ASU Basketball: Sun Devils meet Stanford in Pac-12 quarterfinals

The Arizona State Sun Devils and Stanford Cardinal have been here before. Last season, the two teams met in the quarterfinals of the Pac-12 tournament, with Arizona State coming out on top in overtime thanks 34 points from Jahii Carson, the most ever by a freshman in the conference tournament.

Two season ago the teams met in the 2012 Pac-12 tournament quarterfinals, with Stanford topping the Sun Devils by 20 points.

Tonight, the Sun Devils and Cardinal will once again do battle in the Pac-12 quarterfinals. Here is your game preview for the Las Vegas showdown.

Tipoff: 8:30 p.m. PST/11:30 p.m. EST (30 minutes after Oregon/UCLA)

Television/Radio: Fox Sports 1/ Arizona Sports 98.7

Previous Meeting: February 26, 2014 (ASU wins 76-64)

Stanford Update

Although it was not easy, Stanford defeated Washington State last night in the Pac-12 tournament's opening-round. The Cardinal defeated the Cougars 74-63, led by Chasson Randle's 22 points. Stanford has won two games in a row and five of their last eight overall.

The Cardinal come into the Pac-12 tournament needing to do some work to solidify their tournament resume. Stanford currently as an RPI of 46 and were slated as a 10-seed in Joe Lunardi's latest Bracketology. The Cardinal have four wins against the RPI top 50 including on February 1 against Arizona State.

Arizona State Update

The Sun Devils come limping into the Pac-12 tournament, after losing back-to-back games to the Oregon schools. Arizona State is just 2-4 in its last six games and 7-5 in its last 12. The Sun Devils fell for the first time in overtime this season, losing 78-76 to Oregon State in the regular season finale.

The Sun Devils come to Las Vegas with question marks surrounding their ability to play away from Wells Fargo Arena. Arizona State finished the regular season 16-1 at home, but just 5-9 away from Tempe. Arizona State went 1-2 on a neutral court this season, including a loss to Miami.

Key Matchup

Jahii Carson vs. Chasson Randle: Guard play is crucial in postseason play and Stanford and Arizona State feature two of the best point guards in the Pac-12. Carson finished second in the Pac-12 in scoring and Randle finished third. Both point guards are exceptionally fast and quick off the dribble.

Randle went for 22 against Washington State last night and in two meetings this season against the Sun Devils, he averaged 19 points. Arizona State needs to contain Dwight Powell in the post tonight, but the matchup of point guards should take center stage.

What they are saying

"Well, he's quick. But the lower man always wins, so you have to stay low on the defensive end and just lock in." - Chasson Randle on guarding Jahii Carson.

"I mean, he's a terrific player, so we've seen him now for several years, and I think he's one of the best guards in the nation. We have to give him the proper attention and make sure we game plan for him. Starting tonight, we'll start watching tape on him." - Stanford head coach Johnny Dawkins on Jahii Carson.

Note

• In five career games in Las Vegas, Jahii Carson is averaging 28.8 PPG. He is shooting 60-percent from the field and has three 30-point games.
• The Sun Devils are 5-2 this season in games decided by five points or less. Arizona State is 3-1 in overtime games this season.
• Arizona State is 21-1 when it shoots better than its opponent from the field. They are 0-9 when they shoot less than their opponent.