Five teams are separated by just one game in the Pac-12 with three weeks left in the regular season.
The ASU men’s basketball team isn’t anywhere near the top, but its next opponent, Washington, is sitting pretty on top of the conference.
The Sun Devils (8-17, 4-9 Pac-12) aren’t concerned with ruining the Huskies’ (17-8, 10-3 Pac-12) season. They just want to get better.
“As much as it is nice to be a spoiler, we're really focused on ourselves,” junior guard Trent Lockett said. “It doesn't really matter to us who wins (the Pac-12) and if we spoil it.”
ASU can improve on its string of dismal outings on the road Thursday. The Sun Devils have lost five in a row away from Wells Fargo Arena, and it hasn’t been close.
ASU is 2-6 on the road with just one victory in conference play. The team has a negative scoring, rebounding and turnover margin against opponents in away games.
“We haven't been as good as the people we've played on the road,” coach Herb Sendek said. “Our performance has not been up to a standard that would allow us to come away with wins.”
It’s not an easy feat playing arguably the most talented team in the Pac-12. The task doesn’t get any easier facing the Huskies (17-8, 10-3 Pac-12) at home.
Washington is 13-2 at Alaska Airlines Arena. The Huskies have lost just one home game during conference play.
Led by freshman guard Tony Wroten, Washington defeated ASU 60–54 in the teams’ first matchup this season. He had a couple of 3-point play opportunities late in the game to seal the win. Wroten finished with 22 points and six boards.
“We feel like if we would have played better here we could have had them, but obviously they're a much different team at home, so it's going to be a challenge on Thursday,” Lockett said.
Washington has a chance to grab its seventh regular season conference title. The Huskies last won an outright regular season conference championship in 2009.
With the upcoming NCAA tournament motivating the Huskies to play well, Sendek looks at possible teaching opportunities as the season winds down.
Unless ASU finds a way to run through the Pac-12 tournament and receive the automatic bid, it will miss the tournament for a third straight year.
Despite its circumstances, Sendek said the team remains motivated every time it takes the floor.
“For us, it’s not about Washington or Washington State, it’s about Arizona State,” Sendek said. “It’s always about us and we're going to invest everything we have. We are tremendously motivated.”
Reach the reporter at mtesfats@asu.edu
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