No. 1 Arizona Wildcats Look to Extend Historic Start Against Rival Arizona State Sun Devils

The Wildcats aim to match their best start in program history and longest winning streak when they face the struggling Sun Devils.

Jan. 30, 2026 at 4:07pm

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The top-ranked Arizona Wildcats (21-0, 8-0 Big 12) will travel to Tempe to take on in-state rival Arizona State (11-10, 2-6) on Saturday. Arizona is tied for the best start in program history and is looking to match the school's longest winning streak of 22 games. The Wildcats are coming off a close 86-83 win over No. 13 BYU, while Arizona State has lost four of its last five games, including a tough defeat to UCF. Arizona freshman stars Brayden Burries and Jaden Bradley lead the Wildcats' high-powered offense, while Arizona State is led by guard Maurice Odum.

Why it matters

This matchup between the top-ranked Wildcats and struggling Sun Devils has major implications for Arizona's historic season. A win would give the Wildcats their best start in program history and tie their longest winning streak, cementing their status as an elite national title contender. For Arizona State, this is an opportunity to pull off a major upset and get their season back on track against their in-state rivals.

The details

Arizona has been dominant this season, defeating opponents by an average of 21.3 points. However, they narrowly escaped their last game against BYU, needing to hold off a late rally by the Cougars. Freshman stars Brayden Burries and Jaden Bradley have led the way for the Wildcats, with Burries averaging 15.2 points per game and Peat adding 14.5. Arizona State has struggled of late, losing four of its last five games. Guard Maurice Odum has been the Sun Devils' catalyst, leading the team with 17.2 points and 6.6 assists per game. In the previous matchup, Arizona State kept the game close, cutting the Wildcats' lead to just three points in the final minute before ultimately falling 89-82.

  • Arizona and Arizona State previously met on January 14, 2026 in Tucson.
  • Arizona will travel to Tempe to face Arizona State on Saturday, January 31, 2026.

The players

Brayden Burries

A freshman guard for the Arizona Wildcats who is averaging 15.2 points per game this season.

Jaden Bradley

A freshman forward for the Arizona Wildcats who is averaging 14.5 points per game this season.

Maurice Odum

The leading scorer and facilitator for the Arizona State Sun Devils, averaging 17.2 points and 6.6 assists per game.

Massamba Diop

A freshman center for the Arizona State Sun Devils who had a strong performance against Arizona in the previous matchup.

Motiejus Krivas

The starting center for the Arizona Wildcats who was limited in the previous game against Arizona State.

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What they’re saying

“It's a big-time finish for us. We've been talking a lot about that from going back to this summer that there's going to be some games that come down to getting one stop, and then we haven't been in a lot of them. So it was great to experience that and have it come out our way.”

— Tommy Lloyd, Arizona Head Coach (statenews.net)

“I feel like we are just getting better each and every day. I feel like we have the best freshmen on our team in the whole nation. ... It's just getting better every day. We just continue to have that growth mindset.”

— Brayden Burries (statenews.net)

“It's brutal to lose. It always is. This was certainly a winnable game. We played very well. We probably played near the level that we played at Arizona, and that one again, we were down three with 50 seconds in that game.”

— Bobby Hurley, Arizona State Head Coach (statenews.net)

What’s next

The winner of Saturday's matchup between No. 1 Arizona and Arizona State will take a major step towards securing a high seed in the upcoming NCAA Tournament.

The takeaway

Arizona's historic start to the season has put them in position to achieve the best start and longest winning streak in program history. However, their in-state rival Arizona State will be looking to play spoiler and pull off a major upset that could turn their own season around. This matchup between the Wildcats and Sun Devils promises to be an intense and hard-fought battle.