Thursday couldn’t have played out any worse for Arizona State — and any better for Arizona.
Cal upset ASU 71-67 in Thursday’s Pac-12 Tournament opener, setting up a rematch between the 12th-seeded Golden Bears and fourth-seeded Wildcats in Friday’s quarterfinals. For Arizona, the game marks an opportunity to avenge a 55-54 loss in Sunday’s regular-season finale.
As Cal won, Arizona was practicing at a nearby YMCA.
“Cal played really well on Sunday and we didn’t play Arizona basketball, so we’re excited to face them again for the second time in a week,” coach Adia Barnes said.
It’s the matchup that the Wildcats really wanted.
“We definitely want Cal — payback,” Aari McDonald said Tuesday afternoon.
As the Wildcats turned the page to the postseason earlier this week, the message from Barnes to her players was simple: Focus on what you do best.
There isn’t time to do much else, especially when teams must play one game every day.
There’s a new element for Arizona — the first-round bye. The Wildcats were seeded directly into the quarterfinals, skipping Thursday’s first-round play.
“This is uncharted territory — we’ve never had a bye,” Barnes said. “We’ve never been in this situation since I’ve been here. … I think it’s hard playing multiple games in a row. … To play Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday — to me that’s harder. … I think at this point you’re either ready or you’re not, and I think it’s better to have the bye.”
Cal’s Thursday upset marked just the second time in tournament history that a No. 12 seed has beaten a No. 5; ASU beat UCLA in 2012. It’s also the first time ASU has exited the Pac-12 Tournament without at least one win since 2016, when the Devils were eliminated by — you guessed it — Cal.
Cal coach Charmin Smith said Thursday that her team will have to “take care of the basketball” if it hopes to beat the UA for the second time in four days.
“We have to make sure that we have all eyes on Aari McDonald all the time. She’s is a phenomenal basketball player. She makes them go,” Smith said. “And we have to bring that toughness. That’s been the difference for us. When we play tough, you know, when we are extremely aggressive, it really changes the whole feel for us.”
Concern over coronavirus
The NCAA has formed a committee to look into if — and how — the coronavirus will change for the upcoming NCAA Tournaments.
How will it affect Arizona, which could host the first and second rounds?
The Pac-12 is urging players to fist-bump or forearm-bump instead of handshaking after games; they will also refrain from shaking hands during introductions. Pac-12 coaches and staff have been told to practice safe hygiene.
The Las Vegas airport and nearby hotels have placed hand-sanitizer stations at the tops and bottoms of stairs and escalators. At Mandalay Bay Events Center, where the tournament is held, janitorial workers wipe down door handles between games.
Suzy Mason, Arizona’s senior associated athletic director in charge of event management and facilities, says the UA has received “no directives” on playing tournament games in empty arenas.
“We’re not looking at that yet, unless our Pima County Health Department and our campus gives us directives to do so,” she said Thursday. “(Oversight groups), an emergency response team and a pandemic response team — they are all looking into every and all possible options right now.”
The Pac-12 and the UA say they will update the public as things change. Erika Barnes, the UA’s executive senior AD, is urging fans to be cautious and safe.
“I would say really take to the precautions and the announcements that are being made,” she said. “I saw people touching their seat belts and the air conditioning vent on the airplane with tissues and having the sanitizer and just being thoughtful about your own personal hygiene. I think that this is a group effort — obviously, (being careful with) doorknobs, elevator buttons, all those things that you can do to do your part and I think we’ll have a great event.”
Everyone is talking about the Wildcats
Tucson International Airport was Wildcat country on Thursday morning. Security guards talked about UA coach Adia Barnes’ full-court press. Fans sported cardinal and navy gear as they walked onto a plane bound for Las Vegas.
“They welcomed us on the plane, and we weren’t even the team. How about that?” Erika Barnes said. “That’s the great thing about Tucson. They just saw some of the UA logos and it was obvious that this was a second wave or just so many of our fans were on the plane that they already gave us some celebratory shout-outs. It’s really, really neat to see. You don’t get that in every airport in the country.
“It’s really neat to see the glimmer in the eyes of the fans, as well as our players. I think sometimes there’s just a little bit of magic that happens. It reminds me of why we work in sports — there is no manual for these things. It’s just a really great chemistry between the team, our coaching staff and the fans in the community.”
Mason credited Adia Barnes, who she said “energizes the community,” and the Wildcats’ players.
“They recognize Tucson — all the (Wildcats) seniors recognize Tucson,” she said. “It’s not just something they do — it’s part of who they are, so that’s pretty cool.”
Rim shots
- Cal credited someone (or something) called EDNA following Thursday’s win. EDNA is an acronym that Smith and the Golden Bears said they are keeping in-house. Cailyn Crocker, who scored 20 points Thursday and only eight points last Sunday, said the team uses it to inspire each other.
“It is a word we say to each other, along with resiliency, at halftime,” Crocker said. “Just when somebody may shake their head, be mad, we say EDNA, and everybody knows what it is. It is a little laugh, and just keep going.”
- Utah finished its regular season on the road for the fourth consecutive season. Instead of flying from Los Angeles to Salt Lake City for one day and then onto Las Vegas for the tournament, coach Lynne Roberts skipped the stop at home. The Utes were rewarded Thursday with a win.
“It was insanity to go home for one day,” she said. “It was a competitive disadvantage. … This allowed our kids to relax — they seem more rested and their batteries are fuller. We control what we can.”
- UCLA coach Cori Close believes the Pac-12 Tournament is a “dress rehearsal” for the NCAA Tournament.
“In terms of intensity and feel — every possession matters,” she said. “It goes to another level. We talk about diet, recovery, mental preparation … it’s full circle the commitment to every little detail. It’s an amazing atmosphere. Having that mindset and preparing that way. It’s so fun.”
- ASU standout Kiara Russell didn’t play Thursday after suffering a bone bruise and stretched ligaments in her knee during Sunday’s regular-season finale. However, the senior is expected to be ready for the NCAA Tournament.
“It was a massive gut punch (Sunday),” she said. “We were praying and hoping for a small miracle.”
