Believe the matchup hype

In boxing they say styles make fights, in basketball the epitome of that could be what is about to go down in Tucson on Dec. 30. It is the unstoppable force against the immovable object circa 2017, or in other words ASU’s backcourt versus Arizona’s frontcourt.

The 12-0 Sun Devils are as exciting a team as there is in college basketball at the moment. A run ’n gun offense that thrives off of chaos and threes, the Sun Devils have suddenly gone from Pac-12 cellar dwellers to Final Four contenders, with one test left—the Wildcats.

The 10-3 Arizona Wildcats haven't been the prototypical Sean Miller team as in years past, but it is starting to look like it more and more every game. Reeling from an embarrassing romp in the Bahamas, the Wildcats have turned it around to defeat top-ten ranked Texas A&M and NCAA Tournament hopefuls Alabama and UConn during their seven-game winning streak.

In one of the more anticipated matchups between the two schools on the hardwood, we review Arizona's non-conference performance by the numbers, preview the Sun Devils and look at who has the edge between the teams.

BAHAMAS BOUNCEBACK

When Arizona lost three games in a row at the Battle 4 Atlantis Tournament, it seemed like the sky was falling and the Wildcats couldn't bear the weight of the expectations set upon them. Most three game losing streaks occur over a week or two span, but UA's occurred in a 48 hour span.

The team displayed a new weakness in each of the three games. Against NC State, Arizona shot just 2-17 from 3-point range. Against SMU, UA committed 20 turnovers and had no help from the bench. And then against Purdue, the Wildcats defense fell apart on multiple levels, surrendering 50 first half points and 89 total.

But ever since the Wildcats left the Atlantis resort ballroom on November 24th, they haven't lost a single game. Winners of seven straight, Arizona has climbed to No. 17 in the AP Top 25 poll. It's been a slow turn around for the once-No. 2 ranked team in the country but the results are starting to show in more convincing ways.

Arizona's defensive effort has been much improved and the Wildcats now rank 50th in defensive efficiency, according to KenPom. In Arizona's most lopsided loss in the Bahamas, which came against Purdue on Nov. 24, the Wildcats allowed the Boilermakers to shoot 57.4% from the floor and 50% from 3-point range in a 89-64 blowout. Since then, Arizona's opponents have hit an average of 42.1% of their field goals and just 33.4% of their 3-pointers.

Offensively, this is the best group of scorers UA head coach Sean Miller has ever had. Currently, KenPom ranks Arizona 5th in offensive efficiency and UA ranks 7th in the country with an overall field goal percentage of 52%. With Rawle Alkins back on the court now, Arizona has plenty of ways to gash an opponent's defense.

Among the last seven games, Arizona has had impressive victories over No. 7 Texas A&M, Alabama and UNLV. Most recently on Dec. 21, the Wildcats held the Connecticut Huskies to just 58 points and UA hit 9-18 3's en route to a 15-point win in Tucson.

"I do think we are a lot better now than when we started and we are playing maybe our best basketball right now.” UA head coach Sean Miller after UConn game.

THE RISE OF THE SUN DEVILS

The 12-0 Sun Devils have been the talk of the nation ever since upsetting No. 2 Kansas on the road on Dec. 10 and they are now ranked No. 3 in the AP poll, the highest since 1981. So what has turned Bobby Hurley's squad into one of the top teams in college basketball? It's simple: the offense.

Arizona State is averaging 91.8 points per game, which ranks 6th in the country. It also has one of the best 3-point shooting teams as ASU ranks second in the Pac-12 with a 39.9% 3-point shooting rate. Interestingly, the Sun Devils have abandoned the mid-range shot. For example, against Vanderbilt on Dec. 17, ASU didn't attempt a single mid-range shot and instead only scored off of layups, dunks and 3's. The season-long strategy seems to be just what the doctor ordered as the backcourt has been on fire so far.

The combination guards of Shannon Evans II, Tra Holder, Kodi Justice and Remy Martin have been lethal through the first two months of the year. Evans II, Holder and Justice occupy the 1st, 2nd and 4th spots in the Pac-12 in terms of 3-point field goals made per game. Evans II makes 3.2 per game and Holder & Justice each make 2.7.

But freshman Remy Martin has been the extra spark, so to speak, for Sparky. Averaging 9.9 points per game while shooting 37.5% from beyond the arc, Martin will come off the bench for ASU yet the offense doesn't miss a beat when he enters. Martin has provided the Sun Devils with extra possessions on rebounds, steals and hustle plays. His best performance of the season came against No. 2 Kansas where he scored 21 points and had five steals.

MATCHUP BREADOWN

Guards; Advantage: ASU

Holder, Evans, Justice and Martin provide an endless wave of frantic play and deep shooting that could cause fits for Arizona. The key will be how effective can the Sun Devils be in McKale and how much of a difference will they be able to make versus Allonzo Trier, Parker Jackson-Cartwright and Rawle Alkins. For ASU to pull off the win in Tucson, you would most likely have to get another performance like the one at Kansas.

Forwards; Advantage: Arizona

Romello White has been a solid surprise in how effective he has been for ASU, but he is no Deandre Ayton. One could argue that despite its’ 12-0 mark, the Sun Devils haven’t been tested inside the way they will be against Arizona. Ayton is arguably the best player in the country and if left without a double-team, could cause ASU problems down low. Couple that with Ira Lee and even Alkins spotlighting between the two and three and the upper hand is clear for UA.

Center; Advantage: Arizona

Again, with Ayton between the four and five this is an advantage Miller would like the Wildcats to use. Add Dusan Ristic to the mix and that may very well prevent the Sun Devils from getting out and running as often as they’d like. Ristic had his best game of the season, benefitting off of Ayton double-teams to chip in 18 points in a win against UConn.

Defense; Advantage: Arizona

Arizona has increased their efficiency on defense since Atlantis. While it may be ugly at times, when the No.3 ranked team shows up to Tucson, the Wildcats had better too. It will come down to how much of an impact Arizona’s guards can make defensively against ASU. The Sun Devils, as mentioned, are a 3-point or in the paint team, lacking any legitimate mid-range threat. Can they live by the three in Tucson or die by the three, resuming the status quo of dominance in the Pac-12 by the Wildcats?