Backcourt: James Harden: The beast of the Pacific 10 Conference heads to Tucson as a top-5 projected pick in the NBA Draft. So far this season, he’s averaging 23.1 points per game, and the Sun Devils are 23-5 when he scores at least 20 points. Arizona’s offense runs through Nic Wise, who will go up against Derek Glasser. The ASU point guard ranks second in the Pac-10 in assist-to-turnover ratio.
Advantage: ASU
Front court: Last season, ASU picked apart the Wildcats’ man-to-man defense, often exploiting the Jeff Pendergraph-Jordan Hill matchup. Pendergraph torched the Wildcats inside after Hill picked up his second foul in the first five minutes, forcing Hill to sit the rest of the first half. Pendergraph finished with a team-high 29 points in Tucson.
Advantage: ASU
Bench: The Wildcats need the same Zane Johnson who showed up against USC. Aside from fouling out, Johnson went 2-for-2 from beyond the arc and earned a starting spot ahead of Jamelle Horne.
Advantage: Arizona
Intangibles: When it comes to rivalry games, throw everything you know out the window. It’s about protecting home court and, for the first time this season, the Zona Zoo will be out in full force. That, plus ASU is coming off a monumental UCLA upset. If there’s ever been a trap game in a rivalry, this would be one.
Advantage: Arizona
Prediction: ASU 67-60
