The Arizona State Sun Devils and Arizona Wildcats will meet for the third time this season on Friday night in the second Pac-12 Tournament semifinal at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
The winner of the game will earn a berth in the conference’s championship game against the winner of the first semifinal between Oregon and UCLA on Saturday, with the winner of that game earning the Pac-12’s automatic berth in the 2023 NCAA Tournament.
Here’s what you need to know about ASU and Arizona entering the game Friday night.
The game will be late for fans of the two schools in Arizona. It is scheduled to tip off at 9:30 p.m. MST, but that depends on when the Oregon vs. UCLA game, which is slated to start at 7 p.m. MST, ends.
ESPN will broadcast the game with Dave Pasch providing the play-by-play call and Bill Walton as the analyst.
More:Arizona State vs. Arizona basketball picks, predictions, odds: Who wins Pac-12 semifinal?
The Wildcats are a 7.5-point favorite in the game, according to Tipico Sportsbook.
The Sun Devils are +255 on the moneyline, while Arizona is -350.
The over/under for the game is set at 153.5 points.
Most sites are predicting that the Wildcats will win the game, but there isn’t a consensus as to if Arizona will cover the point spread.
ESPN gives Arizona a 77.2% win probability in the contest.
BetMGM puts its confidence in an Arizona win at 68%.
More:Oregon vs. UCLA basketball picks, predictions, odds: Who wins Pac-12 Tournament semifinal?
How ASU, Arizona reached Pac-12 Tournament semifinals
ASU, the No. 6 seed in the tourney, opened tournament play Wednesday with a 63-57 win over Oregon State, the No. 11 seed.
It beat No. 3 seed USC on Thursday, 77-72, to become the only non-Top-4 team in the semifinals.
Arizona, the No. 2 seed in the tournament, had a bye on Wednesday. It defeated No. 10 seed Stanford in the quarterfinals on Thursday night, 95-84.
ASU vs. Arizona results this season
These teams split their two regular season meetings with both teams winning on the road.
Arizona defeated ASU on Dec. 31 in Tempe, 69-60.
Arizona State defeated Arizona on Feb. 25 in Tucson, 89-88 with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer from Desmond Cambridge Jr. from beyond midcourt.
Look back:Arizona State’s shot vs. Arizona: ‘Ball don’t lie,’ ‘karma’ help Sun Devils stun Wildcats
NCAA Tournament implications for Arizona State, Arizona
This game could have a big impact on each team’s NCAA Tournament standing and seeding.
The Wildcats are going to be in the NCAA Tournament and currently sit as a No. 2 seed or No. 3 seed in most projections for March Madness. A win here could help them perhaps get a No. 2 seed.
The Sun Devils are currently projected by most sites as a bubble team, with some having them as one of the last four teams currently in the NCAA Tournament field.
A second win over the ranked Wildcats would go a long way in helping them secure a spot on the March Madness bracket.
In addition to beating Arizona, the Sun Devils could use some help from other teams on Friday to possibly avoid playing in the First Four of the NCAA Tournament.
Among them? ASU would benefit from Alabama beating Mississippi State, UCLA beating Oregon, UCF beating Memphis, Boise State beating Utah State, Purdue beating Rutgers, Northwestern beating Penn State and Virginia beating Clemson.
Pac-12 Tournament history for Sun Devils, Wildcats
Since the Pac-12 Tournament returned in 2002, Arizona has won it five times, in 2002, 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2022.
Arizona State has never won the Pac-12 Tournament. It did lose to USC in the title game in 2009 in its lone Pac-12 Championship game appearance.
The teams have faced off just two times in the Pac-12 Tournament since 2002, with each team winning one of those games.
Arizona beat ASU in the quarterfinals in 2002, 73-56.
ASU defeated Arizona in the quarterfinals in 2009, 68-56.
More:Pac-12 Tournament schedule, television information: How to watch men’s basketball tourney
Reach Jeremy Cluff at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @Jeremy_Cluff.
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