While the Big 12 proves to be one of the toughest conferences in college basketball, it’s still an entertaining slugfest for teams that find themselves at the bottom of the conference standings.
Arizona State looks to prove its eyes are set on returning to winning ways against visiting Cincinnati when the teams hook up Saturday night in Tempe, Ariz.
The host Sun Devils (10-9, 1-5 Big 12) have lost three straight and seven of their last eight. The Bearcats (10-9, 2-4), meanwhile, have won two of three but are coming off a 26-point loss at No. 1 Arizona on Wednesday night.
“The turnovers are the part I’m most frustrated with,” Bearcats head coach Wes Miller said in reference to Cincinnati’s 14 on Wednesday.
Senior guard Moe Odum leads Arizona State in points (16.3) and assists (6.5) per game, while senior forward Baba Miller leads Cincinnati in points (13.2) and rebounds (10.5) per game.
Both teams are coming off their lowest-scoring performances of the season on Wednesday. Cincinnati recorded 51 points and Arizona State posted 63 at home against West Virginia.
“We failed. I’m failing. I can’t get through to the team,” ASU Head Coach Bobby Hurley said after the 75-63 loss to the Mountaineers.
Arizona State has lost all three of its ranked conference matchups, against BYU, Arizona and Houston. Meanwhile, the Bearcats have had competitive performances against their ranked opponents before Arizona, including a win against then No. 2 Iowa State last Saturday, as well as a one-point loss to then-No. 25 UCF on Jan. 11.
Cincinnati senior guard Kerr Kriisa has been experiencing injury troubles since a Jan. 3 matchup against Houston, where he left the match early with a separated shoulder.
“Yesterday (Tuesday) was the first time he’s touched a basketball,” Miller said. “We need him for the long haul, he’s a very important piece to this team.”
The Bearcats won last year’s matchup against the Sun Devils, 67-60, in Cincinnati.
–Field Level Media
