Arizona State Seeking to Climb up Big 12 Power Rankings

The Sun Devils are entering their final eight games of the season - where do they stand at the moment?

Jan 31, 2026; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils guard Anthony Johnson (2) against the Arizona Wildcats at Desert Financial Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

TEMPE -- Bobby Hurley's Arizona State Sun Devils are entering the final month of their 2025-26 season, as the squad faces eight more games prior to the onset of the Big 12 tournament in Kansas City, Missouri.

The Sun Devils currently stand at 11-11 behind unfortunate health developments and a challenging stretch to begin conference play - they still don't sit at the very bottom of the conference despite this.

Follow Arizona State on SI's Big 12 power rankings going into the home stretch of the campaign below.

Arizona State head coach Bobby Hurley argues with an official during a game against Arizona at Desert Financial Arena in Tempe, on Jan. 31, 2026. | Patrick Breen/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

16. Kansas State Wildcats

The Wildcats have struggled mightily this season under Jerome Tang, as their only victory in Big 12 play came over Utah. P.J. Haggerty remains one of the better players in the conference, but the team hasn't been consistent in response.

15. Utah Utes

Utah is led by a dynamic guard duo in Terrence Brown and Don McHenry, but are heavily reliant on the duo rather than a roster built on depth.

14. Cincinnati Bearcats

Cincinnati has won a trio of games within the league - including taking down Iowa State - but remain one of the least metric-friendly teams in the conference.

13. Arizona State

The Sun Devils have potential to rise up the ranks here, but a confined eight-man rotation - as well as a challenging start to play in the conference - have contributed to the 2-7 start over the past month.

Jan 31, 2026; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils center Massamba Diop (35) goes up for a dunk against Arizona Wildcats center Motiejus Krivas at Desert Financial Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

12. Baylor Bears

Baylor has been the biggest disappointment in Big 12 play thus far, although Cameron Carr and Tounde Yessoufou allow the Bears to have a higher ceiling compared to other squads in this range.

11. Colorado Buffaloes

The Buffaloes are coming off of a near 30-point win over TCU, but could arguably be placed lower after escaping a six-game losing streak

10. TCU Horned Frogs

TCU has potential to work their way back into the bubble, but have suffered some less-than-ideal losses over the last two weeks.

9. Oklahoma State Cowboys

Jan 31, 2026; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Oklahoma State Cowboys guard Kanye Clary (1) looks for the play against Utah Utes guard Terrence Brown (2) during the second half at Jon M. Huntsman Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

The Cowboys are seen as a bubble team as far as the tournament picture is concerned - they will visit Tempe next Tuesday.

8. West Virginia Mountaineers

Ross Hodge deserves credit for turning an uncertain situation into one with real direction as the Mountaineers continue to navigate the post Bob Huggins era.

Johnny Dawkins has done a phenomenal job this season for what is the most significant pleasant surprise in the conference this year.

6. BYU Cougars

BYU has as high of a ceiling as any other squad in the conference, but recent games have shown that they are too reliant on the trio of AJ Dybantsa, Rob Wright III, and Richie Saunders at times.

5. Texas Tech Red Raiders

The Red Raiders look the part of a contender once again under Grant McCasland and are led by J.T. Toppin, who is in contention for national awards this season.

4. Kansas Jayhawks

Kansas has recently re-emerged as a legitamate threat behind freshman phenom Darryn Peterson's efforts, while other emerging stars such as Bryson Tiller aid in those efforts. The Jayhawks travel to Tempe to play Arizona State on March 3.

3. Iowa State Cyclones

Iowa State's most challenging stretch is ahead of them, although T.J. Otzelberger's squad has largely dominated in Big 12 play, while also earning wins over St. John's and Purdue in the process.

Houston is seemingly a popular pick to win it all on a yearly basis at this point. the Cougars sit at 19-2, boast an offense led by PG Kingston Flemings that possesses a higher ceiling compared to previous years, and continue to exert elite defense in the process.

1. Arizona Wildcats

Arizona is one of two remaining undefeated teams in division one basketball, standing at 22-0. They have won six games against ranked competition, are one of the most dominant teams on the interior, and don't appear to be slowing down anytime soon.

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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