Normally, a win over UCLA men’s basketball carries great value, and a loss doesn’t carry that much of a sting. UCLA was a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament last year, a No. 4 seed the year before in 2022. Beating the Bruins usually elevates a resume by several degrees, and losing to UCLA doesn’t hurt one’s overall profile. Not this year!
The Bruins entered Wednesday night with a 7-10 record. They are a below-average team — some might say “bad” — and have already eliminated themselves from contention for an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. The only way UCLA gets in is if it wins four games in four days to capture the Pac-12 Tournament championship in March. That’s the same path for USC. It’s the only path for the Los Angeles schools, which have both had disastrous seasons.
Beating UCLA isn’t expected in most seasons, but it certainly was for Arizona State on Wednesday at home in Tempe.
Then the game started. ASU built a 13-point halftime lead and led by 15 early in the second half. Given how profoundly UCLA has struggled to score this season, that should have been game, set, match, Sun Devils. ASU plays good defense under Bobby Hurley and should have no problem locking down a bad offensive team.
The Sun Devils couldn’t do it. They lost their composure and let this game slip away in a 68-66 loss.
How bad was ASU’s late collapse? The Sun Devils committed two technical fouls in the final four minutes of regulation. Yes, the whistles were dubious and better officials would not have called those technical fouls. However, ASU — baited by UCLA — took the bait instead of showing discipline. The technical foul calls were bad, but Arizona State still did not maintain poise and composure.
The loss is a very damaging blow to Arizona State’s attempt to get an NCAA Tournament berth. ASU did not do well in nonconference games. The Sun Devils have wins over Utah and Colorado but not much else. Their seven losses include stumbles against San Diego and Washington. They are in trouble.
USC faces the Sun Devils next on the weekend in Tempe.
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