What Went Right With Arizona State Offense vs Southern Utah

The Sun Devils should be pelased with the way the offense operated in the opening game of the season.

Mar 11, 2025; Kansas City, MO, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils coach Bobby Hurley reacts to a play during the first half against the Kansas State Wildcats at T-Mobile Center. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images | William Purnell-Imagn Images

TEMPE -- Arizona State men's basketball entered the 2025-26 season with tempered expectations after the previous campaign went awry in Big 12 play.

Head coach Bobby Hurley had designs on building a more experienced, diverse roster that was more predicated on flow and timing than perceived talent.

This was realized by recruiting a "floor general" point guard to Tempe, along with numerous floor-spacers and bigs with dynamic skill-sets.

Arizona State on SI explores what went right with the Sun Devil offense in Tuesday's season-opening victory over Southern Utah below.

Ball Movement

Arizona State Sun Devils Moe Odum (5) yells before passing the ball during a game against the Southern Utah Thunderbirds at Desert Financial Arena in Tempe on Nov. 4, 2025. | Diannie Chavez/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

One of the most glaring weaknesses of some previous Hurley teams was that the rosters were unable to generate consistent movement on offense - whether that was due to lack of spacing, the absence of a true point guard, or less than optimal chemistry.

This offense flowed extraordinarily well in general despite committing 14 turnovers. Players cut to the hoop in heads-up moments. PG Moe Odum orchestrated the offense in several situational moments - including in transition. Players were more than willing to make the hockey assist to change a good shot into a great shot.

This is absolutely a development that fans should be thrilled with, although a larger sample is needed.

Three-Point Shooting

The Sun Devils roster several notable floor-spacers that have proven track records elsewhere.

While the 9-23 mark from behind the arc wasn't the absolute best start for the team, it was respectable. Anthony "Pig" Johnson, Bryce Ford, and Moe Odum all had exceptional games as shooters, while it is simple to see others, such as Marcus Adams Jr., breaking out as the games go on as well.

Shot/Scoring Distribution

The three-point shooting performance feeds into this, as shot distribution is a big deal across all levels of basketball.

Coach Hurley was completely fine with the ratio of inside-outside that the team put forth, and the ultimate 81-point output likely backs that up at the surface.

"Thought it was fine. I don't think that was like an area or an issue or a problem. It was like nine for 23, the ratio of those shots that we took relative to the shots in the paint. And it was pretty, pretty well proportioned."

The scoring distribution was wonderful as well, as the leading scorer was Johnson at 17 points, while eight of nine players that participated in extended minutes managed to score as well.

The Sun Devils return to play on Sunday, when they welcome Utah Tech to Tempe.

Read more on why the Arizona State men's basketball team will exceed expectations in the 2025-26 season here, and three major takeaways following a gutsy win over Iowa State here

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