The Arizona/ASU rivalry hasn’t been particularly competitive in mens’ basketball in recent years. If not for a 70-foot buzzer beater three years ago the Wildcats would be riding a 12-game win streak in the series.
Instead, the UA is on a completely different streak, one that’s on the cusp of school history, ahead of the latest matchup with That School Up North.
Top-ranked Arizona (21-0, 8-0 Big 12) has tied its best start in school history, as well as the longest run of consecutive wins. The 2013-14
squad won its first 21 games before dropping the 22nd. A victory over the Sun Devils (11-10, 2-6) would make this the longest season-opening win streak in Division I since Gonzaga—with Tommy Lloyd as an assistant—started 31-0 in 2021-22 before losing to Baylor in the NCAA title game.
That was one of two season-opening streaks of at least 29 games for Gonzaga with Lloyd on staff. The last team from a power conference to start better than 21-0 was Kentucky, in 2014-15, when it won its first 38 games before losing to Wisconsin (which had just beaten Arizona) in the Final Four.
“Obviously, I’m excited we got off the good start, but we’re on a much bigger mission than getting off to a good start,” Lloyd said Thursday. “Honestly, we talk nothing about streaks, nothing about winning streaks. We just talk about preparing to win the next game. And it’s honestly that simple.”
Here’s what to watch for when the UA and ASU meet for the second time in 19 days:
For once, some familiarity
This will be Arizona’s ninth Big 12 game but first against an opponent it has already seen. The reduction of conference games from 20 to 18 means there are only three home-and-homes on the schedule, the others being BYU and Kansas.
“We each have tape on each other, playing each other,” Lloyd said. “You can kind of see what, maybe, what you think they were trying to do, and what was successful for them and what were you trying to do and you were successful with. And then you can just kind of decide if you need to make adjustments from there.”
The UA won the first meeting 89-82 at McKale Center on Jan. 14, a much-closer-than-expected contest that saw ASU lead at the half and by two with 14:32 left. The Sun Devils are one of just five opponents to hold leads on the Wildcats after halftime,
“They’re really talented, they got shot makers,” Lloyd said of ASU, which shot 47.8 percent for the second-best opponent accuracy this season. “Their big guy (Massamba Diop) played tremendous, just his little midrange game and some little minis and floaters, kind of bunch of short roll situations, which are elite shots. Just a really talented team that forces you to make decisions. They got a couple guards that can kind of create offense on their own when things break down. They’re formidable.”
The closing stretch
Arizona avoided abject disaster Monday at BYU, pulling out the win after almost blowing a 19-point lead with less than 11 minutes to go. The Wildcats were up 11 with 82 seconds left but made several fundamental mistakes after that, including two on inbounds plays.
If not for Brayden Burries’ game-saving block from behind on Robert Wright the UA might have seen its win streak snapped via implosion.
Lloyd said there was a lot to learn from how the end of that game went, but it’s also important to remember what led to his team being up 19 on the road against a ranked opponent.
“I think you look at both, and you figure out what are some of the positive things that allows you to get up and then what caused them, or allowed them, to come back,” he said. “Teams make these steep climb comebacks often, it happens. I think it was good for our guys to experience. I mean, I would rather we not experienced it, but we did. So let’s live in reality and and use it as a learning experience.”
Ivan Kharchenkov had 10 points, six rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block in that game but he also had a key turnover with 37 seconds left that helped BYU’s comeback.
“We’ve got to stay calm, cool and collected,” Kharchenkov said. “Have a cool mind. Don’t be the hero. Just make the easy play. I’ve got to do a better job there securing the ball. I made a mistake so I have to learn better.”
Arizona has had a couple games this season where it let things get closer than they should late. The season opener against Florida saw a 9-point lead with 2:20 to go become a one-score game twice in the final minute, while ASU had a chance to get within two with 56 seconds left but Moe Odum missed his free throw after getting fouled on a made 3-pointer.
The final battle with Bobby Hurley?
Bobby Hurley is in the final year of his contract, and all signs point to him not coaching ASU beyond March. The Sun Devils are starting at the possibility of a third consecutive losing season and they’ve lost eight of 10 since a 10-2 start.
That includes three of four since playing the UA tough at McKale, with Tuesday’s 79-76 loss at UCF coming after they were up 12 with just over six minutes left.
ASU has lost four times at home this season, where it doesn’t draw well except when Arizona is in town. He’s 4-18 against the Wildcats, but then again most coaches have records like that against the UA.
Lloyd said he has empathy for Hurley, and when they spoke before the meeting in Tucson earlier this month told him much of the criticism he gets is unwarranted.
“These are hard jobs, and that’s a great guy, and he’s an iconic basketball player and coach in our culture,” Lloyd said. “If guys like him can go through tough times, any of us can. So I have empathy for him. I told him last game, these fans have these signs and things like that, and I know there’s this rivalry deal, and everyone gets excited and wants to make a joke at someone else’s expense. I understand that’s part of culture and whatever. I mean, I don’t get bothered by it, but I just told him he doesn’t deserve any of it. And I hope he knows that. I don’t think that way.”
