ASU Struggles in Big 12 Debut as Rivalry Game Looms

TEMPE, Ariz. — The Arizona State men’s basketball team faces an uphill battle in its inaugural Big 12 season, struggling with injuries and a challenging schedule as it prepares to host rival Arizona on Saturday.

The Sun Devils (12-8, 3-6 Big 12) are fighting to stay in contention for March Madness, with most projections placing them outside the NCAA Tournament field. Their first season in the nation’s toughest conference has been marked by adversity, including key injuries and a grueling schedule ranked No. 3 in difficulty by KenPom.

“We want to try and climb out of a hole we dug for ourselves,” ASU coach Bobby Hurley said after Tuesday’s 70-68 win at Colorado. “We’ve dealt with a lot of stuff with injuries and we’re still dealing with it.”

ASU’s injury woes continued in the Colorado game, with leading scorer B.J. Freeman (12.5 ppg) exiting early with a deep thigh bruise and freshman standout Jayden Quaintance (10.3 ppg, 8.5 rpg) sidelined by an ankle injury. The team was down to six available players, but guards Adam Miller (18 points) and Alston Mason (11.6 ppg) stepped up with extended minutes.

Meanwhile, Arizona (14-6, 8-1 Big 12) has found its stride in conference play, winning 10 of its last 11 games. The Wildcats sit second in the Big 12 behind No. 6 Houston and boast four wins over ranked opponents, including a signature overtime victory against No. 3 Iowa State.

Caleb Love leads Arizona’s resurgence, averaging 15.7 points per game and ranking sixth in Big 12 scoring. The senior guard has been instrumental in the Wildcats’ recent three-game winning streak, contributing 59 points, eight steals and nine assists during that span.

The rivalry game tips off at 11 a.m. Saturday at Desert Financial Arena in Tempe, with CBS televising the matchup featuring Ian Eagle on play-by-play and Bill Raftery as analyst.