Arizona State Misses Major Opportunity in Loss to Baylor

The Sun Devils are now back to square one after a late season loss to the Bears.

Feb 21, 2026; Waco, Texas, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils head coach Bobby Hurley reacts on the sideline during the second half against the Baylor Bears at Paul and Alejandra Foster Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-Imagn Images | Chris Jones-Imagn Images

TEMPE -- The Arizona State Sun Devils were unable to accomplish a three-game win streak that they had not been able to obtain since December in a narrow 73-68 loss to Baylor on Saturday afternoon.

Baylor levied chaotic defense, timely shotmaking from a trio of key players, and a strategic masterclass from head coach Scott Drew late in the game into eventually securing the win - which has many different implications as far as Arizona State is concerned.

Arizona State on SI breaks down the major implications from the missed opportunity below.

Feb 21, 2026; Waco, Texas, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils head coach Bobby Hurley reacts to a call against the Baylor Bears during the second half at Paul and Alejandra Foster Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-Imagn Images | Chris Jones-Imagn Images

Arizona State's Big 12 Standing Uncertain

The Sun Devils went into Saturday with a reasonable shot to rise into the top half of the conference standings - a win would have set the stage for the team to finish the regular season with roughly eight or nine league wins.

The team only trailed West Virginia, TCU, and Cincinnati by a singular game going into Saturday - now they trail all three by two games apiece. Beyond that, the team fell behind Colorado in the standings after the Buffaloes took down Oklahoma State to move to 5-9 in their own right.

There's still time for ASU to right the ship and get into a more optimal position in the league standings, but wins over TCU/Utah are integral to those hopes.

NCAA Tournament Hopes Once Again Halted

The potential for Arizona State to be a late riser on the NCAA tournament bubble rose greatly with the win over Texas Tech, as there were three games directly ahead of them on the schedule that were clearly winnable.

The loss to Baylor not only halts momentum in the Big 12 standings, it also prevented the Sun Devils from continuing to add wins to their total in an ultimate goal to be an at-large selection to the tournament.

The consensus tends to point towards 18 or 19 wins being the benchmark for Arizona State to reach to get into the 68-team field - the loss to Baylor means that the Sun Devils need to defeat TCU and Utah in the next week without question. Beyond this, the likelihood is that ASU must take down either Kansas or Iowa State over the final two games of the regular season. Lastly, Bobby Hurley's team will probably need to earn at least one victory in the Big 12 tournament in Kansas City - if not multiple

It's safe to say that time isn't on Arizona State's side.

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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