Arizona State Basketball Buy/Sell: Diop Stock, Big 12 Outlook, and More

TEMPE -- The 2025-26 Arizona State men's basketball season has hit something of a roadblock over the last week, as the Sun Devils lost to UCLA on the road on December 17 and at home to Oregon State on December 21 - this resulted in finishing non-conference play with a mark of 9-4.

The Sun Devils now must navigate an 18-game Big 12 slate, which begins on Jan 3 against the Colorado Buffaloes and ends on March 7 against the top-five-ranked Iowa State Cyclones.

Arizona State on SI explores key questions surrounding the team heading into the daunting stretch of games - ultimately buying or selling the said points below.

Arizona State Will Finish Last in Big 12

The Sun Devils were picked to finish 16th out of 16 teams in the Big 12 in the preseason polls that were unveiled in mid-October, both according to the media and coaches.

There were reasons to be skeptical, including a 13-20 season in 2024-25, all but one player from the previous season departing the program, and the overall strength of the Big 12.

Even if Arizona State does finish in the bottom half of the league, it appears very unlikely that they will finish at the absolute bottom. Utah is pretty decisively at the bottom of the conference at the moment, as they slot in at 139 in the NCAA NET rankings, while Cincinnati remains in the triple digits, and West Virginia remains 10 spots below the Sun Devils as of Saturday morning.

Arizona State's collection of transfer portal additions from mid-major programs (Moe Odum, Bryce Ford, etc), as well as collection of international talents that had little attention that followed them (Massamba Diop, Noah Meeusen, etc.) have proved to be exponentially better relative to expectations, and it would be a surprise to see the Sun Devils finish at the very bottom of the conference.

Verdict: Sell, the Sun Devils will finish somewhere between 9th and 12th in the conference.

regregr — ASU Sun Devils guard Moe Odum (5) drives into the lane against the Oklahoma Sooners at Mortgage Matchup Center on Dec. 6, 2025, in Phoenix, Arizona. | Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Diop Will be NBA Draft Selection

The 7'1" freshman who had previously played professionally in Spain has garnered much attention from the NBA scouting world throughout non-conference play.

Bryce Ford -> Massamba Diop who throws it down with PASSION 😤@DevilsDigest pic.twitter.com/qViG6mkWw5
— Adam Beadle (@therealbeadle) December 21, 2025

Diop's blend of fluidity running the floor, functional rim protection, ball handling, untapped shooting touch, and motor-based attributes have flown off-the-page for scouts. Questions still remain, including rebounding and awareness on the defensive side of the ball, but it's difficult to see a world in which the standout center won't be an eventual pick in a future NBA draft.

Verdict: Diop may not be a 2026 draft prospect, but will eventually be selected - perhaps in 2027.

lnknlk — Dec 6, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona State University Sun Devils guard Noah Meeusen (15) dribbles the ball against Oklahoma University Sooners at PHX Arena. Mandatory Credit: Anna Carrington-Imagn Images | Anna Carrington-Imagn Images

Bobby Hurley Will Receive New Contract

Hurley - in his 11th year in Tempe - is also in the final season of his contract and is facing the most pressure that he has at any point in his tenure.

The general belief is that Arizona State must at least reach the NCAA tournament for the first time since the 2022-23 season for the 54-year old to be awarded with a new contract - although he needs more resources to be able to compete on a reliable basis.

Verdict: This is still up in the air, but Hurley needs his team to double up on wins to reach the tournament.

r33r2r3 — ASU Sun Devils head coach Bobby Hurley reacts on the sidelines as they play the Oregon State Beavers at Desert Financial Arena in Tempe on Dec. 21, 2025. | Joseph Rondone/Arizona Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

This Conference Stretch Will be the Most Challenging Hurley Will Face

The 2025-26 Big 12 slate will be incredible, as Arizona is averaging 90 points per game behind the efforts of two future NBA draft selections in Koa Peat and Brayden Burries. Houston has a three-headed monster at the guard spots, as well as intriguing draft prospect Chris Cenac Jr.

Brigham Young is headlined by future top-three draft selection in AJ Dybantsa and guard Richie Saunders, who averages north of 18 points per game as a senior. Texas Tech, Iowa State, and Kansas are also likely to be legitimate contenders - making the upcoming slate one that will be unlikely to get beat anytime soon from a perspective of challenge.

Verdict: True, there are as many as six legitimate national title contenders, as well as numerous quality teams behind the true contenders.

lnkln — ASU Sun Devils forward Marcus Adams Jr. (8) drives past Oregon State Beavers guard Josiah Lake II (2) at Desert Financial Arena in Tempe on Dec. 21, 2025. | Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via 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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