Arizona State Basketball is Here to Stay in 2025-26 Season

The Sun Devils showed incredible grit in a comeback win over Santa Clara Saturday - once again showing who they truly are this season.

Dec 6, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona State University Sun Devils guard Noah Meeusen (15) dribbles the ball against Oklahoma University Sooners at PHX Arena. Mandatory Credit: Anna Carrington-Imagn Images | Anna Carrington-Imagn Images

TEMPE -- Bobby Hurley's Arizona State program has started the season with a 9-2 mark after a furious comeback effort ended in success against the Santa Clara Broncos on Saturday evening in Las Vegas - coincedentally, this was a game that was without Hurley for the second half of action.

This wasn't an issue for the Sun Devils, who overcame a 17-point halftime deficit - they held Santa Clara without a single point for nearly seven minutes in the second half of action, while the offense exploded behind an incredibly balanced effort.

The major takeaway from this contest? Arizona State isn't going anywhere in the 2025-26 season.

This team will be competitive from coast-to-coast this season, and not in the same spirit that the previous squad was - the 2025-26 roster is built to win games in the Big 12.

Arizona State is Built to Compete in League Play

Arizona State is almost certainly not the most talented team in the Big 12. They may not boast the deepest roster either.

There are qualities to this particular rendition of ASU basketball that set them up to be competitive well into March despite being at a talent deficit - possession of a go-to star, plenty of floor-spacers on the court at any given time, connectivity that is seldom seen in a college basketball landscape that is ever-changing, and Hurley arguably doing the best coaching job of his career.

Moe Odum is the type of star player that a team will rely on in virtually any scenario. Marcus Adams Jr. has quietly emerged as the impact wing that the team desperately needed. Anthony "Pig" Johnson, Noah Meeusen, and Allen Mukeba have been nothing short of stellar off of the bench. Massamba Diop has been a revelation at center. The coaching staff adjustments that were made by Hurley are quite apparently paying dividends, as the adjustments made in this game and the plan of attack going into the Oklahoma contest on December 6 were instrumental in picking up résumé building triumphs.

The tasks that the Big 12 present are stout. Arizona State will play 10 teams that are ranked higher than they currently sit at in the NCAA NET rankings (64) as of Saturday night - including Houston, Arizona, Iowa State, and Kansas.

However, Hurley's team is absolutely ready to take on the challenges that the league will present - a pair of games against Utah certainly won't hurt their pursuit of an NCAA tournament appearance, either.

Arizona State returns to action against no. 25 UCLA on Wednesday night in Los Angeles.

ASU Sun Devils head coach Bobby Hurley yells out to his team as they play the Oklahoma Sooners at Mortgage Matchup Center on Dec. 6, 2025, in Phoenix, Arizona. | Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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.

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