Arizona State Basketball Approaches Crucial Stretch of Season

The Sun Devils are set to take on what should be the toughest stretch of the season over the next 10 days.

Dec 17, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils head coach Bobby Hurley reacts in the second half against the UCLA Bruins at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

TEMPE -- Bobby Hurley's Arizona State Sun Devils are officially in a tailspin.

The Sun Devils are now riding a four-game losing streak that began with a 90-77 loss to UCLA on December 17 and spiraled into another trio of defeats, including an ugly 104-76 drubbing by Brigham Young on Wednesday night.

It appears as if things are going to the wayside for the third straight season for Hurley's program - with many of the factors going against the team this season being out of immediate control.

Arizona State on SI explores the challenges that the 9-6 Sun Devils are set to face over the remaining 16 games of conference play.

Injuries Continue to Plague ASU

Hurley's approach to roster building heading into the season was incredibly noble - emphazising depth, shooting, and constructing a versatile roster from 1-15.

In an unfortunate twist of fate, the Sun Devils faced substantial injury challenges - even before the start of the season. Forward Marcus Adams Jr. was injured in September, while forward Allen Mukeba opened up on undergoing surgery on both shins during the offseason. Guard/forward Vijay Wallace suffered a brutal injury in a preseason scrimmage against Texas A&M, which took away the main option Hurley had to man the wing.

Guard Noah Meeusen was injured right before the start of the season and missed the first two weeks of the campaign. Senior guard Adante Holiman has yet to play due to an elbow injury. Starting guard Bryce Ford has missed three of the last four games.

The odds are being stacked against an Arizona State roster that was built for depth, but is currently suffering incredibly poor luck in the health department.

Jan 3, 2026; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils guard Noah Meeusen (15) against the Colorado Buffaloes at Desert Financial Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Big 12 Gauntlet Can't be Ignored

It's no secret that the Big 12 is the most tasking league to play a full schedule against in division one basketball.

Seven teams are currently ranked inside the top 25, with as many as five of those teams sizing up to be legitimate national title contenders. Arizona State must play three of those ranked programs over the next three weeks (two games against #1 Arizona, road game against #7 Houston, road game against #25 UCF) - the other inherent challenge is playing some of the top players in the nation, including Texas Tech's J.T. Toppin, Kansas' Darryn Peterson, and Arizona's incredible freshman trio that is headlined by Koa Peat.

The Sun Devils have the talent to compete and a coach that does his best work in the face of adversity - but the basketball gods do not appear to be doing any favors for a program that has struggled to gain traction in recent seasons.

ASU Sun Devils guard Moe Odum (5) yells out to his team from the bench as they play the Oregon State Beavers at Desert Financial Arena in Tempe on Dec. 21, 2025. | 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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