Arizona State Sees Bump in Key Metrics After Major Conference Victory

The Sun Devils may have renewed hope moving into the home stretch of the 2025-26 season.

Jan 24, 2026; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils guard Maurice Odum (5) celebrates with teammates Anthony Johnson (2) and Bryce Ford (4) against the Cincinnati Bearcats in the second half at Desert Financial Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

TEMPE -- Arizona State's 2025-26 basketball season appeared to be on the brink of collapse following the 75-63 loss to West Virginia on January 21.

Head coach Bobby Hurley lamented that he was out of answers, the team continued a spiral of losing that began with a loss to UCLA on December 17, and fans appeared to be demoralized to the highest degree.

The Sun Devils' 82-68 triumph over Cincinnati on Saturday night potentially revived a season that seemed to be going to the wayside - while the Bearcats aren't an exceptionally strong team, they had been performing better since the onset of Big 12 play.

Arizona State on SI examines how the victory impacted the perception of the squad via two key metrics in the sport.

Jan 24, 2026; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils forward Andrija Grbovic (14) celebrates a shot against the Cincinnati Bearcats in the second half at Desert Financial Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

NCAA NET: 88

Arizona State went into Saturday ranked 93rd in the measure that the NCAA tournament selection committee utilizes to both select and seed participants in March.

The ranking of 88 boosts the Sun Devils from a previous pole position of 15th in the conference to 14th, as they jumped Kansas State with the win.

The Sun Devils remain several spots below Colorado and Cincinnati, although an upcoming game against the former has potential to boost ASU's standing. The future performance of teams the Sun Devils defeated such as Texas, Oklahoma, and Santa Clara is vital as well.

Jan 24, 2026; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils center Massamba Diop (35) blocks the shot of Cincinnati Bearcats center Moustapha Thiam (52) in the second half at Desert Financial Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The lowest ranked team in NET to ever make an NCAA tournament was the 2021-22 Rutgers squad, who was ranked 78th at the time of their selection.

KenPom: 83

KenPom is a metric that remains highly commended amongst the college basketball community, particularly due to the focus on metrics that reflect in both offensive and defensive ratings factoring into a team's positioning.

Arizona State's offense has been a stalwart of competitiveness the squad has exhibited this season, as it ranks 65th in the nation according to the metric. Point guard Moe Odum, center Massamba Diop, and combo guard Anthony Johnson have all contributed to the offense putting forward what have generally been respectable efforts.

Jan 24, 2026; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils guard Maurice Odum (5) passes the ball against the Cincinnati Bearcats in the second half at Desert Financial Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The defense has been a bit more of a question, which is reflected in their ranking of 136 despite a strong effort on Saturday night that ended with holding Cincinnati to just 68 points.

Arizona State's trek into Big 12 play is set to continue on Tuesday, when Hurley's team travels to Orlando to take on the UCF Knights in what is another crucial conference battle.

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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