The Arizona State Sun Devils play host to the Colorado Buffaloes in a PAC 12 matchup between two teams going in opposite ways in the standings. Situated close in the standings not long ago, the Sun Devils have won two in a row, while the Buffaloes dropped their last game, as even more space grows between the two. In the first meeting between the two, the Sun Devils came away with the road win back in December by one point. There's no doubt that revenge will be on Colorado's mind, though it remains to be seen if that'll be enough as they hit the road in this one.
Colorado hits the road for another PAC 12 showdown as they limp along the rest of the season. A two-game winning streak against two teams near the bottom of the conference was shortlived, especially as they lost to Utah the last time out. The Buffalos have only won a single true road game all season, with their 1-8 record leaving quite a bit to be desired for this group. Now they hit the road to take on Arizona State in their second-straight road game, with the schedule only getting more difficult over the next few weeks. If they're unable to spring the upset on Thursday night, they could see their losing streak extended over the next few games.
Colorado does have one injury that they continue to worry about as they head into this one. J'Vonne Hadley (hand) went down with a hand injury less than two weeks ago and as the team's third-leading scorer, his backcourt experience is sure to be missed in this one.
touchdown in tempe ??#GoBuffs | @united pic.twitter.com/bieBnoPwbY
— Colorado Men's Basketball (@CUBuffsMBB) February 16, 2023
The Buffaloes have been helped by their ability to stay strong on the defensive end but the lack of offense remains a concern, especially against the Sun Devils. They rank in the lower 200s nationally when it comes to field-goal percentage and three-point percentage, though their offensive rebounding will be a key advantage. Their ability to generate second-chance points will be huge on the road and coupled with an improving defense, will give them a chance. KJ Simpson (16.2 ppg) and Tristan da Silva (16.1 ppg) remain one of the best scoring duos in the conference but without much depth, it'll be interesting to see who is able to provide a spark and support on the orad in this one.
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