Arizona State (21-9 overall, 12-6 in Pac-12 play) appears to be in good shape as they head into Thursday night’s quarterfinal matchup of the Pac-12 Tournament against UCLA.
According to most Bracketology projections, the Sun Devils are currently in the field of 68, and unlike previous seasons, their NCAA Tournament hopes are not contingent on winning the conference tourney.
For ASU, however, there is still plenty to play for. With a solid showing in the Pac-12 tournament, they could solidify their standing, and perhaps, play their way into a higher seed in the NCAA tournament.
Fresh off a 72-64 win against rival Arizona, the Sun Devils are riding a wave of momentum into Las Vegas. They have won five of their last six games, and seem to be peaking at the right time, which encourages ASU head coach Bobby Hurley.
“You want to be playing well,” he said. “I thought last year we may have peaked earlier in the year and we weren’t winning games. (Going into the Pac-12 Tournament this year), we’ve won five of our last six and that’s a great sign.”
A big reason for the Sun Devils’ strong play is their ever-improving offense, which has been more balanced in recent weeks. Throughout the season, ASU has relied on a strong perimeter attack led by Luguentz Dort, Remy Martin, and Rob Edwards.
However, the Sun Devils have featured Zylan Cheatham more prominently in its half-court offense over the last month. The redshirt has looked comfortable playing on the low block and/or short corner, and it has allowed ASU to play inside-out in the half-court set.
“We have a guy like Zylan,” Hurley explained, “who you can really throw the ball to inside and, consistently, he’s going to get stuff done on the block…That’s been the major difference – what Zylan’s been doing [for us].”
The Sun Devils hope Cheatham, who was named to the All-Pac-12 First Team on Monday, can continue to be a force on the low block. If so, it will make ASU’s offense, which is the league’s second-highest scoring unit, even more dangerous in March.
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UCLA (17-5, 9-9) held off Stanford and escaped with a 79-72 win in the first round of the Pac-12 Tournament on Wednesday night. The Bruins led by as many as 26 points in the second half but allowed a short-handed Cardinal squad to make it interesting in the waning minutes of the game.
UCLA, the seventh-seed in the Pac-12 tourney, once again got significant contributions from Jaylen Hands (22 points, 11 rebounds) and Kris Wilkes (14 points, 6 rebounds).
The sophomore duo has been a bright spot in an otherwise disappointing season for the Bruins, who were picked to finish second in the Pac-12 media’s preseason poll. For their stellar play throughout the season, both Hands and Wilkes earned All-Pac-12 Second Team honors earlier this week.
Together, they set the tone for UCLA’s high-powered offense, which averages a league-best 78.4 points per game. It’s no secret the Bruins want to get up and down the floor, and turn the game into a track meet. In fact, they have the 17th fastest tempo in the nation according to KenPom.
In addition to its high-scoring offense, UCLA also leads the Pac-12 in rebounding this season (41.2 per game). It’s not surprising considering they have a ton of size in the frontcourt: Moses Brown (7-1), Jalen Hill (6-10), Alex Olesinski (6-10), Cody Riley (6-9) and Chris Smith (6-9).
Brown, who was recently named to the Pac-12 All-Freshman Team, is the anchor of the Bruins’ frontcourt. In addition to averaging 10.2 points per game, he also ranks in the league’s top-5 in rebounds (8.5 per game) and blocks (2.0).
Although UCLA can score and rebound as well as any team in the country, they have struggled to defend this season.
In conference play, the Bruins allowed opponents to score a league-high 80.9 points per contest. It should be noted that UCLA’s fast style of play, which translates to more possessions for both teams, is a contributor. However, the Bruins’ style of play doesn’t dismiss the fact that UCLA’s adjusted defensive efficiency ranks eighth in the conference (and 137th nationally), according to KenPom.
In addition to a spotty defense, UCLA will need to overcome its lack of depth, which took a major hit on Wednesday night.
