Pacific @ Arizona State preview

Pacific at Arizona State

At 11-0 as one of four unbeaten Division I teams and ranked No. 4 nationally, Arizona State is off to the best start in program history. The Sun Devils are now hoping to put a bow on a perfect nonconference season with a win over visiting Pacific on Friday afternoon.

The game will be the final pre-Christmas test for coach Bobby Hurley’s squad, which will then have eight days to prepare for a huge Pac-12 opener Dec. 30 at No. 19 Arizona. In their last outing, against visiting Longwood on Tuesday, the Sun Devils struggled some with the Lancers’ zone in the first half and led only 35-30 at the break. But the hosts caught fire in the second half, outscoring Longwood 60-31 over the final 20 minutes and finishing with 22 assists and 26 forced turnovers while making a big impression on the visiting coach with the 95-61 win. “This is going to sound crazy, but they’ve got a Final Four formula,” said Longwood’s Jayson Gee, who has 30 years of coaching experience. “(They’ve) got senior guards, the ability to score, (they) can defend and have a low-post presence. They will be scary in the NCAA Tournament.”

TV: 3 p.m. ET, Pac-12 Network

ABOUT PACIFIC (5-7): The Tigers have lost three straight and are in the midst of a brutal stretch which started with an 81-76 home loss to 9-2 UNLV last Saturday and will continue with road games at Arizona State and No. 15 Gonzaga in their West Coast Conference opener next Thursday. Guards Roberto Gallinat and Kendall Small combined for half (38 points) of the team’s scoring output against the Rebels and are averaging 14.3 and 9.9, respectively, on the season. Guard Miles Reynolds (11.8) and forward Anthony Townes (10.4) also have double-digit averages while 6-foot-5 forward Jahlil Tripp is averaging 8.7 and a team-best 9.4 rebounds.

ABOUT ARIZONA STATE (11-0): Senior guards Tra Holder (21.5 points) and Shannon Evans II (17.5) continue to pace the Sun Devils, and the duo also is averaging a combined 9.6 assists per outing. Forward Romello White (14.8 points, team-leading 8.7 rebounds) and swingman Kodi Justice (13.8 points) also are averaging double figures while freshman guard Remy Martin (9.8) and juco-transfer forward De’Quon Lake (9.0, 6.2 rebounds) have been key contributors off the bench. Another reserve, forward Mickey Mitchell, has played three games since becoming eligible after transferring last season from Ohio State, and provided a big spark against Longwood with 12 points, five rebounds, two steals and two blocks in 27 minutes and could be moved into the starting lineup.

TIP-INS

1. Arizona State holds a 3-2 lead in the series, but this will be the first meeting since 1994.

2. As of Thursday, No. 1 Villanova (11-0), No. 7 Miami (9-0) and No. 12 TCU (10-0) were the three other undefeated Division I teams.

3. Holder, Evans and Justice have combined for 92 3-pointers and a 40.5-percent accuracy rate from long range.

PREDICTION: Arizona State 88, Pacific 72