Arizona State Basketball: Keys for must-win Pac-12 game over Oregon

2. They need to turn Oregon into a perimeter team

Oregon doesn’t shoot the ball particularly well at 44.5% overall and just over 43% from the field in league play. Beyond the arc they aren’t much better, hovering around 33%. Another key to an Arizona State victory would be to force Oregon into taking jump shots outside of 15-feet.

Oregon is 122nd in 2-point percentage, making 51.6% of them, while the Sun Devils are 44th in defending that shot at 46.7%. If Oregon is unable to get into the paint they struggle badly to score, pushing the Ducks outside the paint and letting them sink or swim will be key.

Defensively the Sun Devils, are a middle-of-the-pack team, they give up 73 points per game and the number goes up slightly, to 73.9 per game in Pac-12 games. Percentage wise they are better, allowing opponents to shoot 40.9% and 33% from beyond the arc and in Pac-12 game.

Arizona State leads the conference, allowing opponents to shoot just 41% from the field and in their last two wins over Stanford and California they have allowed 60 points and the Cardinal and Bears shot just 37% from the field. If Arizona State can force Oregon to live outside the paint, it will give them an even better chance at a win.