After its 79-72 win over Stanford, the team announced that freshman David Singleton and redshirt junior Prince Ali would miss the remainder of the season with foot injuries.
Singleton, who logged a season-high 33 minutes in Wednesday’s game, broke his foot late in the contest. He had actually replaced Ali in the starting lineup in five of the past six games while Ali tried to recover from plantar fasciitis. The team was hopeful the veteran guard would return at some point this season, but that is no longer an option.
With Singleton and Ali out, UCLA’s backcourt has suddenly become painfully thin. The Bruins essentially have only two healthy scholarship guards—Jaylen Hands and Jules Bernard—on its active roster.
Look for Bernard, who has started only one game this season, to get the starting nod on Thursday night -- along with Hands, Wilkes, Smith, and Brown.
A trio of frontcourt players round out UCLA’s rotation: freshmen Jalen Hill and Cody Riley, and redshirt junior Alex Olesinski.
Probable Starters:
G – Remy Martin (13.5 PPG, 5.2 APG) / G – Jaylen Hands (13.7 PPG, 6.3 APG)
G – Luguentz Dort (16.2 PPG, 4.3 RPG) / G – Jules Bernard (7.8 PPG, 3.1 RPG)
G – Rob Edwards (11 PPG, 3.1 RPG) / F – Kris Wilkes (17.2 PPG, 4.9 RPG)
F – Zylan Cheatham (11.6 PPG, 10.4 RPG) / F – Chris Smith (6.1 PPG, 3.8 RPG)
F – Romello White (8.4 PPG, 5.2 RPG) / C – Moses Brown (10.6 PPG, 8.8 RPG)
Why ASU Can Win: The veteran-laden Sun Devils should have a distinct advantage over a young UCLA team, which has been wildly inconsistent all season long. Led by its trio of all-conference players—Cheatham, Dort, and Martin—ASU seems to be peaking at the right time as they head into the Pac-12 tourney.
On the offensive end, look for ASU to take advantage of the Bruins’ porous defense, which is among the worst in the conference, according to KenPom. The Sun Devil offense has been more efficient in recent weeks, shooting 47.3 percent from the field and 35.4 percent from beyond the arc over the last eight games.
On defense, ASU would be wise to apply heavy ball pressure against UCLA, which averages 14.1 turnovers per game (the second-most in the Pac-12). If it results in extra free throws for the Bruins, that’s not necessarily a bad thing – UCLA shoots a league-worst 63.1 percent from the charity stripe.
Why UCLA Can Win: The Bruins have plenty of talent to compensate for their youth and inexperience. And when they have it clicking, they are one of the Pac-12’s most dangerous teams.
UCLA, who leads the league in scoring and rebounding, is one of the few teams that can match ASU’s physicality in the paint. The Bruins’ frontcourt is big, long and athletic – and could pose problems for the Sun Devils on both ends of the floor.
On the perimeter, UCLA has two of the conference’s best scorers in Wilkes (17.2 PPG) and Hands (13.7 PPG). Both are dynamic athletes who have the potential—and talent—to take over a game.
Key Stat: It’s no secret that ASU has struggled in conference tournament play. In fact, since making the finals of the Pac-10 Tournament in 2009, the Sun Devils have a 2-9 record and have not advanced past the quarterfinal round.
X-Factor: Lost in ASU’s win over Arizona was the performance of sophomore Kimani Lawrence. With most of the Sun Devil frontcourt saddled with foul trouble, the reserve forward logged 33 minutes and finished with 10 points, two rebounds, and two steals. When Lawrence is involved in ASU’s offense, it’s typically good news for the Sun Devils. When he scores in double figures, ASU is 11-3 this season.
Prediction: ASU 80, UCLA 74
Game Info:
When: 6:00 pm MST
Where: T-Mobile Arena – Las Vegas, Nev.
TV: Pac-12 Network
Radio: 98.7 FM
