Arizona State Faces Final Month Sprint to Make NCAA Tournament Case

The Sun Devils will have eight games remaining following Wednesday night's game against Utah.

Jan 31, 2026; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils guard Bryce Ford (4) against the Arizona Wildcats at Desert Financial Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

TEMPE -- The Arizona State Sun Devils (11-11, 2-7 Big 12) are entering their final nine games of the regular season in their second season as a member of the new conference - the trek to the finish line begins tonight against nine-win Utah.

Bobby Hurley's team entered the campaign with much promise, as they began the year by posting a 9-2 record - this has been countered with a 2-9 stretch since, which began with a loss to UCLA on December 17.

The Sun Devils went from being considered a legitimate NCAA tournament contender to a longshot over the ladt seven weeks, although hopes aren't completely dashed yet.

Arizona State guard Moe Odum (5) shoots a free throw against Cincinnati during a game 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 Remain Slim

ESPN bracket expert Joe Lunardi understandably left Arizona State completely outside of his NCAA tournament projections as of Tuesday morning - which would serve as the third consecutive season that Hurley's squad misses out on the 68-team bracket.

Arizona State's 11-11 record doesn't help their case, although their NCAA NET and KenPom standings are promising in regards to having a case a month from now - if they continue to stack up victories.

Jan 31, 2026; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils head coach Bobby Hurley with guard Maurice Odum (5) against the Arizona Wildcats at Desert Financial Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Arizona State owns victories over Texas (last four in) and Santa Clara (first four out) which are both categoried as quality victories. The 79-76 loss to UCF last week will mark a major missed opportunity when looking back, although opportunities to pick up marquee victories remain.

• Texas Tech (4 seed)

• Kansas (4 seed)

• Iowa State (2 seed)

The Sun Devils will welcome Texas Tech to Tempe on February 17 in a game that they will look to avenge a pair of losses from last season in against a program that nearly reached the final four in 2024-25.

Kansas will make the visit to Tempe on March 3 - guard Darryn Peterson will presumably be active for the matchup against programs that had built-up history prior to the Sun Devils' trek into the Big 12.

The Sun Devils will close out their regular season against Iowa State on March 7, as they will seek to defeat one of the more dominant squads in the conference to this point of the season after falling to the Cyclones in a competitive battle in Tempe last season.

Hurley has an opportunity to rally what might continue to be an eight-man rotation to do great things over the final nine games of the season, but the rally has to begin tonight against Utah.

Jan 24, 2026; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils forward Allen Mukeba (23), guard Anthony Johnson (2) and guard Maurice Odum (5) against the Cincinnati Bearcats at Desert Financial Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

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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