA 78, ASU 74
Game Info:
When: 9:00 pm MST
Where: Pauley Pavilion – Los Angeles, Calif.
TV/Radio: FS1 / 620 AM
