Arizona State's Perception Rises After Dramatic Win Over Santa Clara

The Sun Devils are now 9-2 and are building a real case to be a surprise tournament team come March.

Dec 6, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona State University Sun Devils guard Anthony Johnson (2) smiles against Oklahoma University Sooners in the first half at PHX Arena. Mandatory Credit: Anna Carrington-Imagn Images | Anna Carrington-Imagn Images

TEMPE -- It's no secret whatsoever that the Arizona State Sun Devils entered the 2025-26 campaign with extremely tempered expectations in response to a 2024-25 season that saw the program earn only 13 victories in.

The start to the new year has mirrored what was done last season fairly well, but the feel around this squad is much different at this time - the 19-point comeback victory over Santa Clara to secure an 82-79 victory confirms as much.

Bobby Hurley now has three key wins to his name this season - triumphs over Texas, Oklahoma, and Santa Clara will serve the team well moving into Big 12 play in just around three weeks. How exactly have these wins improved their perception, according to respected pundits and metrics, though? This will be explored below.

ASU Sun Devils head coach Bobby Hurley yells out to his team as they play the Oklahoma Sooners at Mortgage Matchup Center on Dec. 6, 2025, in Phoenix, Arizona. | Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Jon Rothstein: 33

The Sun Devils continue to creep towards the top 25 in respected analyst Rothstein's daily power rankings.

They still sit below conference rivals TCU, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, Kansas, BYU, Houston, Iowa State, and bitter rival Arizona.

Still, they sit in an optimal position with the three aforementioned quality victories behind an inter-connected mindset on both ends of the floor, but work obviously must still be done to avoid what was experienced a year ago.

NCAA NET: 49

The Sun Devils have moved up 51 spots over the last two weeks - they sat exactly at number 100 in the first NET reveal in which is the major blueprint for how NCAA tournament teams are viewed.

They sit just two spots behind Colorado to climb inside the top half of the conference according to these rankings, and just seven spots from catching another surprising performer in the league in UCF.

As of right now, they likely profile as a tournament team, as they have secured three quad two victories and grade out well on metrics.

KenPom: 63

Arizona State is a bit lower here than elsewhere, but its standing in the highly renowned KenPom rankings has improved in recent weeks as well.

The consensus here is that the metrics, analysts who cover the games, and the raw stats are in agreement that this Arizona State team is playing an impressive brand of basketball at the moment.

While there's no reason to believe that this won't continue, the program is set to embark on one of the most daunting remaining schedules in the country over the next three months.

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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