The Back and Forth: ASU vs. UCLA

Are the Sun Devils or the Bruins the top program in the Pac-10 for hoops? We let one from each side hash it out.

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Harden vs. Collison: who you got?

What is "The Back and Forth?"

In our last issue, we ran a feature on the hidden rivalries of college hoops. No one would call Arizona State vs. UCLA a "hidden rivalry;" ostensibly it's for control of the Pac-10 this season. But, it certainly flies under the radar compared to say, Duke/UNC, The Big 5 in Philly, and even Texas/Oklahoma. Here now: a rep from ASU (Alex, the beat writer for the Sun Devils for The State Press) and from UCLA (Blair, the assistant sports editor of The Daily Bruin) argue why each of their schools is truly the best, on court and off. The programs knuckle up again on Thursday night (9pm, ESPN).

ALEX (ARIZONA STATE):
You may have 100 championships but ASU has two things UCLA doesn't: "Big Game" James Harden and thousands of hot girlies in summer attire year-round.

BLAIR (UCLA)
The Bruins were the first school to reach the century mark, but now UCLA has 103 national championships—11 of those in basketball. You're right, UCLA may not have James Harden, possibly the best pure scorer in the conference, but the Bruins possess the better team; we've reached the Final Four three straight years. And…it's no secret that Tempe touts an over-the-top party scene, but the girls at Arizona State take their tanning to over-the-top levels as well. You'd be surprised at the amount of good-looking females that call Westwood home—just shift your focus to courtside, where UCLA's dance team serves as proof.

ALEX (ARIZONA STATE):
Blair, buddy, don't do James like that. Harden has proved that he is much more than a scorer since coming to ASU. Sure, he leads the league in scoring, but he also leads the league in steals…again. And Harden does this while playing almost exclusively in a zone defense for coach Herb Sendek. Dude is also a solid rebounder, probably ASU's best playmaker, and above all else, he is as clutch as they come. The Sun Devils are 6-0 in overtime games since he came aboard. One of those games, of course, happened in Pauley Pavilion just three weeks ago.

Which brings me to your team, the big, bad UCLA Bruins. If they were the better team, wouldn't they have scored more than one field goal over those last 13 minutes? Sorry to break it to you, but this year's edition isn't like those three Final Four teams Ben Howland has had in the past. That air of invincibility is gone, my friend.

And as far as Westwood goes, it's cool and all but the cost-of-living is out of control. I mean, I have this master bedroom, my own bathroom, a sliding glass door that leads out to a luxurious pool with a diving board, a covered patio area and a nice little gazeebo covered by the "Tree of Life" in my backyard. And guess how much I pay for rent? $400. I think you could get yourself a nice shoebox on Gayley Ave. for that type of money in Westwood.

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If you respect his comedy, he might be a compelling reason to take ASU in this argument.

Another thing I want to bring up is the alumni factor. ASU has Pat Tillman. Badass. We have the world's greatest collection of lefty alums. How are you going to argue with Reggie Jackson, Barry Bonds, Phil Mickelson and now James Harden? One of the greatest sportscasters of our generation, Al Michaels, too, went to ASU. (He wrote for my esteemed publication The State Press, might I add.)

Then of course, there is Jimmy Kimmel.

BLAIR (UCLA):
Did you really just bring Jimmy Kimmel into this discussion?

Fair enough, I 'spose. Kimmel is mediocre, but he is no Adam Sandler—who plays pick-up basketball on campus at the John R. Wooden Center on a regular basis.

Even though Arizona may cost less, there's also considerably less going on there. Los Angeles is always happening—the Pacific Ocean and beaches of Malibu are just five miles away from campus, UCLA is just a jog's distance from Beverly Hills and an hour drive from the mountains. There's plenty to do here, so the cost pays for itself. People here are doing fine without the "luxurious pools" and "little gazeebos."

The lefty alumni are noteworthy, but without a former Bruin, there would be no Bonds or Jackson. Though Bonds "broke" records, UCLA great Jackie Robinson broke barriers.

Back to basketball…until the Bruins fail to make the NCAA Tournament (ala ASU), they are still a premier team in the country. This year's Bruins may not be as good as recent teams, but past teams never were great scoring teams either. UCLA takes the court and aims to limit the number of possessions by playing a slow-paced game. It's called Ben-Ball, and it's been working fine for the last three seasons.

ALEX (ARIZONA STATE):
I'm not gonna lie. Pretty jealous about the Sand man. Gotta respect the Sandler.

But hey, there's plenty to do out here. I just went to the FBR Open the other weekend, Flagstaff's a couple hours away and getting snowed on like crazy, the NBA All-Star game is this weekend and spring training is just around the corner. And I'll be just fine with my degree from the Cronkite School, one of the finest journalism instituations in the land.

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Then again, UCLA has an impressive array of cheerleaders. Although Sarah Silverman likely has a far more sparkling personality.

Sure, you can go crazy (check out Kimmel's aunt Chippy at an ASU tailgate a couple of years ago), but I think a lot of kids come out here to relax. It's a vacation 24/7 out here. There's nothing like lounging by the pool in between classes with an ice-cold Zima in your hand. I'm kidding. Ha.

BLAIR (UCLA):
There is no question that Tempe is not a bad place to be a college student…but Westwood is better. Fighting through 110-degree weather in Arizona? Not so hot. Temperatures in Los Angeles reach the mid-90's in the summer, but a pleasant sea breeze makes it more bearable. Zima or breeze? I guess the choice varies by person.

The clip of Kimmel's aunt is truly hilarious, but tailgating like that takes place on the vast grounds surrounding the Rose Bowl all the time. The difference? ASU tailgates outside of Sun Devil Stadium in parking structures and concrete. Bruin fans, however, have an entire golf course at their disposal to get their party on. Put that in your funnel and down it.

ALEX (ARIZONA STATE):
Already did. Rather have a Zima. Or a Pabst, either way.

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