Shock. Frustration. Embarrassment.

All of these words probably describe the gamut of emotions experienced by Arizona State (15-7 overall, 6-4 conference) on Thursday night. In one of the most unexpected outcomes in the program’s recent history, the Sun Devils got pummeled 91-70 at home by lowly Washington State, who came into the game with a NET ranking of 230.

“I’m not into making excuses,” said ASU head coach Bobby Hurley. “There are none for this.”

In a season full of head-scratching performances, Thursday’s debacle takes the cake. The Sun Devils came out flat and appeared to be uninspired -- a stark contrast to the Cougars, who played with great energy throughout the contest.

It didn't help that ASU’s offense apparently decided to take the night off – shooting only 33 percent from the field, including an atrocious 5-of-33 from three-point range. It wasn’t much better at the charity stripe, where the Sun Devils converted only 19 of 33 attempts. ASU also committed 17 turnovers—the third-highest amount they’ve had this season.

The most perplexing stat, however, might have been the rebounding disparity.

ASU has been dominant on the glass all season long but was out-rebounded 48-41 by a smaller Washington State squad, who had a reputation of being a subpar rebounding team.

But give credit to the Cougars who came out swinging -- and never relented.

In addition to controlling the glass, Washington State was lethal from beyond the arc. They hit 12 three-pointers, including nine in the first half. The Cougars’ star forward Robert Franks made five threes by himself en route to tying a career-high 34 points.

“I just think they were playing aggressively -- they played hard,” Hurley said. “They played harder than we did. We didn’t have the right approach.

Thursday’s disappointing loss, which Hurley called ‘damaging’, severely hinders ASU’s chances of getting an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. It’s still not of the question, but the margin for error is now razor thin – and the Sun Devils will need to finish the regular season with a strong push.

ASU’s quest for redemption begins Saturday night, with a showdown against conference-leader Washington, who is one of the hottest teams in the country. It offers the Sun Devils an opportunity to capture a Quadrant-1 win – something that is particularly rare in this year’s Pac-12 race.

Washington (19-4, 10-0) enters Saturday’s contest on a 12-game winning streak and is widely considered the favorite to win the conference’s regular-season crown. With its 10-0 start in conference play, the Huskies are just the sixth Pac-12 team to reach that mark since the 18-game format started in 1978-79.

After starting the season on shaky ground, Washington has been firing on all cylinders the last two months under second-year head coach Mike Hopkins.

Hopkins has molded the UW program into the west coast version of Syracuse, where he served an assistant for 22 years prior to becoming the Huskies’ head coach. He adopted the suffocating 2-3 zone from his mentor, Jim Boeheim, and has transformed Washington into one of the best defensive teams in the country.

The Huskies’ adjusted defensive efficiency is ranked first in the Pac-12, and 14th nationally, according to KenPom. On the season, they’ve held opponents to only 64 points per game on 40 percent shooting from the field, both of which rank in the top-20 nationally.

Anchoring Washington’s defense is senior Matisse Thybulle. The versatile 6-foot-6 wing is an absolute menace on top of the 2-3 zone and leads the nation with 3.3 steals per game. Thybulle, who also averages 3.2 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per contest, is well on his way to capturing the Pac-12’s Defensive Player of the Year award for a second straight season.

On offense, the Huskies are led by sophomore Jaylen Nowell. The smooth 6-foot-4 guard is among the league leaders in scoring (16.4 per game), field goal percentage (.522) and three-point percentage (.444). Nowell always had a deadly mid-range game, and he added a consistent three-point shot to his arsenal this year. An efficient shooter who can score at all three levels, he is an early candidate to win Pac-12 Player of the Year honors.

The other player in Washington’s starting backcourt is senior David Crisp. Known as a scoring point guard early in his collegiate career, Crisp has become a more well-rounded player in Hopkins’s system. The Tacoma native is having a terrific senior year – and has really stepped up his game in Pac-12 play. In ten conference games, he is averaging 15.7 points and 2.3 assists per game, while shooting 49 percent from beyond the arc.

In the frontcourt, the Huskies rely heavily on senior Noah Dickerson. The burly 6-foot-8 forward is one of the best low-post players in the conference. A throwback big man who likes to play with his back to the basket, Dickerson has no qualms mixing it up in the paint. He is, however, recovering from an ankle injury and did not start in Thursday’s win at Arizona. He still logged 26 minutes and finished with 10 points.

Sophomore forward Hameir Wright typically starts alongside Dickerson in Washington’s frontcourt. However, he missed the last game due to flu-like symptoms and his status for Saturday’s contest is uncertain. If healthy and available, Wright is a valuable asset in the Huskies’ 2-3 zone -- thanks to his length and athleticism.

Washington has a solid (and experienced) bench. The Huskies’ rotation typically goes nine deep, with a bulk of the bench minutes going to wings Naz Carter and Dominic Green. Junior Sam Timmins, a 6-foot-11 post player, also averages double-figure minutes, while freshman guard Tyler Bey usually receives spot duty.

Probable Starters:

G – Remy Martin (13.1 PPG, 5.1 APG)/G – David Crisp (12.2 PPG, 2.7 APG)

G – Luguentz Dort (16.2 PPG, 4.5 RPG)/G – Jaylen Nowell (16.4 PPG, 5.4 RPG)

G – Rob Edwards (10.3 PPG, 2.9 RPG)/F – Matisse Thybulle (10 PPG, 3.3 SPG)

F – Zylan Cheatham (11.6 PPG, 11.1 RPG)/F – Hameir Wright (2.7 PPG, 1.4 BPG)

F – Romello White (8.9 PPG, 5.6 RPG)/F – Noah Dickerson (12.6 PPG, 6.7 RPG)

Why ASU Can Win: The Sun Devils seem to enjoy the big stage and have played some of its best basketball against elite competition. Don’t be surprised to see that happen again on Saturday.

Additionally, the crowd at Wells Fargo Arena might also be a little more lively than usual, especially after Hurley issued a challenge to ASU’s fan base during Friday’s press conference.

On the court, ASU should have a distinct advantage on the glass. Washington averages only 33.2 boards per game, which ranks 11th in the conference. Another thing to consider: it is often harder to rebound while playing a zone defense, and that could present second-chance opportunities for ASU, who averages a league-best 13.2 offensive rebounds per game.

Why Washington Can Win: The Huskies, who average only 66.4 possessions per 40 minutes, control the pace as well any team in the country. They thrive in a slow, half-court game and force opponents to adapt to their style of play.

Although Washington doesn’t score a ton of points (they don’t need to), they are efficient on the offensive end. They shoot 46.7 percent from the field, which ranks third best in the Pac-12.

In addition to boasting one of the nation’s best defenses, the Huskies also have experience -- and that is paramount in college basketball. Washington’s top eight players were on last year’s squad, and five of them are upperclassmen.

Key Stat: Only two teams have shot higher than 47 percent from the field against Washington this season: San Diego (47.2) and Colorado (48).

X-Factor: Can the Sun Devils re-discover their shooting touch? ASU has not had much success from beyond the arc in recent weeks. In fact, they have shot only 28 percent from three-point range in the last four games. The Sun Devils will almost certainly need a better shooting performance if they hope to pull off the upset.

Prediction: Washington 68, ASU 65

Game Info:

When: 8:00 pm MST

Where: Wells Fargo Arena – Tempe, Ariz.

TV/Radio: ESPN / 98.7 FM