A Pac-12 showdown featuring bitter in-state rivals headlines Saturday on CBS as No. 7 Arizona hosts Arizona State with the Wildcats looking for a season sweep of the Sun Devils. Arizona won the first meeting 69-60 on Dec. 31 and have again proven itself to be among the Pac-12's premier teams under second-year coach Tommy Lloyd.
At 24-4 (13-4 Pac-12), Arizona is projected as a No. 2 seed for the NCAA Tournament in Jerry Palm's Bracketology but needs to win this game if it wants to have any hope of challenging UCLA for at least a share of the league's regular-season title. Arizona State (19-9, 10-7) is facing a gauntlet to close the season as the Sun Devils play at Arizona, at UCLA and at USC before the Pac-12 Tournament starts.
But if Arizona State is going to make the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2019, it needs to add some heft to its resume. Three Quad 1 games to close the regular season offers the Sun Devils to opportunity to do just that.
In the first game, Arizona State made just 3 of 27 attempts from 3-point range and struggled to dig out of a 45-28 halftime hole. Azuolas Tubelis led the Wildcats in that one with 21 points. The 6-foot-11 star has reached double figures in all but one game this season while emerging as a frontrunner for Pac-12 Player of the Year. If the Sun Devils are going to hang with the Wildcats this team, figuring out a way to contain Tubelis will be essential.
How to watch Arizona vs. Arizona State live
Date: Saturday, Feb. 25 | Time: 2 p.m. ET
Location: McKale Center -- Tucson, Arizona
TV: CBS | Live stream: CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App (Free)
Arizona vs. Arizona State prediction, picks
Arizona can be downright lethal at times, but the Wildcats have also taken surprising losses against Washington State, Oregon and Stanford this season. While they already owns a nine-point road win over Arizona State this season, the Wildcats benefited from a horrendous shooting performance by the Sun Devils in that game. With ASU's back against the wall in terms of any remaining NCAA Tournament hopes, Arizona State should play with a sense of desperation and at least cover the spread. Prediction: Arizona State +12
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