One of the hottest teams in college basketball faces a rivalry test when Arizona travels to Arizona State for a high-stakes Saturday matchup on CBS. The Wildcats (14-6, 8-1 Big 12) comfortably won both meetings last season but will face a tougher test this year against an improved group of Sun Devils (12-8, 3-6) that are in the NCAA Tournament conversation.
Arizona sat at No. 10 in the AP Top 25 when the season began, but a 4-5 start knocked the Wildcats out of the poll the first week of December. However, the Wildcats have righted the ship with 10 wins in their last 11 games to seize sole possession of second in the Big 12 standings and are threatening to return to the rankings.
Arizona State has gone the opposite direction after an 8-1 start with an uneven beginning to league play. But with victories over New Mexico, Saint Mary’s and West Virginia on their resume, the Sun Devils are still considered one of the “First 4 Out” in Jerry Palm’s Bracketology entering the weekend.
ASU is a balanced team featuring six players averaging double-figure points, while Arizona is headlined by mercurial veteran guard Caleb Love. The reigning Pac-12 Player of the Year willed the Wildcats to a thrilling overtime victory over No. 3 Iowa State on Monday. He’ll look to follow that up with another big game as Arizona seeks to solidify itself as a top conference title contender.
How to watch Arizona vs. Arizona State live
Date: Saturday, Feb. 1 | Time: 1 p.m. ET
Location: Desert Financial Arena — Tempe, Arizona
TV: CBS | Live stream: CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App (Free)
Streaming on Paramount+ with Showtime (Try It Free)
Arizona vs. Arizona State prediction, picks
When Arizona gets going, it can be hard to stop. The Wildcats rank first in the Big 12 in scoring at 79.6 points per conference game, and it’s not just about jacking up a ton of high-variance 3-pointers. Coach Tommy Lloyd’s team also creates a ton of good 2-point looks and reaches the free-throw line. If Caleb Love happens to be hitting from the outside, Arizona becomes lethal. Scoring can be a chore at times for the Sun Devils, and they may struggle to keep it close in the end. Pick: Arizona -7
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