Areas Arizona State Basketball Must Figure Out Before Big 12 Play

The Sun Devils are set to start league play this coming Saturday against Colorado.

Dec 17, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils head coach Bobby Hurley reacts in the second half against the UCLA Bruins at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

TEMPE -- Big 12 play is rapidly approaching for Bobby Hurley and the Arizona State Sun Devils.

The 2025-26 18-game conference slate is set to open up with a visit from the Colorado Buffaloes on Saturday, with the team looking to snap a two-game losing streak to end non-conference play.

While the team typically exceeded expectations in the two months, there were questions that arose over the last week of play, with games against at least six ranked teams on the docket moving into their second season in the Big 12. Arizona State on SI examines three areas that should be an emphasis from within the program ahead of the start of conference play, below.

ASU Sun Devils guard Noah Meeusen (15) drives past Oregon State Beavers guard Dez White (0) at Desert Financial Arena in Tempe on Dec. 21, 2025. | Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Will Starting Lineup Changes be Made?

The five-man rotation that Hurley has gone with for the majority of the season has been Moe Odum, Bryce Ford, Andrija Grbovic, Santiago Trouet, and Massamba Diop.

There are arguments to be had that Hurley should make a change - either inserting a (healthy) Allen Mukeba or Marcus Adams Jr. into the starting five, as Trouet is more of a face-up forward compared to Adams.

Figuring Out How Three-Point Shooting Diet Will Evolve

The Sun Devils have sunk from north of 38% from three-point range to south of 36% in just the final two games of non-conference action.

One of the major areas of concern here is the recent shooting slump from Odum, who has struggled a bit since the win over Oklahoma on Dec 6. Some of this also has to do with Trouet and Mukeba not providing spacing when on the floor, despite being positive elsewhere.

Creating space for perimeter threats such as Ford and Noah Meeusen, as well as emphazising ball movement in the same manner that was seen earlier in the season are two major areas for the coaching staff to attack ahead of the conference opener.

How do Rebounding Challenges Improve?

The Sun Devils' rebounding efforts have improved over the last couple of weeks, as they have increased their totals as a team to 33 per contest.

Trouet leads the team in rebounding, while Diop's totals have gradually increased in his own right - the biggest concern at the moment is the volume of second-chance points allowed, as well as boxing out/communication off of shot attempts.

Arizona State will have to continue to improve as a collective rebounding unit ahead of what is sure to be a gauntlet in the Big 12.

Dec 17, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins forward Tyler Bilodeau (34) defends Arizona State Sun Devils center Massamba Diop (35) as he drives to the basket in the second half at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Read more on why the Arizona State men's basketball team will exceed expectations in the 2025-26 season here, and on why the bright future of the football program isn’t dimmed by the loss to Arizona here.

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