When analyzing the possible causes for Arizona State men’s basketball’s sluggish 1-4 start to conference play in the Big 12, you don’t have to look far to find the Sun Devils’ most prominent issue: defense.

In its first five Big 12 contests, ASU allowed 95 points a game and surrendered over 100 points to both No. 11 BYU on Jan. 7 and No. 7 Houston on Jan. 18.

The struggles at the defensive end of the floor have been a common trend all season for a Sun Devils squad that currently sits at 328th in Division I hoops in opponent points per game at 80.7.

However, ASU faced four of the five teams in conference play that currently rank in the top nine in scoring offense in the Big 12.

Now, the Sun Devils turn the page to a perfect opportunity to get their defense back on track, as they welcome the two worst scoring offenses in the Big 12 to Tempe this week.

ASU welcomes West Virginia to the Valley on Wednesday, Jan. 21, before hosting Cincinnati on Saturday, Jan. 24. The Mountaineers rank last in points per game in the Big 12 at 73.4, while the Bearcats reside just one spot higher in 15th with 74.1 points per game.

West Virginia put together a solid 3-2 start to Big 12 play, including an 86-75 upset win over No. 22 Kansas on Jan. 10.

Yet, outside of that win, the Mountaineers’ offense hasn’t weathered the storm of the Big 12, averaging just 60.3 points per contest in their other four conference games.

Despite the struggles, senior guard Honor Huff has been a bright spot for West Virginia, scoring the ball all season, averaging 17.1 points per game and connecting on almost 40% of his 3-point attempts.

While Huff has been a marksman in Morgantown, his road splits don’t tell the same story. Huff is shooting 31.7% from beyond the arc in away games on the campaign.

Although, as is the case with many low-end offenses, the Mountaineers make up for it with a strong defense that only allows 63.1 points per game, good for second in the conference.

West Virginia also plays slower than any other team in the Big 12 by a large margin, ranking 349th nationally in possessions per game at 66 ½.

Following a 0-3 start to Big 12 action, the Bearcats nabbed their first conference win over Colorado, then pulled one of the biggest upsets in the Big 12 this season with a 79-70 stunner over No. 2 Iowa State.

Senior forward Baba Miller leads Cincinnati with 13.2 points per game and 10.8 rebounds per game, joining Texas Tech junior forward JT Toppin as the only two players in the Big 12 currently averaging a double-double.

Miller will be a tough matchup for the Sun Devils, who currently clock in at dead last in the conference in rebounds per game at 33.6.

While Miller serves as a strong presence down low for the Bearcats, Cincinnati’s perimeter shooting has been less than ideal this season, draining a Big 12 worst 30.6% of its attempts from distance.

The Bearcats also feature a familiar, not-so-friendly face to ASU fans. Senior guard Kerr Kriisa, who played his first three seasons of college basketball at Arizona, averages 7.3 points per game for Cincinnati.

This week is exactly what the Sun Devils are looking for. ASU returns to Desert Financial Arena and gets two chances to claw its way back into the Big 12 race against the two teams that have struggled to score the most out of anyone in the conference.

With how tough the top teams are this year, the Sun Devils need to take advantage of weeks like this one.