Loaded Baylor presents next Big 12 challenge for Arizona State men’s basketball team

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A week ago the Arizona State men’s basketball team headed into its Saturday Big 12 game against Colorado with considerable pressure and a need to win after a lopsided loss at BYU. It responded with a stellar win over the Buffaloes.

Coach Bobby Hurley’s team is back at Desert Financial Arena in that position once again. ASU (10-4, 1-2) was dealt a 74-55 loss by No. 11 Kansas on Wednesday at Phog Allen Fieldhouse. Now it is bracing for a showdown Saturday against one of the Big 12’s premier brands in Baylor.

The Bears (10-4, 2-1) started the season as one of five ranked Big 12 teams, checking in at No. 8. They were No. 25 a week ago but dropped out of this week’s poll after a lopsided loss on Saturday to Iowa State.

ASU is 5-0 at home this season.

Baylor (10-4, 2-1) at Arizona State (10-4, 1-2)

Time/Site: 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Desert Financial Arena

TV: ESPN+ Radio: ESPN 620 AM (KTAR)

About the matchup: Baylor was picked fourth in the conference preseason poll behind Kansas, Houston, and Iowa State. The Lindy’s national publication had the same top four. ASU was pegged 12th in the conference poll and 11th by Lindy’s. The teams have had one common opponent so far and it was a non-conference game as ASU lost to Gonzaga 88-80 on Nov. 10 while Baylor lost to the Zags 101-63 in its first game of the season on Nov. 6. Baylor is averaging 82.9 points, which ranks 35th out of 355 Division schools. ASU is at 75.4 per game.

Injury update: The Sun Devils have been down to a seven-man rotation the last two games with leading scorer Joson Sanon (13.5 ppg) sidelined with an ankle injury sustained late in the BYU game. Junior guard Austin Nunez (foot) is out for the season for an injury that required surgery earlier this week.

About the Bears: Baylor’s losses were all to ranked teams: Tennessee (77-62), UConn (76-72) and Iowa State (74-55). It is coming off a 68-48 thrashing of Cincinnati. It is 8-0 at home and 2-1 on neutral floors but is 0-3 in true road games. The team has been bolstered by…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/loaded-baylor-presents-next-big-175932001.html

Author : AZCentral | The Arizona Republic

Publish date : 2025-01-10 17:59:00

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