Arizona State Completely Out of NCAA Tournament Picture

The Sun Devils have a tasking path to reach the tournament for the first time since the 2023 season.

Feb 7, 2026; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils head coach Bobby Hurley calls out in the second half against the Colorado Buffaloes at the CU Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

TEMPE -- Bobby Hurley spent the early stages of last offseason curating a scrappy, talented roster of overlooked talent that had potential to lead the Arizona State basketball program to a place they haven't been since 2022-23 - the NCAA tournament.

The Sun Devils entered the season with a roster that was headlined by senior point guard Moe Odum - who was top five in assists in division one last season, as well as freshman center Massamba Diop.

Arizona State's 9-2 start to the campaign instilled confidence that this season might be different, although they have gone just 3-10 since - which has thrown a wrench in those designs.

ASU on SI explores where the program stands as far as tournament hopes are concerned below.

Arizona State forward Andrija Grbović (14) gathers Bryce Ford (4) and Moe Odum (5) during a game against Cincinnati at Desert Financial Arena in Tempe, Ariz., on Jan. 24, 2026. | Patrick Breen/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Arizona State's Tournament Hopes Hanging by Thread

Arizona State was once again nowhere to be seen in ESPN bracket expert Joe Lunardi's projected field - which is something that has been the case since late December following a loss to Oregon State. Major Arizona State related topics from the bracket will be explored below.

• The Sun Devils own two victories over teams that are currently in the projected field - Texas (last four in) and Santa Clara (11 seed), which helps their case at the surface. Despite this, a 12-12 record, inconsistent metrics, and the loss to Oregon State will not help the program's cause in the weeks ahead.

• Arizona State will play four teams that are in the tournament bubble or better over the remaining seven games this season.

Jan 31, 2026; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils forward Santiago Trouet (1) against the Arizona Wildcats at Desert Financial Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

• This stretch begins with Oklahoma State on Tuesday night, which will open the door to play spoiler in the season of a bubble squad. The Sun Devils then take on a projected four seed in Texas Tech on February 17 at Desert Financial Arena. Texas Tech is considered a lock for the tournament at this stage, but this perhaps serves as ASU's best opportunity to secure a marquee win against a ranked opponent.

• The final two chances to earn a season-defining win are against projected three-seed Kansas (March 3) and two-seed Iowa State. Kansas is headlined by guard Darryn Peterson and a deep roster around the star freshman - this will also be an opportunity for ASU to defeat the Jayhawks for the third time in the last 10 seasons. Iowa State has been playing at a top-five level for a large majority of the season behind a balanced roster and a coaching masterclass from T.J. Otzelberger.

Read more on the bold strategy that head coach Bobby Hurley employed with comments on 1/21 here, and on why Arizona State may have saved the season with the win over Cincinnati on Saturday here..

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