For the first time since conference realignment, Iowa State men's basketball is headed to the Grand Canyon State for a two-game trip against Big 12 newcomers.
The first leg of the road journey will be in Tempe, where Iowa State will play Arizona State on Saturday at 1 p.m. CT.
The Cyclones improved to 16-2 overall and 6-1 in Big 12 Conference play after thrashing UCF and scoring a season-high 108 points in their 108-83 victory on Tuesday night.
As for Arizona State, it is coming off of a big road win at West Virginia on Tuesday, three days after the Mountaineers upended the Cyclones. The Sun Devils upset West Virginia and picked up their first win over a ranked opponent this season.
Arizona State defeated the Mountaineers, 65-57, to break a four-game losing streak and improve to 11-7 overall and 2-5 in conference play.
This will be the first meeting between the Cyclones and Sun Devils since Iowa State won at home, 99-85, in 1987. The Cyclones have ventured to Arizona State one other time, losing to the Sun Devils in 1977.
Saturday's game will be available on ESPN+. Here are three things to watch for:
The Sun Devils boast five scorers in double figures. This is a team that likes to shoot threes and has a variety of long-range shooters to rely on. The Sun Devils are shooting 36.3% as a team from beyond the arc, which is the fourth-highest in Big 12 and the 64th-best mark in the country.
A lot will hinge on the health of freshman Joson Sanon, who was a five-star recruit coming out of high school. Sanon is the team's second-leading scorer with 12.8 points, and he is dangerous from the three-point line, where converts at a 47.5% rate.
Sanon is questionable for Saturday's game. He's been mostly out of the lineup since the start of the new year due to an ankle injury. Sanon did attempt to return in the Jan. 11 game against Baylor, but he was clearly limited and hasn't played since. The Sun Devils have gone 2-4 throughout this stretch.
Senior guard B.J. Freeman leads the pack with 13.2 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game, while shooting 41.1% overall. He is capable of scoring from anywhere.
Alston Mason (11.4 points per game), Basheer Jihad (11.3 ppg) and Jayden Quaintance (10.3 ppg) are also averaging in double figures.
Quaintance, a 6-foot-9 freshman forward, who has been a big defensive contributor and is growing on the offensive end of the court. Quaintance has scored at least 15 points in each of the last three games, including a 15-point, 12-rebound double-double against the Mountaineers.
Arizona State is one of the top shot-blocking teams in the country. The Sun Devils have a blocking rate of 13.7%, which ranks in the top 30 nationally.
Quaintance is a stalwart defender inside. He has the second-most blocks in the country, with 3.2 blocks per game. While he's a good rim protector, he's also a skilled rebounder and active in forcing turnovers and getting steals.
Jihad, his frontcourt mate, doesn't have nearly as many blocks, but he is another hard-nosed defender upfront. He also boasts a team-best 22 steals this season.
Expect teams to continue to pack the middle while Iowa State's Milan Momcilovic is out. If the Cyclones suffer another shooting performance from long range similar to the loss at West Virginia, it will be a long day trying to break their way inside.
Arizona State toppled West Virginia with its defense. The Sun Devils held the Mountaineers to 31% shooting including 4-of-29 (13.8%) from long range.
Road games aren't easy and the Cyclones will need to set the tone early on defense to make the Sun Devils uncomfortable. It will be a raucous environment.
Arizona State struggles with taking care of the ball. According to KenPom, the Sun Devils turn the ball over on 19.0% of possessions, which ranks 274th in the country.
The Cyclones have a penchant for generating those turnovers and punishing opponents in transition. Arizona State has the second-most turnovers in the Big 12, at 13.4 per game.
Desert Financial Arena will be charged up. The Sun Devils are hoping to build off of that road win at West Virginia and turn a corner.
Arizona State is a solid defensive team and Momcilovic's absence will present issues for Iowa State when it comes to floor spacing. However, the Sun Devils' win over West Virginia may provide a warning shot to the Cyclones, who won't be caught off-guard. Any shooting struggles will be negated by their ability to grab momentum by creating turnovers, which will be the key to this game.
If Sanon plays, it might be closer, but that UCF game was a much-needed opportunity to get right. Iowa State 79, Arizona State 70
Eugene Rapay covers Iowa State athletics for the Des Moines Register. Contact Eugene at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at @erapay5.