International Players Impress in Debut at Arizona State

TEMPE -- It's no secret that the Arizona State men's basketball team has been built around an ample amount of international players for the 2025-26 season - head coach Bobby Hurley alluded to the fact that he both wanted to do something different and felt as if that route was the most economical for the program.

Four players who hail from outside of the U.S. played in Tuesday's season-opening win over Southern Utah, and Hurley was pleased with the effort that each player gave - he expressed as much after the game.

"The International guys got a good feel for like, even Massamba (Diop) had a really good look in the post to age Andrija (Grbovic) for a layup, and Andrija knows how to cut and play.

So it's like good to have guys that have a good feel for the game. That way, we're going to encourage them to keep getting Massamba touches. He's made some things happen down there, and he's a willing passer. And thought his debut was okay.

He started challenging shots more. He wasn't doing that as much in the first half. So I was glad to see him, you know, try and be give us a little more protection around the basket,"

ASU on SI examines each international player that saw the floor on Tuesday below.

Massamba Diop

Diop showed true NBA talent in his collegiate debut, playing some incredible defense in the second half, while also showcasing a serious handle, the ability to play-finish at a high level, and a motor that is reminiscent of his predecessor in Jayden Quaintance.

Andrija Grbovic

Grbovic received the start after playing professionally in Europe since 2020.

The Montenegro native wasn't afraid to take outside jumpers, grabbed key offensive boards, and managed to flow within the offense during his 24 minutes of action.

The junior forward is quite promising moving forward.

Santiago Trouet

The 6'11" Trouet hails from Argentina, but has already played two seasons of college basketball.

The University of San Diego transfer struggled a bit with efficiency from the floor, but didn't tend to settle for low-quality looks, and played solid defense in tandem with the rest of the roster.

Allen Mukeba

Mukeba is the same case - the senior is originally from Belgium, but has several seasons of collegiate experience under his belt.

The 6'8" forward impacted the game in many ways, including securing four blocks, six rebounds, and knocking down his only three-point attempt of the game.

Read more on why the Arizona State men's basketball team will exceed expectations in the 2025-26 season here, and three major takeaways following a gutsy win over Iowa State here

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