It’s Daves, right?
ASU’s student sections didn’t always feature the most clever of signs — one read “UofA returned their donut because it had a hole in it” — but the area featured a particularly original touch to a game that ESPN’s Dave Pasch and Bill Walton were working Thursday.
Every one of the student cardboard “fans” sitting in the four student sections behind the basket nearest UA’s bench had a paper cutout of Pasch’s face over it.
That meant there was a Dave wearing a Masters green jacket, a Dave in an ASU wrestling uniform, a Dave Chick-Fil-A cow, a Dave doing the “Fork 'em, Devils” hand sign and, of course, rows and rows of Dave cheerleaders and Dave band members.
AZUOLAS TUBELIS FOR THE WIN! Arizona beats ASU 84-82(Via ESPN) pic.twitter.com/iQqsPMTE7i
— The Wildcaster (@TheWildcaster) January 22, 2021
Maybe that will help Walton realize, as he always pretends not to, that it is, in fact, Dave Pasch working with him.
Real fans, too
Thursday's game was played in front of about 75 ASU family members and staffers spread throughout Desert Financial Arena. It's the most non-media spectators of any game involving the Wildcats so far this season.
Arizona allowed family members for its first game on Nov. 27 against Grambling, but stopped shortly after.
Wildcat fam
Walton’s home just north of San Diego’s Balboa Park contains a trove of Arizona memories, thanks to his son Luke.
Now the Sacramento Kings’ head coach, Luke Walton played at UA from 1998-2003. His dad watched constantly as a stream of Wildcats and then-coach Lute Olson would drop by.
“I know a lot of Arizonans come to San Diego in the summertime and all the players from when Luke was there would come over,” Bill Walton says. “Luke was there for five years, but he knew everybody from before and after so it was a seven-or-eight-year period of time. … They spent a lot of their lives here in our house. And every summer, Lute Olson would come over for dinner.”
Walton said that’s why he doesn’t view UA’s “A Players’ Program” slogan as a marketing and recruiting thing.
“It’s not just talk,” Walton said. “The family that University of Arizona basketball has is very special. And we have that at UCLA. We have it with the Pac-12. I feel so lucky to still be a part of that. And Luke, to have that with Arizona is just spectacular. Very special and life-changing, life-affirming.”
Daytripping
In normal times, Arizona makes the bus ride to Tempe the night before the Wildcats play the Sun Devils at Desert Financial Arena in order to get in a morning shootaround at the arena.
But Thursday, they shot around at McKale Center in the morning and then made an afternoon bus ride up Interstate 10, arriving two hours before Thursday’s game instead of the usual 90 minutes so as to have a little more time adjusting to the arena.
The move, which also allowed the Wildcats to undergo COVID-19 testing at home, is similar to their routine when UA plays at Washington State. Before that game, the Wildcats stay in Spokane, shoot around at Gonzaga or another nearby gym and then take the 90-minute drive to Pullman in time to arrive two hours before playing the Cougars.
Homecourt unis
Because ASU chose to wear its maroon jerseys Thursday, the Wildcats sported their home red-on-white jerseys.
The Wildcats have worn white for many neutral-site events, of course, but it’s rare for a road game.
Dalen Terry returns home
Arizona guard Dalen Terry (4) works under the net as the Wildcat guards get ready to go up against Arizona State at Desert Financial Arena, Tempe, Ariz., January 21, 2021.
Thursday marked the first time Arizona freshman wing Dalen Terry returned to Tempe to play against his hometown Sun Devils.
The 6-foot-7-inch Terry grew up close to the ASU campus and began high school career at Tempe Corona del Sol before transferring at Hillcrest Prep, the same program that delivered Deandre Ayton and Josh Green to the UA.
Terry is just the latest Phoenix Wildcat to return home. Former Phoenix Pinnacle star point guard Nico Mannion tallied 16 points last year in his one game in Tempe. And Deandre Ayton's homecoming resulted in a 25-point, 16-rebound performance in 2018.
Other Valley Wildcats to play under Sean Miller include Nick Johnson, Alex Barcello and Daniel Bejarano.
What the?
Marvin Bagley Jr., the father of Marvin Bagley III and current ASU freshman small forward Marcus Bagley, wore a gold hoodie with “(expletive) Tucson” emblazoned on the chest to Thursday's game. The “u” in the not-safe-for-work statement was the Sun Devils’ fork logo.
ASU plays close to full strength
ASU sophomore forward Jalen Graham returned to the rotation for the first time since Dec. 16. He had been battling mononucleosis.
ASU played UCLA two weeks ago without Graham (mono), Remy Martin (funeral service for grandfather), Jaelen House and Taeshon Cherry. Cherry hasn’t been with the team over the last two weeks for what ASU says are personal reasons.
It's territorial
ASU fans trolled UA by purchasing a billboard along I10 between Tucson and Phoenix. The board includes the words “No Pity for the Kitty” and 70-7 — the score of December’s Territorial Cup football game — inside two outlined devil heads.
The billboard can be found about 1 mile past the Florence Boulevard exit in Casa Grande.
Good gear
Arizona guard Jemarl Baker Jr. (3) dribbles at mid-court with his surgically repaired wrist just before the Wildcats take on Arizona State at Desert Financial Arena, Tempe, Ariz., January 21, 2021.
UA shooting guard Jemarl Baker, who’s sidelined with a broken wrist injury, wore a red Arizona 1997 Final Four shirt to Thursday's game. The old-school gear commemorates the Wildcats' national title.
The big numbers
29
NBADraftRoom.com currently projects Arizona freshman forward Azuolas Tubelis as the No. 29 pick in the 2022 NBA draft. No other Wildcats were listed.
27-to-6
High school All-Americans that have played at Arizona compared to ASU. Sun Devils freshman Josh Christopher is the sixth All-American to play for ASU, joining James Harden, Byron Scott, Eric Boateng, Jamal Faulkner and Chris Sandle.
