The ASU men's basketball team will enter uncharted territory tonight when rekindling its rivalry against UA in what will mark the 200th meeting between the schools.
Despite heading into the much-anticipated rematch at McKale Center in Tucson as slight underdogs, the Sun Devils are actually given a chance in the eyes of many. That's because ASU (14-10, 7-8 Pac-10) is fresh off one of its biggest wins of the season, while the 14th-ranked Wildcats (17-8, 10-5) are just four days removed from sustaining back-to-back conference losses for the first time this year.
"We've been confident all year long on the road. We just haven't executed well enough to complete games," ASU head coach Rob Evans said. "We're playing better at home and on the road, and we'll see if that's good enough."
The Sun Devils have not swept UA since 1994-95 when former head coach Bill Frieder took a talented squad to the Sweet Sixteen. But their best chance to pull off the improbable feat will come tonight, and they have plenty of reasons to be optimistic.
Hundreds of college basketball followers took notice of ASU's 69-68 triumph at then-No. 20 UCLA on Saturday afternoon. The Sun Devils are finally reaping the benefits of the upset and are suddenly back in the running for an NCAA Tournament bid.
Although, seven Pac-10 teams likely won't be a part of March Madness, meaning that ASU could get left out due to its unfavorable RPI of 85. But the Sun Devils still have more than enough time to make up some ground with a pair of games left against ranked opponents.
"We just have to play consistent. It's late in the season and we still show up one game and then just completely not show up another game," said ASU senior center Chad Prewitt, who is averaging 19.3 points per game in conference play. "The win (over UCLA) is behind us now and we know (UA) is going to be hungry. They're still in a race for the Pac-10 championship and will have extra motivation because we beat them the first time."
ASU would have to catch any of the Pac-10's fifth-place teams - California, UA or UCLA - in order to have a realistic shot at going to the Big Dance. Meanwhile, the Wildcats have not been excluded from the NCAA Tournament since 1983-84 in Lute Olson's first season at the helm. But the well-seasoned head coach has received quite a few scares in his team's 2001-02 campaign.
"I don't think anybody could have predicted that it would have come down to the very last week with six teams in position to win the league," Olson said. "I thought that with ASU having as many guys coming back, they would be very tough as well."
The most recent mark in UA's long list of shortcomings came last Thursday night in a 77-76 defeat at UCLA. The Wildcats then sustained a five-point loss two days later against then-No. 25 USC when junior guard Jason Gardner traveled before nailing a three-pointer with 2.9 seconds remaining that would have tied things up.
But despite its hardships, UA has continued to post consistent numbers night in and night out. The Wildcats have five players averaging in double figures, as Gardner leads the way with 20.6 points per game, while junior forward Luke Walton is following closely behind at 15.7 points per contest.
"(Jason's) scoring average is up because four starters from a year ago are gone. He has had to score more, just as Luke has had to," Olson said. "Their numbers are way up because they are playing a lot of minutes. They don't have the supporting cast they had a year ago and have to be more scoring conscious."
After holding UCLA's leading scorer (junior forward Jason Kapono) in check, the Sun Devils now turn their attention toward limiting Walton's effectiveness on offense. The son of legendary Bruin center Bill Walton exploded for 26 points on 10-of-13 shooting from the field versus ASU in mid-January.
"I don't think there's anybody that has contained Luke Walton because he's such a smart player. He handles the ball well, he finds open people, he can knock down shots, he rebounds the ball and he defends," Evans said. "You're not going to contain him. All you can do is try to limit his touches and not let him become too much of a focal point."
While the Wildcats are healthy heading down the season's home stretch, the Sun Devils remain banged up. For the second week in a row, they will probably go without two of their biggest offensive threats.
ASU senior forward Awvee Storey will miss his third straight game after suffering a swollen left retina and laceration of the lower left eyelid against Washington in early February. Storey has not attended school or practiced with the team since sustaining the injury. His eye is so sensitive to light that he couldn't even finish watching the second half of Saturday's game on television.
Sun Devil sophomore swingman Kenny Crandall made the short trip to the Los Angeles schools last weekend after spraining a ligament in his right foot at Stanford in late January. He suited up for warm-ups, but did not play because he has been unable to run at full strength. Crandall was still experiencing soreness Monday when consulting a doctor.
Reach the reporter at Brian.gomez@asu.edu.
