Arizona State Center Earns Big 12 Honor After Strong Week

TEMPE -- The Arizona State Sun Devils (10-6, 1-2 Big 12) are coming off of a week in which the program posted a 1-1 record.

The Sun Devils fell to Brigham Young on the road in a 28-point loss, before rebounding with an 87-84 triumph over the Kansas State Wildcats. The win has re-envigorated the Arizona State season after a four-game losing streak cast doubt as to what the ceiling of this team truly was.

A major catalyst behind the victory was none other than freshman center Massamba Diop, who has emerged as one of the most intriguing talents in division one basketball over the last two months - his performance last week earned him a spot on the "Big 12 Starting Five" lineup for the week of January 4-10.

lknlk — Jan 10, 2026; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils center Massamba Diop (35) celebrates a play against the Kansas State Wildcats in the first half at Desert Financial Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Big 12 Starting Five

Massamba Diop, Arizona State

Richie Saunders, BYU (player)

Kingston Flemings, Houston

Darryn Peterson, Kansas

Honor Huff, West Virginia (newcomer)

Diop, 20, initially hailed from Senegal before making the move to Spain to pursue a basketball career. He committed to play for Bobby Hurley during the summer of 2025. He has been propped up as a potential face of the program in recent months - the talent and high ceiling have been on full display in recent weeks. This has come to a head with seven consecutive 10-point scoring performances, with three straight 20 point showings in the fold in the midst of the former streak.

Diop's defensive presence is also something that has been lauded recently, as he recorded five blocks and was instrumental in creating key stops against Kansas State. The progress that has been made on the defensive side of the ball will be tested on a wide scale in Wednesday night's game against #1 ranked Arizona - this is directly from Hurley following Tuesday's practice.

“Yeah, Massamba is, you know, he's going to be tested in the most severe way, you know, in this game. And you know, his play has been encouraging. I mean, he's always shown this huge upside and he's where he's taken steps and has shown growth, is the defensive end for us, which we need desperately.

His length and activity in the paint and Arizona is as good as anybody in the country at scoring in the lane, whether it's throwing into their big guys getting an offensive rebound, or their guards attacking the basket. So you know his presence is going to be crucial in our ability to hang in with Arizona in the paint.”

Diop will be able to put his intriguing skillset on full display tonight against Arizona in compliment of a former fellow "starting five" selection in point guard Moe Odum. The game is slated for an 8:30 P.M. MST tip time and will be broadcast on FS1.

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