How Junior Forward Has Become Unheralded Hero of ASU Season

One player stands out as the "unsung hero" of the 2025-26 Sun Devil basketball season.

Jan 10, 2026; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils forward Santiago Trouet (1) moves the ball against Kansas State Wildcats forward Taj Manning (15) in the first half at Desert Financial Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

TEMPE -- The Arizona State Sun Devils (10-6, 1-2 Big 12) secured a massive victory that snapped a four-game losing streak on Saturday afternoon against the Kansas State Wildcats.

The 87-84 victory featured an incredible second-half showing from the team as a whole, with Massamba Diop and Moe Odum leading the scoring charge with 21 points apiece.

Bobby Hurley was forced to run a seven-man rotation throughout the day as a result of a myriad of injuries that were suffered leading into Saturday - with a number of players receiving requisite attention, including the definitive leader of the team in Odum.

Jan 10, 2026; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils forward Santiago Trouet (1) against the Kansas State Wildcats in the second half at Desert Financial Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The lone player that is prone to be forgotten about is junior forward Santiago Trouet.

The 6'11" talent spent a pair of seasons with the San Diego Toreros of the West Coast Conference before transferring to Arizona State following the 2024-25 season.

The native of Argentina has become a fixture in Hurley's rotation, starting in every game that he has played in this season - becoming an unheralded hero of the squad in the process.

Trouet Does Little Things on Court

Hurley gave a hefty amount of praise to Trouet following the game, singling him out as a driving force for the Sun Devils' second half surge in his post-game press conference.

"I thought Santi was, was a big part of our turnaround in that second half. He had some really blue collar plays, getting the offensive rebounds, driving the ball. We just, you know, we got to the basket, Massamba (Diop) was very good offensively and challenging shots defensively."

While Trouet only shot 5-12 from the floor, failed to connect on a three-point attempt, and turned the ball over once, the positive contributions he brought to the table on Saturday far outweighed the questionable points of his showing.

Trouet hauled in seven offensive boards (ASU had 24 second chance points), dished out three assists, and combined for four steals/blocks - continuing to show up as a defensive menace alongside Diop.

The best way to sum up Trouet's season is this - the junior is simply a quality college basketball player. He defends. He's a willing passer. He rarely breaks away from the context or intention of the offense. He has a nice shooting touch from 15 feet in. He tends to make "winning plays" that don't show up on the stat sheet.

All in all, Trouet has potential to be a player that is the difference between reaching the NCAA tournament and missing it once again.

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

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.

Please let us know your thoughts when you like our Facebook page when you click right here.

Please follow us on X when you click right here, as well as @khicks_21 for nonstop Arizona State coverage!