Where does Arizona State basketball go from here?

The Sun Devils are 1-5 in the Big 12 and sinking fast
Arizona State Sun Devils head coach Bobby Hurley gestures to his team in the second half of the NCAA basketball game against the Cincinnati Bearcats at Fifth Third Arena in Cincinnati on Saturday, January 18, 2025.
Arizona State Sun Devils head coach Bobby Hurley gestures to his team in the second half of the NCAA basketball game against the Cincinnati Bearcats at Fifth Third Arena in Cincinnati on Saturday, January 18, 2025. / Albert Cesare/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

It has been a rough introduction to the Big 12 for Bobby Hurley and the Arizona State men's basketball team.

Sitting at 9-2 entering conference play, the Sun Devils had NCAA tournament aspirations. Six games later, March Madness looks like a longshot.

After Saturday's 67-60 loss to Cincinnati, Arizona State is 10-7 and 1-5 in the Big 12. They came into the game ranked No. 62 in the NCAA NET Rankings, well outside of NCAA tournament contention. Saturday's loss will drop them even further down the ranks.

Where Does ASU Go From Here?

The good news about playing in the Big 12 is there will be multiple opportunities for the Sun Devils to play their way back into postseason contention. There are six Big 12 teams in the top 30 of the NET and nine in the top 50.

Arizona State will have at least eight Quad 1 opportunities over the next six weeks, starting with Tuesday's game at West Virginia.

A Quad 1 game is a home matchup against a top 30 team in the NET, or a road game against a top 50 team in the NET. The NCAA NET Rankings are used as the primary sorting tool for selection and seeding for the 2025 NCAA Tournament.

The Sun Devils are currently 1-6 in Quad 1 games, but if they get on a run they could end up with six or more Quad 1 victories which would put them right back into March Madness contention.

Joson Sanon's Status

Arizona State's slide started when 5-star freshman Joson Sanon rolled his ankle against BYU on New Year's eve.

Sanon was ASU's leading scorer and one of the best 3-point shooters in the nation before his injury. Since he went down the Sun Devils are 1-5. He returned for the Baylor game — a 72-66 overtime loss — and scored 5 points in 18 minutes.

Sanon missed the last two losses to UCF and Cincinnati, and he will reportedly be a game-time decision for ASU's game at West Virginia on Tuesday.

Without Sanon in the lineup the Sun Devils have struggled to score. Against Cincinnati they shot 6-of-22 from the 3-point line and 35.5% from the field. And the bench only produced four points.

If ASU can get Sanon back on Tuesday — and get on a run — they can get right back into NCAA tournament contention.

More Arizona State & Big 12 Analysis


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Ben Sherman
BEN SHERMAN

Ben Sherman has been covering the sports world for most of his journalism career, including 17 years with The Oregonian/OregonLive. One of his favorite memories was covering the 1999 Fiesta Bowl - the first BCS National Championship Game - at Sun Devil Stadium.