The ASU men's basketball team has nothing to lose Saturday.
UA, on the other hand, has a lot at stake.
The Wildcats remain unranked in the polls and are considered a bubble team for the NCAA Tournament, putting their 22nd consecutive appearance (the second-longest streak in NCAA history) in jeopardy. An ASU victory would certainly damage UA's chances for an invitation.
And playing spoiler against its rival could breathe more life into a young, inexperienced ASU squad that took a big step forward with a tough road win over Pac-10 frontrunner California on Saturday.
"This is definitely going to be a big game and a season-maker if we can go down to their house and give them payback for beating us here," ASU freshman center Jeff Pendergraph said.
UA defeated the Sun Devils 80-70 behind 21 points from senior guard Hassan Adams on Jan. 25 at Wells Fargo Arena.
But ASU coach Rob Evans said this isn't the same team that experienced a 2-for-21 slump and fell apart defensively in the second half, allowing the Wildcats to shoot 63 percent from the field.
"They've grown mentally and they've grown physically," he said. "In the Cal game they fought all the way through in a lot of adverse situations.
"To beat them when we were down four with less than a minute to go said a lot about the resolve of our team."
In his first rivalry game Pendergraph tallied 17 points and 11 rebounds for the first double-double of his career. In the last five contests, Pendergraph is averaging 17.4 points and 8.4 rebounds per game, making him a favorite for Pac-10 Freshman of the Year.
Pendergraph said he has added a hook shot and improved his consistency and aggressiveness in the post since he last saw the Wildcats.
"I used to come down and wrestle [with defenders] a little bit and then give up," he said. "Now I know if I battle, that means they're going to get tired and give me even better post position."
An important factor on the road for ASU is the composure of sophomore point guard Antwi Atuahene.
Evans added he has been impressed with Atuahene's floor leadership and mental toughness in recent games.
"He really ran the ball club [against California]," Evans said. "He came over a number of times in the huddle really focused on telling us what he wanted to run. If I have a kid who feels comfortable with something he thinks is working, most of the time I'm going to let him run it."
A victory at McKale Center is a monumental task for any Pac-10 team. UA has won 259 of its last 277 home games. The last ASU team that left Tucson with a victory was the 1994-95 squad that went to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.
But Atuahene said he is looking forward to the challenge.
"My whole life I've loved road games more than home games because you're against all odds," he said. "We're the underdog, and I thrive on being the underdog."
Reach the reporter at derrik.miller@asu.edu.
