ASU Men’s Basketball Faces Uphill Climb Entering Big 12 Play

Arizona State men’s basketball enters Big 12 conference play facing one of the toughest stretches on its schedule.

After closing non-conference play with back-to-back losses to UCLA and Oregon State, the Sun Devils find themselves in a difficult position heading into January.

The loss to Oregon State was especially damaging. Oregon State entered the game ranked near the bottom of the NET rankings, making it a Quad 4 loss for ASU.

Those are the types of losses that can seriously hurt a team’s NCAA Tournament resume. While the Sun Devils have quality wins earlier in the season, this loss now puts pressure on conference play to make up ground.

Dec 17, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Donovan Dent (2) is defended by Arizona State Sun Devils guard Trevor Best (12) in the first half at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The Opening Stretch

Arizona State opens Big 12 play on Jan 3 at home against Colorado, a team that has exceeded expectations so far this season.

While the game is in Tempe, Colorado’s strong play makes it far from an easy matchup.

After that, the schedule becomes unforgiving. ASU travels to BYU to face a top-10 team in one of the loudest and toughest environments in college basketball. Elevation, crowd energy, and depth all make Provo a possible nightmare road trip.

The challenges continue with Kansas State at home, led by one of the nation’s top scorers, before two road games against Arizona and Houston.

Feb 26, 2025; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Brigham Young Cougars forward Richie Saunders (15) drives against the Arizona State Sun Devils during the second half at Desert Financial Arena. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images | Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

Arizona is currently the No. 1 team in the country, while Houston remains a national title contender with elite defense and NBA-level talent.

This five-game stretch will test Arizona State in every possible way.

No Room for Error

Mar 13, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; The Adidas shoes with Arizona State Sun Devils mascot Sparky logo worn by Sun Devils guard Frankie Collins (1) in the second half against the Utah Utes at the T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

With a Quad 4 loss already on the resume, Arizona State no longer has much room for mistakes. Wins against top-tier Big 12 opponents would go a long way toward repairing tournament chances, but losses could quickly pile up against such a loaded schedule.

The middle portion of conference play offers more manageable matchups, but the front-loaded and back-loaded nature of the schedule means ASU must survive January to stay in contention.

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

Head coach Bobby Hurley now faces one of the biggest challenges of his tenure.

The talent is there, but execution, effort, and resilience will determine how this team responds. The Sun Devils have shown flashes of competitiveness against strong opponents, but moral victories will not be enough in the Big 12.

Conference play will reveal whether Arizona State can rebound from a rough finish to non-conference action or if the early losses will define the season.

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