Scouting report: No. 6 Arizona vs. Arizona State

Matchup: No. 6 Arizona (20-2, 8-1) at Arizona State (11-11, 3-6) 

Location: Wells Fargo Arena, Tempe, Ariz. 

Time: 2:37 p.m. Saturday 

TV: Ch. 11 

Radio: 1290-AM, 107.5-FM 

PROBABLE STARTERS FOR ARIZONA 

PROBABLE STARTERS FOR ARIZONA STATE 

ASU OFFENSE VS. ARIZONA DEFENSE 

Often with a completely different look from year to year, the Sun Devils have changed considerably even in the past month since they lost at McKale Center on Jan. 4. Sometimes they’re even different within the same game, having the option to play four guys out with Jonathan Gilling at power forward or going with two physical players (Savon Goodman and Eric Jacobsen) inside. Having received increasing production from freshman Kodi Justice at the point, they lost Justice for the season last month to a broken foot, and have now turned mostly to Tra Holder, an aggressive freshman. More and more, the Sun Devils use three-pointers to generate offense, taking more of them per game than anybody else in Pac-12 play, though they hit them at only a 34.4 percent rate in conference games. The Sun Devils’ top offensive player continues to be Shaquielle McKissic, who will shoot threes and drive the ball, while Bo Barnes is a significant factor off the bench: He leads the Sun Devils in made threes (1.8) during conference play while averaging 19.0 minutes. 

THE SCOUT SAYS 

“They seem to be a way better team when Jonathan Gilling is on the floor. He seems to bring stability to their teams. He knows what Herb (Sendek, ASU coach) wants and although he’s not their leading scorer, he’s like that glue guy that seems to make everything work. They’re bigger with Jacobsen and Goodman. It’s almost like they’re two totally different teams. If you watch tape, they don’t even run the same plays. You don’t know what to expect. It’s almost like coach Sendek has a different type of team and way to play. …McKissic’s been shooting the three well, and playing the dribble more than he has. You can tell he has a lot of confidence in his game." — UA assistant coach Damon Stoudamire, who scouted the Sun Devils 

ASU DEFENSE VS. ARIZONA OFFENSE 

Without shot-blocking whiz Jordan Bachynski, Sendek hasn’t quite reverted to his old matchup zone defense, though it would hardly be a surprise if he flashes it today against the Wildcats. But the Sun Devils’ man-to-man defense has a much different look than it did without Bachynski. ASU is last in shot-blocking percentage in Pac-12 games, according to kenpom.com and — perhaps in part because they don’t have the big guy cleaning up mistakes when guys are beaten off the dribble — the Sun Devils are also dead last in field goal percentage defense (47.6 percent in Pac-12 games). ASU’s best bet will be to play with maximum energy, hope the Wildcats have a poor shooting night and that the “Curtain of Distraction” of goofy student stunts behind the basket somehow affects Arizona’s conference-best free-throw shooting. 

THE SCOUT SAYS 

“They’re a man team. I haven’t seen (them play zone) but you always gotta be ready for it. We always practice against the zone because we know some teams feel they can beat us with it. (In their man-to-man) they do the same things but it’s a rivalry game, so you always expect a little bit more. They’ll come out and have a chip on their shoulder. They’re not having the record they want, so they have to come out and try to beat us. That’ll probably make their year. They’re just not the same without Bachynski." — UA assistant coach Damon Stoudamire, who scouted the Sun Devils 

TURNING POINT 

Outside of their overtime loss to Wisconsin last season, the Wildcats may have had no worse memory last season than when they visited Wells Fargo Arena.

On Valentine’s Day, playing really only six guys, Arizona spent 50 grueling minutes and lost 69-66 in double overtime. Afterward, the Wildcats held a quick team meeting, with no players available for comment and coach Sean Miller only speaking with disappointment for a few minutes.

Yet, in hindsight, it might have been the game that saved the Wildcats’ season. After that game, Miller vowed to go deeper on his bench and the Wildcats learned to play better without forward Brandon Ashley, who had been lost for the season two weeks earlier with a foot injury.

The Wildcats won five straight after that game, and still managed to earn a No. 1 NCAA tournament seed.

“What worked last year — to compare one team to the next — there’s very little relevance,” Miller said this week. “But when you have that pitfall and that loss, so much of it becomes how you respond to it. You learn through trial and error. Players learn the hard way and grow.”

“Our game at Oregon State (UA’s 58-56 loss on Jan. 11), we had a number of different things we are now better at because that loss really got our team’s attention.” 

AWARENESS PUSH 

Usually, Miller spends his weekly news conference discussing the opponents ahead, whatever trends his team might be having and any news with the team.

But the beginning of his press conference this week changed a bit, after UA athletic director Greg Byrne sent out an email detailing the department’s involvement with its “Step UP!” program and a government initiative called “It’s On Us.” Between the two of them, UA has been aiming to proactively deal with safety, looking out for others and foster awareness of issues such as sexual assault.

So before ASU came up, Miller was asked how he continued the conversation on sexual assault with his team.

“I think that all coaches right now have been, and people on college campuses, have become aware of what an important topic this is,” Miller said. “We became aware some time ago. It’s really a weekly emphasis from the onset of the school year, something we constantly talk to our team about and make them aware of the importance of how you treat others.” 

FEELS LIKE NOVEMBER 

If there’s a “dog days” in the college basketball season, it’s probably February. The initial excitement of conference play has worn off and the NCAA tournament is still a month away.

But it’s also a time when, Miller says, the Wildcats can keep accelerating if they treat it like November. Especially an open week like this past one, where the Wildcats had eight full days off before Saturday's game.

“When you get to February, everybody skips it and you go to March,” Miller said. “It’s almost as if you’ve played so many games, that now it’s about the games and what’s to come. It’s not as easy to practice; it just isn’t.

“But if you can have a team that continues to think about practicing hard almost like you do in November, there’s a hidden advantage there because your team can continue to get better.”  

FOOD FEUD 

ASU and UA fans can compete in a “Food Feud” being held before Saturday's game at Wells Fargo Arena.

St. Mary’s Food Bank will have bins featuring logos of the two teams, with fans being asked to drop non-perishable items into the one of their choice.

According to a news release by the food bank, donations have dwindled since the holiday season. Most-needed items now include peanut butter, canned protein such as tuna and other meats, boxed cereal and canned fruits and vegetables. 

HE POPS BUBBLES 

ASU senior Jonathan Gilling enters Saturday's game having made 247-of-602 three-pointers, giving him a percentage of 41.0 that is better than all but four other active players in Division I who have taken that many shots.

Gilling is 11-of-27 (.407) from three-point territory against Arizona in his career, including a freshman year bomb with 57 seconds left on March 4, 2012, that gave ASU an four-point lead in the Sun Devils’ eventual 87-80 win.

That was the game after which UA forward Solomon Hill correctly noted “we just popped the bubble.” The Wildcats’ season ended two weeks later in a first-round NIT loss to Bucknell.