SoCal NCAA Preview

No. 4 UCLA (24-3) at Arizona St (17-9), 7:30 pm, FSNPT

TEMPE, Arizona (Ticker) -- Arizona State needs a big win to convince the selection committee it is worthy of an NCAA Tournament bid. The Sun Devils have an opportunity to improve their resume when they host No. 4 UCLA on Thursday.

Arizona State (17-9, 7-7 Pac-10) appeared to be an early-season lock for the NCAAs after storming out of the gate to a 14-2 record on the strength of a 10-game win streak. However, Arizona State fell apart after the surge, dropping five games in a row and seven of its next nine. The Sun Devils bounced back from a two-game losing streak with a 77-63 victory over Washington on Saturday. Arizona State made 52 percent (13-of-25) of its 3-pointers - its best mark from beyond the arc since hitting 54.5 percent (12-of-22) at California on February 7, 2004.

UCLA (24-3, 12-2) picked up its third straight win with a 75-65 victory over Oregon on Saturday. Darren Collison scored 17 points while Russell Westbrook added 16 for the Bruins, which topped Oregon for the seventh time in the last eight meetings. Freshman sensation Kevin Love finished with 15 points and 11 rebounds despite being limited to just four points in the first half.