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After suffering a double-digit loss in the first meeting, this team is looking for revenge. But Arizona State's grudge against Utah doesn't have quite the same sizzle as the other matchup in this week's slate.

It's accepted that Sun Devils vs. Runnin' Utes on Thursday night won't have the same heft as the Saturday night headliner when Utah (21-5, 11-3) hosts No. 7 Arizona. But it would be a mistake to be lulled into thinking it won't necessarily be close — a mistake Utah intends to avoid.

The unspoken cardinal sin of the week would be to start looking ahead for the Wildcats, but that hasn't been a problem so far.

"No one's really said anything about it," Jordan Loveridge said after Wednesday's practice. "We've got ASU first. They're playing good and they're a good team."

It's typical cliché for players to say their next opponent is playing well, but in Arizona State's case, it's true.

ASU has won four of its past five, including a headlining win over Arizona on Feb. 7. The Sun Devils are only 2-9 on the road this season, but overall it's a promising turnaround from when Utah beat them, 76-59, in January. Then, Arizona State was in last place; now, ASU is 7-7 in conference play and could make a move into the upper half of the standings with a win.

For a team that lost two standouts from last season in Jordan Bachynski and Jahii Carson, newcomers had to step up for Arizona State. That's happened recently: Transfer Savon Goodman has two double-doubles in his past three games. Freshman guard Tra Holder is averaging 12.2 points and 5 assists per game in his past seven contests.

Brandon Taylor can boast a robust scouting report on Holder: The two have played basketball together since Taylor was 10 years old.

From Parks and Rec ball to high school, the two have dueled extensively in their home of Los Angeles. Taylor said the two frequently work out or play one-on-one when they're home. He's not surprised Holder has grown into the college game so quickly.

"He knows how to find his shooters," Taylor said. "He knows how to find himself in position where he can dish off and get into the paint real well. He's doing a hell of a job right now."

The week finds Utah working to rediscover its offensive mojo after a sluggish outing against Oregon State and a loss to Oregon. Players said practices on Tuesday and Wednesday were focused on finishing near the rim and rebounding, areas that lacked last week.

While the Utes acknowledge the expectations for success have changed — last season, splitting a road trip was an achievement — they said they've been unaffected. Delon Wright said he welcomes the heightened standard, that he likes that Utah is expected to win on the road. Loveridge said he hasn't felt a huge difference outside the program, but internally the Oregon defeat wasn't well received.

"It's disappointing to lose games like that," he said. "We gotta try hard to win the next one."

The Utes haven't forgotten that the next one is Arizona State. The Wildcats can wait until Friday morning at least.

Twitter: @kylegoon —

Arizona State at No. 13 Utah

P Jon M. Huntsman Center

Tipoff • 8:30 p.m.

TV • Fox Sports 1

Radio • ESPN 700 AM

Records • ASU (15-12, 7-7); Utah (21-5, 11-3)

Series history • Utah leads 29-20

Last meeting • Jan. 15, 2015 at ASU; Utah 76, ASU 59

About the Sun Devils • Freshman Tra Holder is making a late offensive impact, scoring at least 10 points and adding at least 3 assists in six of his past seven games. … ASU has struggled with turnovers, ranking last in the Pac-12 in turnover ratio (20 percent of possessions). … The Sun Devils go deep for offense, with seven players averaging at least 6 ppg and eight different players finishing as the leading scorer in a game this year.

About the Utes • Utah is looking to extend its 17-game home winning streak, its longest such streak since the 2004-05 season. … A halftime lead has been Utah's friend this season: Utah has led at the break of all 11 of its Pac-12 wins, and is 19-1 this season leading at the half. … The Utes are stingy on defense, especially inside the arc, where opponents are making only 40.5 percent of shots, the No. 4-ranked 2-point defense nationally.