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Sun Devils Fans React After Season-Opening Men’s Basketball Game

Social Media Reactions to Arizona State Sun Devils' first game of the men's basketball season against the Southern Utah Thunderbirds
Tanner Cappellini|
Sep 6, 2025; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils mascot Sparky looks on during the first quarter against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images
Sep 6, 2025; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils mascot Sparky looks on during the first quarter against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

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Arizona State Sun Devils

After months of waiting and preparation, it is Men's Basketball time for the Arizona State Sun Devils! It is an exciting year for the team as Head Coach Bobby Hurley has assembled a talented group of players. So, how did the team do in their first game against the Southern Utah Thunderbirds?

First Half

Johnson's Big Scoring Run

ASU built the game up to an early lead as they were up 20-10. Part of that was due to guard Anthony Johnson, nicknamed Anthony "Pig" Johnson. Johnson is a transfer from the University of the Cumberlands. He had a great showing off the bench very early as he scored 6 points.

Odum Showing out early

Another big bright spot early for ASU Basketball was Point Guard Moe Odum. At halftime, he had 6 points, which is solid, but what really stood out to fans was his pure athletic ability. Odum is 6'2" and can move really fast. His speed and acceleration stood out to fans early in this game and caught their eye.

As this social media user points out below, Odum also has excellent vision and can pass very, very well. Early on in the game, Odum was the star for ASU.

ASU's great Teamwork

A big point at halftime for ASU basketball was that the teamwork on display was excellent. Sure, players like Odum and Johnson were big standouts for the Sun Devils, but a lot of players were contributing early in the game.

Second Half

Mukeba's 3 pointer

The second half got off to a hot start as Southern Utah scored some, but then some exciting news for Sun Devil fans came as Allen Mukeba made his first 3-pointer in quite a while. As Southern Utah was starting to get things going, Mukeba's 3 was a pretty big moment and impact play for ASU's offense.

Amazing Floor Movement

ASU extended its lead as it crossed the 50-point mark early in the second quarter. A large part of this was their excellent ability to move the ball up and down the court. A lot of players got involved, and ASU's full display of teamwork and ball movement was on display.

The fact that the ball never touched the ground during a transition play is amazing and shows the level of fantastic play that ASU was on tonight.

Odum's Excellent Night Continues

ASU continued to mount its lead against Southern Utah, a big part due to the successful play of Maurice Odem. Odem continued to dominate the floor with tremendous size and passing. Southern Utah was struggling to contain him all night.

Finishing it up

Coach Hurley made sure that Southern Utah did not have the chance to come back, as this team finished up the game strong. One of these plays included a nice Anthony "Pig" Johnson three-pointer for the ASU win.

Overall, this was a great stress-free win for fans! The excitement was felt over social media and it was a great and optimistic start for Coach Hurley's squad.

We would highly appreciate it if you would discuss your thoughts on ASU's men's basketball first game of the season. Additionally, @Kevin Hicks on X to get updates on when new ASU on SI pieces drop! 

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Tanner Cappellin
TANNER CAPPELLINI

Tanner Cappellini holds a mass communications degree from Arizona State University and is pursuing his dream of being the person at the games, practices, and events who takes others inside the team they love.