According to a new report from Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports and College Hoops Today, the Arizona State Sun Devils and Northwestern Wildcats will face off in a late-December matchup at the Footprint Center in Phoenix.
The matchup is expected to be part of a double-header at the Footprint Center on December 20 with Alabama vs Arizona to follow suit. Arizona State and Northwestern will also meet in 2024-25 at the United Center in Chicago.
Arizona State is coming off a 23-13 season and its first trip to the NCAA Tournament since the 2018-19 season. The Sun Devils would defeat No. 11 Nevada in the First Four before falling to No. 6 TCU in the Round of 64.
The Sun Devils received good news earlier this week when point guard Frankie Collins announced his return to Tempe. Collins was the Sun Devils’ No. 4 scorer this past season, averaging 9.7 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game. They did, however, lose their leading scorer in Desmond Cambridge to the transfer portal. Cambridge elected to stay in the Pac-12 and will play for Oregon next season.
Northwestern themselves made their first NCAA Tournament appearance since the 2016-17 season, collecting a 22-12 overall record. The Wildcats won their first-round matchup against No. 10 Boise State and would end up losing to No. 2 UCLA in the Round of 32. The Wildcats will welcome back guard Boo Buie next season after the All-Big Ten selection averaged 17.3 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 4.5 assists this season.
Arizona State and Northwestern have met six times in their history, the last coming in 2004, a 90-55 win for Arizona State in Tempe.