Arizona State Remains on Outside of NCAA Tournament Projections

ASU will have several opportunities to boost their case in the next three weeks.

Feb 7, 2026; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils head coach Bobby Hurley calls out in the second half against the Colorado Buffaloes at the CU Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

TEMPE --Bobby Hurley's Arizona State Sun Devils (14-13, 5-9 Big 12) are entering the final four games of the 2025-26 regular season over the next week-plus, with the first of those games coming on Tuesday night against the TCU Horned Frogs.

The Sun Devils went into the game being widely considered on the outskirts of the NCAA tournament bubble, with David Cobb of CBS Sports naming the team as part of the "next four out" as of Monday, while ESPN's Joe Lunardi is still holding ASU out of the picture entirely, although nothing is final as of this moment.

Arizona State on SI continues the trend of discussing what the Sun Devils must do to find themselves on the right side of the bubble moving into the final stages of the season below.

Arizona State guard Moe Odum (5) looks over at the officials during a game against Cincinnati at Desert Financial Arena in Tempe, Ariz., on Jan. 24, 2026. | Patrick Breen/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Arizona State's Path to Tournament Consideration

The clearest part of the equation is that Arizona State must win the next two games in the days that lie ahead - tonight against TCU on the road (would qualify as quadrant one victory) and on Saturday against Utah, which would prevent the Sun Devils from picking up another bad loss that would compound with Oregon State.

Things get complicated beyond this proposition, as one would figure that ASU would need to defeat one of Kansas or Iowa State to both add another quality victory to their profile and to pad their overall win total.

The Big 12 tournament will dictate many things beyond the final two regular season games, as the seed in which Arizona State is slotted will matter heavily in a number of ways - most importantly of which is the matchups that they will draw in Kansas City.

What Challenges do TCU Present to ASU?

TCU is a quality basketball team - there's no way to debate the contrary despite the Horned Frogs suffering a few questionable losses.

Jamie Dixon's team has embraced an identity that is built around constant ball pressure, physicality in the lane, and a knack to create chaos in late-game situations. One of the biggest challenges that face Arizona State is TCU guard Brock Harding, who averages nearly two steals per game - the Sun Devils must take care of the ball in key situations during what is sure to be a tightly contested game.

The other major challenge is the all-around value that forward David Punch brings to the table, as the sophomore leads TCU in scoring, rebounding, and blocks.

Feb 4, 2026; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils head coach Bobby Hurley reacts after a play against the Utah Utes during the first half at Jon M. Huntsman Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | Rob Gray-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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