Arizona State Fizzles Out vs. Iowa State, Eliminated From Big 12 Tournament

TEMPE -- The Arizona State Sun Devils (17-16) saw their Big 12 tournament hopes flame out against the elite Iowa State Cyclones (25-6) on Wednesday in round two of the conference tournament in Kansas City, Missouri in a lopsided 91-42 loss.

The loss caps off a season that was largely a success despite finishing just one game over .500, as well as likely finishing up Bobby Hurley's 11-year tenure as the head coach of the program. The rematch against the Cyclones was largely non-competitive - save for the first few minutes of the game - although the team did win one final game for Hurley in the tournament.

nknk — Mar 3, 2026; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils head coach Bobby Hurley against the Kansas Jayhawks at Desert Financial Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Follow key aspects of the game below with Arizona State on SI - including what lies ahead for the program.

First Half

Arizona State started off the game with a small handful of physical possessions on defense, but Iowa State built a 7-0 lead at the 15:49 media timeout behind possessing six offensive rebounds and forcing five ASU turnovers over the first several minutes.

fewfewfe — Mar 11, 2026; Kansas City, MO, USA; Iowa State Cyclones forward Milan Momcilovic (22) brings the ball up court and collides with Arizona State Sun Devils guard Maurice Odum (5) during the first half at T-Mobile Center. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images | William Purnell-Imagn Images

Anthony "Pig" Johnson was virtually the lone bright spot for the Sun Devils over the first 10 minutes of half one, as the guard scored four of Arizona State's six points. Iowa State's 19-6 lead at the 10:28 mark was predicated on ASU's nine turnovers and inability to connect on a three-point attempt.

The remainder of the first half went quite poorly for the Sun Devils, as a flagrant foul by Anthony "Pig" Johnson was compounded by two other technical fouls - allowing Iowa State to build up a 40-10 lead. The Cyclones held a 45-16 lead going into halftime.

Second Half

nkn — Mar 10, 2026; Kansas City, MO, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils coach Bobby Hurley talks to a referee during the second half against the Baylor Bears at T-Mobile Center. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images | William Purnell-Imagn Images

The Sun Devils did find a bit more success offensively coming out of halftime, scoring 11 points over the first seven minutes of the half. Unfortunately, this was far too little far too late, as Iowa State held a 60-27 lead with 12:28 remaining in the game.

Iowa State coasted the rest of the game and head coach T.J. Otzelberger eventually cleared his bench with several minutes remaining in what became an even more lopsided final result - this was Arizona State's worst offensive performance of the season by a wide margin.

Key Performers

Moe Odum - 2 PTS, 3 REB, 2 AST

Allen Mukeba - 4 PTS, 4 REB, 1 BLK

Anthony "Pig" Johnson - 6 PTS, 4 REB, 1 BLK

Santiago Trouet - 13 PTS, 10 REB

What's Next

Arizona State will not reach the NCAA tournament for the third consecutive season, but a potential postseason appearance is still on the table, although a coaching change could complicate this possibility.

lm;l — Mar 11, 2026; Kansas City, MO, USA; Iowa State Cyclones forward Milan Momcilovic (22) shoots the ball around Arizona State Sun Devils forward Allen Mukeba (23) during the first half at T-Mobile Center. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images | William Purnell-Imagn Images

Read more on Arizona State’s path forward in the Big 12 tournament here - including key bracket information, and on what the Sun Devils must do to earn an NCAA tournament berth here.

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