Definitively Grading Arizona State's Performance in Non-Conference Action

TEMPE -- Non-conference play is now on the back burner for Arizona State basketball after a 78-75 loss to Oregon State secured a 9-4 record going into Big 12 play.

A season that was incredibly promising as recently as a week ago has gone a bit south - including, according to head coach Bobby Hurley and star PG Moe Odum were both vocal in the post-game press conference following Sunday's loss, ASU on SI examines overall grades from the team over the first eight weeks of the season below.

dasdasds — Dec 17, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils guard Anthony Johnson (2) drives past UCLA Bruins guard Eric Dailey Jr. (3) for a basket in the second half at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Offense - B+

Arizona State's offense has been the driving force behind the strong start for the vast majority of non-conference play - highlighted in performances such as the 87-86 win over Texas, 100-point showing against Washington State, and in an 86-70 win over Oklahoma.

The Sun Devil offense has been largely consistent thus far - flowing in a natural manner, featuring constant motion off-ball, and yielding numerous high-level three-point shooters.

Arizona State currently ranks 64th in offensive efficiency per KenPom - a large driving force behind this spot is due to the recent struggles from behind the arc, as the team-wide three-point shooting percentage has dipped from north of 38% to just 34.9% over the last two games.

Defense - B-

Arizona State sits at 109 in defensive efficiency according to KenPom, putting them in the lower half of power-league teams on that end.

The most glaring gaps on the defensive side of the ball for Arizona State are health, ceding offensive rebounds/second chance points, and a lack of depth at center that forces Massamba Diop to serve as the only rim protector for the most part.

For all the faults must come positives - including the team generating 7.3 steals per game, the wing rotation gradually improving on that end as the season goes on, and the high-end performance against Oklahoma on December 6.

Overall - B

There has to be a balance between expectation and reality during this season - the Sun Devils entered the season with low expectations, exceeded them 11 games into the campaign, and suffered conspicuous setbacks over the previous two battles.

Overall, Arizona State has shown the makings of being a tournament team, but now has to do even more work to reach that ultimate goal for the first time since 2022-23 - that journey will begin on January 3, when Colorado is welcomed to Tempe.

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.

Please let us know your thoughts when you like our Facebook page when you click right here.

Please follow us on X when you click right here, as well as @khicks_21 for nonstop Arizona State coverage!