Revisiting Arizona State's Path to Maui Championship
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TEMPE -- A massive week is ahead for Bobby Hurley's Arizona State Sun Devils.
The Sun Devils have started the 2025-26 campaign off with a 3-1 record that has been backed up by better-than-expected play - including a competitive loss to a powerhouse program in Gonzaga.
Another major test is upon Arizona State in the upcoming days, as the team is set to participate in the Maui Invitational tournament after a battle with the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors on Thursday night.
Arizona State on SI breaks down the path to a title-winning effort from Hurley's squad in Maui below.
Monday: Texas
Texas is set to be the second massive test of the season for the Sun Devils.
The Longhorns - coached by former Arizona head man Sean Miller - are an incredibly balanced offense that average 84 points per contest behind nine players that average at least six points per contest. They are paced by guard Dailyn Swain - who averages 15.2 PPG, and center Matas Vokietaitis, who is posting averages of 16 PPG and 7.2 RPG thus far.
The SEC foe will be a real test for Arizona State, but this game is winnable at the surface.
Tuesday: Chaminade/Washington State
Arizona State is guaranteed to play one of these two teams in the next round - it can be assumed that they will face Washington State with a win.
The Cougars - a former Pac-12 foe of the Sun Devils - sit at 2-3 on the season, including a loss to Idaho, although they did bounce back with a decisive 98-74 win over a common opponent in Southern Utah.
Arizona State would be very likely to be favored in either matchup in day two of the tournament.
Wednesday: TBD
A victory on Tuesday would trigger a championship game battle with four potential opponents - USC, NC State, Boise State, and Seton Hall.
The USC matchup is incredibly intriguing, as they are another former conference foe and appear to be remade in year two of the Eric Musselman era.
NC State would likely be the optimal matchup for a win that would move the needle in the scope of a season resume, as the Wolfpack are the lone team in the bracket that is currently slotted inside of the top 25. First-year head coach Will Wade has built an incredibly well-rounded team in mere months.
Regardless of where the road takes the Sun Devils in the next week, they have played well enough to have a realistic shot of winning one of the highest-profile holiday tournaments in college basketball.
Read more on why the Arizona State men's basketball team will exceed expectations in the 2025-26 season here, and on how the culture that has been cultivated by coach Dillingham showed up against West Virginia here.
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Kevin Hicks is an Arizona State alumni and now serves as the Arizona State Beat Writer On SI.