Sun Devils set for rematch against Oregon State in Tempe

(Photo: Alyssa Buruato/WCSN)

It was a showing of class last time Arizona State Men’s Basketball (12-12, 6-7 Pac-12) faced Oregon State (11-13, 3-10 Pac-12) up in Corvallis. ASU was in the midst of what turned into a five-game losing streak and was reeling from a second-half collapse against conference powerhouse Oregon, a few days before, when it lost 84-71 to the Beavers in late January. At the time, Oregon State had just ended a losing streak of its own with a marquee win against one of the Pac-12’s upper-echelon teams, upsetting Arizona 83-80 just a few days prior.

The comparisons between the original and the reverse matchup scheduled for Wednesday night between these two conference foes are palpable. Oregon State now finds themselves in the thick of a four-game losing streak having not won since beating the Sun Devils. ASU, on the contrary, is flying relatively higher after upsetting Utah 85-77 Saturday night in Salt Lake City.

With both teams sitting just at or below .500, it’s safe to say neither team has had the consistently successful regular season they’ve hoped for. The goals have likely shifted to setting their team up to peak come Pac-12 Tournament time, which is set to tip off in Las Vegas less than a month from Wednesday’s game. While the goals and paths of both teams are eerily similar, the comparisons don’t end there.

When examining the Pac-12 team statistical leaderboards, it’s common to see the squad ranked next to each other in various metrics, often together at the bottom of the conference. Both teams are built in similar veins with an emphasis on strong defensive showings that sometimes spring-board a fluttering offense. Both squads rank in the top half of the conference in scoring defense while they rank 10th and 11th of 12 in scoring offense. That places them last and second-to-last in scoring margin.

OSU and ASU also are both led by veteran guards in Beavers sophomore Jordan Pope and Sun Devils junior Frankie Collins. Pope leads the Beavers in scoring pouring in 17.3 points a game. He drains 2.2 three-pointers per night on an efficient 39.6 percent clip. Collins drops in 13.7 points a contest, but his impact stretches beyond the offensive side of the floor.

He averages 3 steals a game which makes him the second-best defensive sleuth in the nation. More than that, Collins’ season total of 72 total steals stands just four behind the single-season program record of 76 set by Lafayette Lever in 1981-1982. Considering Collins had six steals the last time these two teams met, it’s possible that history will be made Wednesday night in Tempe.

Outside of guard play, both teams struggle in the paint, as the Beavers and Sun Devils rank 11th and 12th in the conference respectively in rebounding margin. ASU has been especially poor on the boards losing the rebounding battle by an average of 7.9 per game. OSU, ranked second to last, is only losing the battle by an average of 1.6 boards per night.

ASU head coach Bobby Hurley — known for deploying a four-guard lineup for much of this year — reinserted sophomore seven-foot center Shawn Phillips Jr. into the lineup two games ago against Colorado. The move paid off in the Sun Devils’ win against Utah, as they won the rebound battle 30 to 28. Phillips will likely start again in an effort to control the paint both on the offensive and defensive glass.

While the outcome of this game may not affect any national rankings or necessarily even affect upper Pac-12 rankings, it will serve as a springboard into the final stretch of the season. Both teams will be looking to iron out the wrinkles in their games before they embark on their last hope of March Madness play via winning the Pac-12 postseason tournament and subsequent auto-bid.

Tip-off will be at 7 PM MST from Desert Financial Arena in Tempe on Pac-12 Network.