3 ASU Basketball Players Who Will Define Rest of Season

The Sun Devils will have roughly seven weeks to build their NCAA tournament case up.

Jan 3, 2026; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils center Massamba Diop (35) and guard Noah Meeusen (15) against the Colorado Buffaloes at Desert Financial Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

TEMPE -- The Arizona State Sun Devils remain in pursuit of an NCAA tournament appearance for the first time since the 2022-23 season, as they enter the heart of Big 12 play in the days and weeks ahead.

Head coach Bobby Hurley entered the season with his back against the wall, doing an admirable job in the process - but there is little margin for error in league play.

Arizona State on SI names the three players that are set up to be most crucial to the Sun Devils reaching the heights that they desire to.

Jan 3, 2026; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils guard Anthony Johnson (2) against the Colorado Buffaloes at Desert Financial Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Moe Odum

The Sun Devils are likely to go as far as Odum takes them during the remainder of the season.

It became clearer that the senior guard raises the ceiling of the team as the four-game losing streak coincided with the former Pepperdine guard facing a cold shooting stretch.

Odum's 16.4 PPG and 6.4 APG pace the team, having become the clear engine of the offense during the process - he must take things into his own hands in several key games moving forward.

Massamba Diop

Diop has quickly risen up the ranks in his freshman season as a multi-faceted center that has professional expereince under his belt in Spain.

The 20-year old stands at over seven feet tall, is incredibly mobile, and possesses guard-like skills that have caught the attention of NBA scouts in the process.

Diop's 14.6 PPG, 5.6 RPG, and 1.9 BPG have taken over the program by storm, especially as far as being perceived as an equalizer in Big 12 games that are winnable.

Massamba Diop (35) and Santiago Trouet (1) of the Arizona State Sun Devils talk between play during a game against Kansas State at Desert Financial Arena on Jan. 10, 2026, in Tempe. | Megan Mendoza/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Marcus Adams Jr.

Adams came into the 2025-26 season with sky-high hopes, after averaging 16.1 PPG last season at Cal-State Northridge.

The forward suffered a lower body injury during the ramp-up to the season, which made it more challenging to ease into the rotation heading into the November 4 season opener.

Adams appeared to finally turn a corner beginning with a December 6 showing against Oklahoma, where the sophomore scored 11 points. This continued up until December 17 against UCLA - the 6'8" wing shot 1-8 from three-point range in the games leading into the January 7 game against Brigham Young, in which he sat out of due to injury.

Hurley alluded to the hopes that Adams would be able to return within the next 10 days following Saturday's win over Kansas State - there's little doubt that they need Adams to return in full force.

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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