The No. 24 University of Arizona men’s basketball team (19-10, 13-5 in Big 12) will face ASU (13-16, 4-14 in Big 12) for their second time this season on Tuesday, March 4 at 9 p.m. in McKale. This will be the Wildcats final game of the regular season in McKale Center.
History vs. ASU
The Wildcats and Sun Devils are known rivals as their history dates back to their first match ever played on Dec. 13, 1913. Arizona holds a 162-87 series record over ASU. Their most recent game took place in ASU’s home court and resulted in a 81-72 win for the Wildcats on Feb 1. In the last ten games between the two programs, Arizona has only lost once, taking place on Feb. 25, 2023 and falling short by only one point 89-88.
ASU players to watch
The Sun Devils are led by Bobby Hurley who has been head coach of the program since April 9, 2015. ASU has had some impressionable wins under Hurley’s leadership. He follows a rigorous schedule and, notably, does not take losses gently. In the last matchup against Arizona, Hurley led his team off the court before shaking hands with them at the end of the game. This could foreshadow an intense sight on the court in the upcoming game.
Jayden Quaintance, a 6-foot-9 freshman forward, dominates the boards for ASU. He leads the team in rebounding, averaging 7.9 boards per game, collecting a total of 189. Additionally, Quaintance averages 9.4 points per game, a significant amount considering his defensive efforts as well.
In the game against Arizona on Feb. 1, Quaintance only had 7 points but brought down eight boards, the most of any Sun Devil. He was also able to drive down low and get to the free throw line where he shot 3-for-4.
Bashir Jihad, a 6-foot-9 senior forward, was another crucial player in the matchup against the Wildcats. Jihad made 14 points and secured seven rebounds. Out of 17 shot attempts, Jihad made five. Notably, he went 2-for-7 from the arc and a perfect 2-for-2 from the line.
For the Sun Devils, Jihad falls in third for points, averaging 12 per game. He averages 5.4 boards per game, falling behind Quaintance for second. Jihad’s a well rounded player with efforts both offensively, shown through his 53 total assists this season, as well as defensively, seen in his 22 blocks this season.
BJ Freeman, a senior guard and the leading scorer for ASU, has been removed from the team because of conduct detrimental to the team, a team spokesperson confirmed. Freeman had been ejected from two games during conference play, including the last matchup against Arizona where he was seen head-butting Caleb Love, Wildcat’s fifth year guard.
This is a big loss for the Sun Devils as Freeman averaged 13.7 points per game and 3.9 rebounds per game. He was a leading playmaker for ASU alongside his leading scores. Against Arizona, Freeman led his team with 19 points and two steals. It will be interesting to see which Sun Devil can fill the shoes of Freeman in this upcoming match.
Wildcats to watch
Arizona is led by head coach Tommy Lloyd, who has been with the program for four seasons. Lloyd holds numerous impressive wins under belt, including a 86-75 victory over No. 10 Iowa State University earlier this season on Jan. 27 when they were ranked No. 3 in the NCAA and the Wildcats had not been ranked at all. Lloyd has also won many awards for Coach of the Year back in his 2022 season.
Jaden Bradley, a junior guard, has been a key player for the Wildcats this season. Playing point guard, Bradley has created some of their best plays this year and has had 109 assists, the most for the team. On top of that, Bradley averages 11.6 points per game, only falling short to Love. He also leads the team with 58 steals, an effective player on all areas of the court.
In Arizona’s last matchup against ASU, Bradley secured 14 points, the second most for the team. Bradley was able to find openings in the paint to earn fouls where he shot a perfect 6-for-6 from the line. Additionally, he went 4-for-9 from inside, grabbed four boards and had two assists, serving as a major asset for the Wildcats
Carter Bryant, a 6-foot-9 freshman forward, is another valuable player for Arizona. Against ASU, Bryant had a game high of 10 rebounds, eight defensive and two offensive. On top of that, he put up 8 points. Bryant’s energy on the court earned him an additional four steals for the game. While only making two shots from inside, he was able to put up two additional shots from the 3-point line, securing a 40% shooting percentage from beyond the arc for the game.
For the season, Bryant averages 6.4 points per game and four rebounds per game. However, his height has served as a major help defensively, allowing him to earn 27 blocks for the season, second for the team. Bryant shoots 48.5% from inside and pairs it with a 35.9 shooting percentage from around the arc. As only a freshman, he is a crucial player to watch for the Wildcats.
KJ Lewis, a sophomore guard, has been an impressive player off the bench for Arizona. Lewis ranks third in scoring for Arizona, averaging 10.4 points per game. Defensively, Lewis averages 4.6 rebounds and has collected 39 steals for the season.
During the most recent game against ASU, Lewis secured 8 points as well as eight rebounds. Lewis is also able to find opportunities at the line as he went 6-for-6 in this particular matchup, as he is a 82.8% free-throw shooter. Additionally, he contributed offensively with four assists and maintained his aggressiveness through two steals for the Wildcats, making his presence known all across the stat sheet.
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