(Photo Credit: Alyssa Buruato)
It has been all doom and gloom in the desert, as Arizona State men’s basketball (11-12, 5-7 Pac-12) has been lost in its ways over just a few weeks of conference play. A team once seeded second in the Pac-12 after a fierce 4-0 start to the conference, now sits at ninth in the standings after losing seven of its last eight games.
The Sun Devils have lost five straight with their last win dating back to Jan 20, a home victory over Southern California. Since then they have been outplayed in every contest losing all five matchups by an average of almost 14 points.
ASU will have an opportunity to try and steer the ship on Saturday night as it will travel to Salt Lake City to take on Utah (15-8, 6-6). In the first matchup between these sides, ASU was able to carve out an impressive win in Tempe 82-70.
However, the course of the last eight games has shown beating a team once does not mean it will happen again — the Sun Devils last three defeats have all come against teams they had already beaten in Pac-12 play previously.
When these teams faced Jan 4, it was the graduate wing Jose Perez show, he boosted a season-high 26 points shooting 9-of-16 from the field and knocking down four 3-pointers in the process, on the flip side Perez is coming off his worst offensive performance of the season against the Buffs, scoring only two points on 1-of-9 shooting in 30 minutes of action.
Saturday’s game will prove another test of character on the road, and after falling short against Colorado, trying to get a road win against Utah will be another challenge where ASU will sink or swim. Perez, in addition to multiple players, will need to raise the standard at which they have performed if winning on the road is in the cards.
One ASU player to watch out for is junior Adam Miller. Miller has had an up-and-down campaign thus far, averaging 10.8 points per game and 3.1 rebounds while shooting 29% from beyond the arch. Miller had an efficient game against Colorado on Thursday, as he scored 14 points hitting five shots on seven tries, including 2-of-3 shooting from deep.
The Utes have nestled into the middle of the standings in the Pac-12, sitting 6-6 going into the matchup against ASU. They are led by 7-foot senior Branden Carlson, who leads the team in points per game and rebounds per game putting up 16.8 points and 6.8 rebounds per night. Carlson is also a team leader in blocks at 1.4 per game, making him a versatile big man that can cause problems for opposing teams.
Expect ASU head coach Bobby Hurley to match sophomore center Shawn Phillips Jr. up against Carlson on Saturday. Phillips Jr. started for the fourth time this season on Thursday after being a part of the starting unit in the team’s first three games this season. In his start against Colorado, Phillips Jut got up 10 points and four boards making a large impact in just 17 minutes of action.
The Sun Devils hopes of making the NCAA tournament through an at-large bid are all but out of the window. With just eight games left on its schedule, it would take a miraculous turnaround for them to get in. However, with the Pac-12 tournament victor earning an automatic place in the top 68, Saturday’s game will be an opportunity to steer the ship in the right direction.
ASU tips off against Utah at 6 p.m. MST in Salt Lake City.
