Arizona State Must Wait to Discover Tournament Fate After Loss

The Sun Devils fell in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 tournament in Kansas City.

Mar 6, 2026; Kansas City, MO, USA; Arizona State guard Marley Washenitz (11) brings the ball up court against West Virginia during the second half at T-Mobile Center. Mandatory Credit: Nick Tre. Smith-Imagn Images | Nick Tre. Smith-Imagn Images

TEMPE -- Molly Miller's Arizona State Sun Devils (24-10, 9-9 Big 12) now must wait over one week to discover their ultimate NCAA tournament fate after falling to the #15 West Virginia Mountaineers in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 tournament in Kansas City on Friday night.

The Sun Devils entered the tournament as the 10 seed after falling short in their final game of the regular season - defeating Arizona and Iowa State in the first two contests of the yearly event.

Mar 6, 2026; Kansas City, MO, USA; Arizona State head coach Molly Miller reacts to a play against West Virginia during the first half at T-Mobile Center. Mandatory Credit: Nick Tre. Smith-Imagn Images | Nick Tre. Smith-Imagn Images

Arizona State went into Friday morning considered to be firmly on the bubble, but two teams directly ahead in Charlie Creme's projections, which may ultimately aid in their case ahead of next Sunday.

Sun Devils Unable to Muster Enough Offense Late

Arizona State played West Virginia very competitively in the first quarter, third quarter, and half of the final frame.

There was one point in the second period that West Virginia held a lead of just two points prior to an 11-0 run that stretched the advantage to 34-21. Arizona State managed to bring the deficit down to nine points and managed to stay in the game throughout the duration of the third quarter.

Mar 6, 2026; Kansas City, MO, USA; Arizona State guard Last-Tear Poa (13) passes the ball against West Virginia during the second half at T-Mobile Center. Mandatory Credit: Nick Tre. Smith-Imagn Images | Nick Tre. Smith-Imagn Images

Marley Washenitz was the lead catalyst of ASU's offense during the game - hitting a three-point look to bring the score to 50-52 with 8:05 remaining in the game after a flurry from the offense.

The Arizona State offense ultimately didn't muster enough after the shot to earn the win - now the next week-plus will be a grueling wait to discover their ultimate fate.

What Lies Ahead for ASU?

As mentioned above, Arizona State is currently on the outside looking in according to the most sourced bracketology expert. However, BYU's unceremonious loss to TCU, Nebraska's loss to Indiana, and the potential for Richmond to fall short of the automatic bid should help the team in the pursuit to reach their first 68-team field since the 2018-19 season.

Arizona State's case is fairly straightforward - they possess passable metrics, only have two "bad" losses, and have generally passed the eye-test in big moments. Miller's team is worthy of being selected as a 24-win member of one of the best conferences in college basketball. Now, selection Sunday is over a week away - the ultimate decision that is made will not dim what Miller was able to do with a program that has struggled for much of the decade.

Mar 6, 2026; Kansas City, MO, USA; West Virginia guard Sydney Woodley (2) defends against Arizona State guard Jyah Lovett (4) during the first half at T-Mobile Center. Mandatory Credit: Nick Tre. Smith-Imagn Images | Nick Tre. Smith-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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