All Sun Devils

Social Media Reacts to Arizona State's Rivalry Game vs. Arizona

The Sun Devils put up a spirited effort on Wednesday night against the top team in the country.
Kevin Hicks|
Jan 14, 2026; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats head coach Tommy Lloyd shakes the hand of Arizona State Sun Devils head coach Bobby Hurley before the start of the game at McKale Memorial Center. Mandatory Credit: Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images
Jan 14, 2026; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats head coach Tommy Lloyd shakes the hand of Arizona State Sun Devils head coach Bobby Hurley before the start of the game at McKale Memorial Center. Mandatory Credit: Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images | Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images

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Arizona State Sun Devils

TEMPE -- The Arizona State Sun Devils (10-7, 1-3 Big 12) fell to the number one ranked Arizona Wildcats on Wednesday night in Tucson in what was a spirited contest in an 89-82 loss.

The Sun Devils came into the game off of an 87-84 victory over Kansas state, while Arizona continued their undefeated effort to begin the season with a dominant win over TCU on Saturday.

Arizona State on SI breaks down key social media topics from during the game below.

Key Arizona State Player Returns

Arizona State junior guard Bryce Ford make a triumphant return to the lineup after two games of being absent due to an injury that had lingered for around a month following suffering it on a December 9 win over Northern Arizona.

Ford made his impact felt in this game, as he hit a three-point look in the final minute of the half to give the Sun Devils a 39-36 lead, and also threw down an emphatic dunk in the second half.

Game Gets off to Chippy Start

The game got off to an even start, with Arizona State rallying behind cautious ball movement, aggressive defense, and timely shot-making during the first ten minutes of the opening half.

Things escalated at the 9:44 mark of the half when Arizona State F Allen Mukeba fouled Arizona freshman Koa Peat when driving to the hoop. This created an exchange in which both sides started yelling at one another - this resulted in a technical foul on both Mukeba and Arizona's Brayden Burries.

Peat playing against Arizona State for the first time after committing to play for Arizona last March - this capped off a years-long recruiting battle that reportedly went down to the wire for both schools. This certainly played a much bigger role storyline-wise than many on the outside would assume.

Massamba Diop Continues to Rise to Stardom

Diop is taking the nation by storm - he has been one of the best bigs in the entire nation over the last month-plus, not just in the Big 12.

Diop extended his double-digit scoring streak to eight games with 16 points, and looked incredibly collected against an Arizona team that has dominated nearly every competitor this season.

Diop's fluid movement, strong rim protection presence, soft shooting touch, and ability to connect an offense has caught the attention of an expansive collective of basketball fans, including the NBA scouting world.

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
KEVIN HICKS

Kevin Hicks is an Arizona State alumni and now serves as the Arizona State Beat Writer On SI.