If you want to be the best, you’ve got to beat the best.

For the past three seasons, the UCLA Bruins have undoubtedly been the class of the Pac-10 Conference. Under coach Ben Howland, they have reached three consecutive Final Fours and won three straight Pac-10 crowns.

It’s pretty amazing to think UCLA’s seniors have never missed the Final Four.

ASU senior forward Jeff Pendergraph, meanwhile, has never sniffed the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

So is this the year of a changing-of-the-guard?

A Sun Devil win Thursday night against No. 11 UCLA (19-4, 8-2 Pac-10) at Wells Fargo Arena would certainly help. It would also give No. 18 ASU (18-5, 7-4) just its third regular-season sweep of the Bruins in more than 30 years.

“It’s going to be just like the last one,” Pendergraph said. “A battle all the way until the last horn goes off. That could be at the end of the second half, could be overtime, double overtime, triple overtime.”

ASU already knows what it takes to bring the down the titans of the conference. Last time, it needed more than 40 minutes.

In one of the most exciting games in recent memory, the Sun Devils escaped Pauley Pavilion on Jan. 17 with a 61-58 overtime victory. The way they did it was nothing short of remarkable.

With over eight minutes left in regulation, UCLA held an 11-point lead. What seemed to be ASU’s swan song, in reality, set the stage for an epic comeback.

The Sun Devils went on an 11-0 run to end the second half before holding off UCLA in the extra period.

After the game, ASU coach Herb Sendek told reporters, “Wow. That’s all you need to write for your story right there.”

Since then, the Bruins have been tough to top, winning five of their last six.

They are currently riding a four-game winning streak, all of them blowouts.

Every time these two teams meet, the game oozes with story lines.
A matchup of old high-school buddies in Pendergraph and Darren Collison.
Two brothers – Jerren and Josh Shipp – will butt heads for the umpteenth time. A pair of the nation’s best coaches in Howland and Herb Sendek will try to out sly one another on the court.

This time around, though, the contest could carry Pac-10-title implications.

Smart money says this game will also be one of those grind-it-out contests where one possession can mean all the difference.

Both Howland and Sendek share similar principles in their coaching styles. Both have structured formidable defenses that are tough for any team to break down. Both have created deliberate offenses that eat up the shot clock until an open look presents itself.

It’s hard to pick a strength out of UCLA’s many, but Sendek offered up what he thought was the crux behind the Bruins’ success.

“They’re extraordinary on defense,” Sendek said.

The Bruins will present a huge challenge to the ASU offense that has been struggling as of late.

“I don’t think our offense have given us very much breathing room,” Sendek said.

So does ASU hold any significant advantages over UCLA?

“I’d have to probably make one up,” Sendek said.

One thing that could be in the Sun Devils’ favor is the health factor. While ASU has patched up its wounds from a tough week that saw two starters miss time, UCLA is trying to get to full strength.

UCLA freshman forward Drew Gordon hurt his back during Saturday’s 89-63 beat down of Notre Dame at Pauley Pavilion.

On Tuesday, Howland told the Associated Press, “There’s a chance [Gordon] won’t play Thursday. It’s going to be an up-in-the-air thing.”

Collison and starting forward Nikola Dragovic also have the flu, but are expected to play.

Across the board, there will be some great individual matchups to watch as well.

It starts at point guard, where Collison and ASU junior Derek Glasser will man the controls. Glasser played perhaps his finest game of the year against UCLA and he didn’t even convert a field goal. That’s because he didn’t turn the ball over in 42 minutes of action.

“[Collison]’s definitely one of the best guards in the country,” Glasser said. “Anytime you go up against someone like that you want to play your best.”

The wings will feature two of the Pac-10’s youngest and brightest in UCLA freshman Jrue Holliday and ASU sophomore James Harden.

Down low, Pendergraph (the nation’s leader in field-goal percentage at 67.6) will square off against UCLA senior Alfred Aboya, who on Monday was named Pac-10 Player of the Week.

Reach the reporter at alex.espinoza@asu.edu.