Arizona State Starter Fuels Reignited NCAA Tournament Hopes

The Sun Devils have an opportunity to flip the script over the final four weeks of the regular season.

Jan 10, 2026; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils forward Santiago Trouet (1) with guard Maurice Odum (5) against the Kansas State Wildcats in the first half at Desert Financial Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

TEMPE -- Is there a renewed hope for the Arizona State basketball program over the rest of the 2025-26 season?

The Sun Devils' 85-76 win over Oklahoma State on Tuesday night boosted their season record to 13-12 and has gifted hope that a late-season surge will happen - at least according to a key starter on the team.

Arizona State forward Santiago Trouet sounded relatively confident about the team's chances to make a late-season run when asked about the next matchup against Texas Tech on February 17.

Jan 24, 2026; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Cincinnati Bearcats forward Baba Miller (18) drives to the basket against Arizona State Sun Devils forward Santiago Trouet (1) in the first half at Desert Financial Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

"I think it's a great game to jump up in the conference, and it would be a great upset for March Madness."

This soundbite begs the question around what is the true viability of Arizona State making a run to their first NCAA tournament appearance since the 2022-23 season.

Feb 7, 2026; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes forward Bangot Dak (8) fouls Arizona State Sun Devils center Massamba Diop (35) in the first half at the CU Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Arizona State's Tournament Chances Still Slim

The win lent potential to turn the season around, but the ultimate goal of reaching the tournament looks bleak at the surface.

Popular metric site TeamRankings gives Arizona State just a 3% chance to reach the 68-team field, with a 12 seed being the most likely outcome out of that distribution.

The Sun Devils are only favored to win one more game over the remainder of the regular season - they are gifted a 73.3% chance to take down Utah on February 28.

Wins over TCU and Baylor feel attainable in compliment to the likely victory over Utah, while an upset over one of Texas Tech/Kansas/Iowa State is going to be necessary in a late-season surge. Conference tournament wins will also be necessary - although how many would be up for debate in a best-case scenario.

Will Potential Reinforcements Help ASU?

Guard Bryce Ford only played in seven minutes in the win on Tuesday, with head coach Bobby Hurley alluding to a connective issue in the lower-body flaring up. The hope is that having a week off will give the junior enough runway to recover enough for the upcoming game against Texas Tech.

Forward Marcus Adams Jr. has been out since the loss to Colorado on January 3 due to an undisclosed injury. Hurley has been forced to put forward a condensed rotation in response and it doesn't appear as if the sophomore is any closer to a return.

The Sun Devils would certainly benefit from an Adams return, although it might be challenging to figure out where the floor-spacer fits in terms of different rotations and within the context of the offense as currently constructed.

Jan 3, 2026; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils forward Allen Mukeba (23), guard Maurice Odum (5) and forward Marcus Adams Jr. (8) against the Colorado Buffaloes at Desert Financial Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-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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