ASU-UofA Basketball Territorial Cup Preview

Arizona Sports News online

Story By Jordan Spurgeon

The ASU and the University of Arizona basketball programs will play back to back games on Thursday and Monday. The rivalry is alive and well, and despite the lack of fans in attendence, both teams are eager to get after it.

“It will be different,” ASU head coach Bobby Hurley said. “No fans but it certainly doesn’t change the importance of it.”

“You have to play your heart out,” Arizona head coach Sean Miller said. “You have to play for the name that’s on the front of your jersey. You have to understand that this game means a lot to our university, our fans, former players and teams. That’s not just on Arizona’s side that’s also on ASU’s side.”

Both coaches were adament they wouldn’t be placing too much emphasis on these two games because there is still so much of the season left. But, they undersand that the rivalry runs deep and they want nothing more that to win both against eachother.

“There’s a lot to play for,” Hurley said. “Our season is at kind of a critical juncture and it’s no different right now so there’s much to play for.”

“We have a lot of players who have never played in this game before,” Miller said. “But we’re working hard to be ready.”