UCLA vs. Arizona State: How to Watch, Game Info, Betting Odds
The first meeting between the Bruins and Sun Devils was dramatic, intense, messy and 15 minutes longer than planned, and now the two teams will get another go at each other just a few weeks later.
WHO: UCLA vs. Arizona State
DATE: Monday, Feb. 21
TIME: 6:07 p.m. PT
LOCATION: Pauley Pavilion, Los Angeles, CA
TV: FS1 – Noah Eagle (play-by-play), Steve Lavin (analyst)
STREAMING: fuboTV – Get 7-day Free Trial
RADIO: AM 570, Sirius Ch. 83, XM Ch. 83, SXM App Ch. 83 – Josh Lewin (play-by-play), Tracy Murray (analyst)
SPREAD: UCLA -14 (-118), Arizona State +14 (-110)*
MONEY LINE: UCLA (-1613), Arizona State (+700)*
OVER/UNDER: O 133.5 (-110), U 133.5 (-118)*
UCLA is the No. 13 team in the country according to the AP Poll while coming in at No. 14 in the USA Today Coaches Poll. Arizona State is not in either poll.
The latest KenPom ratings have the Bruins at No. 8 and the Sun Devils at No. 117, while the NET Rankings slot UCLA in at No. 13 and Arizona State at No. 119. In the NCAA selection committee's March Madness preview on Saturday, UCLA was listed as a No. 4 seed in the Midwest, while Arizona State is out of the running for an at-large bid for the tournament.
UCLA is 19-5 so far this season this season, losing to then-No. 1 Gonzaga after opening the season 5-0, then recovering with a road win over UNLV, a home win against Colorado and a road win over Marquette before a 26-day COVID-19 hiatus. The Bruins returned to action with wins over Long Beach State and Cal, followed by a loss to Oregon at home.
Immediately following that speed bump, UCLA strung together a six-game winning streak, beating Oregon State, Utah, Colorado, Arizona, Cal and Stanford. UCLA hit a new low point when it lost to Arizona, Arizona State and USC in a one-week span, but it did recover with blowout wins over Washington and Washington State over the past five days.
The Bruins are averaging 77.0 points per game and allowing 64.9. UCLA boasts the second-best scoring defense and third-best scoring offense in the Pac-12 while also being in the top five in the nation in limiting their turnovers at just 9.5 per game.
Guard Johnny Juzang is UCLA's top scorer so far this season with 17.9 points per game, while guard/forward Jaime Jaquez Jr, guard Jules Bernard and guard Tyger Campbell are averaging 12.0, 11.9 and 11.7 a night, respectively. Campbell has the most assists per game with 4.4 and center Myles Johnson has the most rebounds per game with 6.0 while shooting a team-best 63.1% from the field.
No Bruins are expected to miss the game, although Juzang missed Saturday's contest with a sore hip after falling offer an electric scooter earlier in the week. Jaquez is still working through ankle injuries and forward Cody Riley was rested for load management on Saturday, but guards Jaylen Clark and David Singleton made up for the bumps and bruises by combining for 47 points against the Huskies.
Arizona State opened the season with a 16-point win over Portland, and have yet to reach such heights in the three months since. The quick downfall started with a loss at home to UC Riverside, then after a single-digit win over North Florida, the Sun Devils followed that up with a five-game skid when it faced San Diego State, Baylor, Syracuse, Loyola Chicago and Washington State.
That loss to the Cougars featured just 29 points by Arizona State, so even though they recovered with three-straight close wins over Oregon, Grand Canyon and Creighton, the staining defeat was a sign of things to come. Arizona State got upset by San Francisco, then lost six of seven when traditional Pac-12 play opened up in January.
Things took a slight turn when Arizona State upset UCLA at home in triple overtime earlier this month, rushing the court in celebration, and they are now riding a three-game winning streak with victories over Washington State, Oregon and Oregon State.
The Sun Devils are averaging 65.0 points per game and allowing 68.8. Arizona State boasts one of the bottom-40 scoring offenses in all of Division I and ranks 11th in the conference in points per game and field goal percentage and dead last in 3-point percentage and free throw percentage. Fouls have been an issue for the Sun Devils, committing the most in the conference while also getting to the line fewer than any other Pac-12 squad.
Leading scorer and Illinois State transfer guard DJ Horne is putting up 12.5 points per game while shooting 96.6% from the stripe, but is only attempting 1.1 free throws per game. Forward Kimani Lawrence averages 10.7 points and 6.8 rebounds per game while barely shooting over 50% from the line.
Boston College transfer guard Jay Heath has recently joined the starting lineup alongside Horne, and that pair is shooting a combined 37.7% from deep, but the team's next two leading 3-point shooters are guards Marreon Jackson and Luther Muhammad. That duo, on the other hand, is combing to shoot just 24.5% from beyond the arc on 8.6 attempts a night.
Mick Cronin is now in his 19th season as a head coach, and he has an all-time record of 425-198 with 12 NCAA tournament appearances across stints at Murray State, Cincinnati and UCLA. Bobby Hurley is now in his ninth season as a head coach on the opposite bench, and he has an all-time record of 156-118 with three NCAA tournament appearances across stints at Buffalo and Arizona State.
UCLA is 70-24 all-time against Arizona State, and while the Bruins have won three out of four in the head-to-head series, all four contests were either decided by one score or went to overtime.
*Odds via SI Sportsbook
Follow Connon on Twitter at @SamConnon
Follow All Bruins on Twitter at @SI_AllBruins
Like All Bruins on Facebook at @SI.AllBruins
Subscribe to All Bruins on YouTube
Read more UCLA stories: UCLA Bruins on Sports Illustrated
Read more UCLA men's basketball stories: UCLA Men's Basketball on Sports Illustrated
