It wasn't that long ago when the ASU Sun Devils were staring at a possible No.1 ranking as they walked into McKale Center ready to face the Arizona men's basketball team. A month and a half later, it is the Wildcats looking to solidify their stance as first place holders in the Pac-12 as they walk into a hostile Wells Fargo Arena Thursday in Tempe.
The Sun Devils have dropped off considerably since that December matchup. Undefeated in the non-conference season at 12-0, the Sun Devils have taken some lumps and dropped six games while winning seven. However, the sixth place team in the conference is starting to resemble the fire starter it was earlier in the year, winning four of their last five including a sweep of the Los Angeles schools a week ago.