Naming 3 Key Arizona State Players Ahead of Kansas State Battle
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TEMPE -- The Arizona State Sun Devils men's basketball program is seeking to snap a four-game losing streak that began with a defeat at the hands of former Pac-12 foe UCLA on December 17.
Bobby Hurley's squad has battled with significant injuries and a stretch of games in which the roster hasn't shot the ball well - after beginning the season as one of the best three-point shooting teams in the Big 12.
Arizona State on SI names three players that must step up in a marked fashion to ensure the losing streak ends against Kansas State on Saturday afternoon.
Noah Meeusen
Meeusen is a sophomore out of Belgium that went into the season with lofty expectations surrounding him. His time as a collegiate athlete was delayed until two weeks into the season due to an ankle injury suffered in the week leading up into the opener.
Meeusen took some time to ease into the lineup, with a seven game stretch from November 25 until December 21 in which the combo guard made an obvious positive impact in - although he has shot a combined 1-14 from the field in the first two games of league play.
The 6'5" talent needs to deliver in a major way on Saturday after averaging 29 minutes of action in those two games - especially on the offensive side of the ball.
Anthony "Pig" Johnson
Johnson is coming off of his least efficient scoring performance of the season on Wednesday against BYU - taking 21 shots to reach 24 points.
One thing is for certain with the senior - he is a bolt of energy whether he is starting or coming off of the bench.
The former star at NAIA University of the Cumberlands plays incredibly hard on the defensive side of the ball, is unafraid to make the extra pass with the ball in his hands, and has the consistent ability to score the ball in a myriad of ways - including by getting to the free throw line.
Andrija Grbovic
Grbovic has come off of the bench over the last two games due to recovering from an illness - the Montenegro native has become one of the steadiest floor-spacers on the roster, shooting 12-28 from three-point range since the December 6 win over Oklahoma.
The talented 6'11" forward absolutely has the ability to be an impact player in this game - especially against a Kansas State roster that is relatively small.
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.
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Kevin Hicks is an Arizona State alumni and now serves as the Arizona State Beat Writer On SI.