Mick Cronin, UCLA’s head coach, was almost shocked when he saw the score of Arizona State’s game against Oregon last week.

The Bruins are readying to travel to Tempe to face the red-hot Sun Devils on Thursday. It’ll be a battle of No. 1 vs. No. 2 in the Pac-12, and ASU should enter the game with a tremendous amount of confidence they can take down the nation’s fifth-ranked team. The Sun Devils were up by 29 at one point in their 17-point victory at Oregon.

Cronin came away from that game’s tape incredibly impressed by coach Bobby Hurley’s squad.

“Coach Hurley’s done an unbelievable job putting this team together,” Cronin told reporters on Tuesday. “If you looked up the definition of transfer portal use, you know, they start five transfers, one came a year ago but the rest of them, this is their first year. Just a tremendous job of being able to do that.

“You don’t just go sweep the Oregons the way they did, especially the way they did. They looked like the original Golden State Warriors at Oregon. When you saw the score, you thought maybe Oregon didn’t play well and then you watch the film and I’ve never seen anything like that. Their display of shooting was unbelievable. So, a lot of challenges, their players being the real challenge. They’ve got quickness, they’ve got veterans, old veterans that are obviously having a lot of fun playing together. Probably the most unselfish Arizona State team I’ve seen.”

Four different ASU players are averaging more than 10 points a game — Frankie Collins (11), Devan Cambridge (11), DJ Horne (12), and Desmond Cambridge Jr. (12).

Desmond Cambridge is coming off back-to-back 21-point scoring efforts, performances that earned him the conference’s Player of the Week honor on Monday.

He and the Sun Devils have been the Pac-12’s second-most-efficient offense in conference play. But the success isn’t one-sided. ASU has been excellent on both ends of the floor as it has opened up 6-1 in league play.

In Pac-12 play, the Sun Devils are currently top-four in adjusted defensive efficiency, 2-point shot defense, forced turnover percentage, and block percentage.

The Sun Devils will have a chance to show they’re for real on Thursday. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. PT on FS1.