Arizona State Prepares For Gonzaga Matchup in Opening Week

The Sun Devils begin with a pair of games against Utah schools.

Oct 22, 2025; Kansas City, MO, USA; Arizona State head coach Bobby Hurley speaks to media during Big 12 Menís Basketball media day at T-Mobile Center. Mandatory Credit: Sophia Scheller-Imagn Images | Sophia Scheller-Imagn Images

TEMPE -- Year 11 of the Bobby Hurley era is on the dawn of finding a starting point, as the Arizona State Sun Devils men's basketball program prepares for the 2025-26 season opener against the Southern Utah Thunderbirds on Tuesday.

The Sun Devils are seeking to improve on a 13-20 mark a season ago, but the expectations simply aren't high - both coaches and media picked the team to finish dead last in their second campaign in the Big 12.

Hurley is attempting to flip the script with an unconventional roster and another challenging non-conference schedule to test his team prior to the Nov 14 date with Gonzaga at home.

Arizona State on SI explores what the Sun Devils need to do to prepare for Gonzaga below.

Hurley Working on Solidifying Rotations

Arizona State has already faced significant tests as far as it comes to injuries are concerned- as top JUCO transfer Vijay Wallace is already out for the season, while Belgian G Noah Meeusen will miss the first few weeks of the season as well, according to Hurley.

Hurley also stated that both Allen Mukeba and Marcus Adams Jr. may be on minutes restrictions after recently being cleared to return to action from lower-body injuries.

"I mean, there's still a lot of time between now and then, but I you know everybody else was was active and available in practice, there'll be there's potential to be a bit of a minute restriction for both Allen and Marcus, as they are closer and are able to play the game of this, they don't have the foundation and some of the other guys that have been working consistently throughout the preseason. So I'll try and get a handle on that with our medical to see what that looks like."

Dec 18, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Cal State Northridge Matadors forward Marcus Adams Jr. (8) and guard PJ Fuller II (4) react in the first half against the Southern California Trojans at Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Adams has widely been seen as a starting player on this team throughout the offseason, but there is potential that his injury shakes things up - although the wing rotation is more uncertain compared to the others.

In the same breadth, the guard group is competing for minutes. Anthony "Pig" Johnson has a major opportunity to become a consistent fixture in the lineup after joining the program over the summer in response to an incredible season at the NAIA level.

Johnson scored 27 points in the exhibition loss to Texas A&M last Sunday, pacing the team. Georgia Southern transfer Adante Holiman averaged nearly 17 points per game last season in his own right, while also showing three-point marksmanship.

The guard rotation is truly up for grabs outside of Moe Odum's spot as starting point guard - it will be fascinating to see how the first two games determine the lineups going into Gonzaga.

Will Team Adjust to Changes in Play?

Hurley's roster is largely comprised of international players and players who were previously at mid-major stops. This isn't inherently a negative thing by any means, but players such as Mukeba have alluded to the fact that practices are much more physical/fast-paced compared to what was seen previously.

Mar 8, 2025; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils head coach Bobby Hurley reacts during the second half at Desert Financial Arena. Mandatory Credit: Arianna Grainey-Imagn Images | Arianna Grainey-Imagn Images

The transition shouldn't be too difficult at first, as Southern Utah and Utah Tech are expected to be substantial victories, but will there be enough growth to provide a runway to compete with Gonzaga?

What Will Gonzaga Look Like?

The Bulldogs are coming off of a relatively modest season - where they were an eight seed in the NCAA tournament. The squad will look fairly different this season as well, as Graham Ike is really the only returning impact player.

The team will have some familiar faces though - as former Arizona State G Adam Miller transferred to Spokane for his final season, as did former Grand Canyon G/F Tyon Grant-Foster. They are undoubtedly a talented squad, but will presumably have to work through the same kinks that Arizona State does.

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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