What Arizona State Should Learn From Rival's Final Four Run

The Sun Devils have a chance to approximate what Arizona was able to accomplish this season down the line.

Jan 31, 2026; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats forward Ivan Kharchenkov (8) against Arizona State Sun Devils guard Anthony Johnson (2) at Desert Financial Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

TEMPE -- Save for losing seniors and players that are draft-bound, the worst thing a college basketball program must endure once their season ends is the elongated seven-plus month wait before the next season - Arizona State is facing that full-blast at the moment.

While Arizona State's 17-16 campaign in the 2025-26 season exceeded expectations, but they now face the dreaded wait under a new head coach - all while their bitter rival in Arizona remains in the fold to win a national title.

Mar 11, 2026; Kansas City, MO, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils guard Noah Meeusen (15) drives to the basket around Iowa State Cyclones forward Milan Momcilovic (22) during the second half at T-Mobile Center. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images | William Purnell-Imagn Images

To Arizona State's credit, they did battle in an admirable manner in both meeting against the Wildcats this season - they were in a one-possession game with one minute left in the contest in Tucson, while they remained competitive in the return game held in Tempe until the very final stretch.

Arizona State on SI takes a look at two different lessons that the Sun Devils can learn from Arizona's final four berth below.

Wildcats are Built on Balance - But Don't Ignore Bigs

There's little doubt that Arizona's biggest strength lies in their backcourt - this is the first thing that Randy Bennett will undoubtedly look towards when constructing the 2026-27 roster.

While Massamba Diop was special in his role as the starting center, there was finite depth behind him at the five - foul trouble often spelled trouble for Bobby Hurley when looking to put out a balanced five-man rotation in those instances.

ASU Sun Devils center Massamba Diop (35) dunks the ball against the Kansas Jayhawks at Desert Financial Arena in Tempe on March 3, 2026. | Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Arizona's sheer volume of impact players on the four/five line is an undeniable driving force behind the dominance that they have displayed throughout the tournament - ASU must build a deeper back-line to hang with the elite of the Big 12 and to reach the NCAA tournament once again.

That isn't where it ends, as Tommy Lloyd finds numerous ways to craft a winning roster, including in scouring the international market (credited with discovering players such as Rui Hachimura), while also recruiting local Arizona talent with persistence.

Mar 7, 2026; Ames, Iowa, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils guard Noah Meeusen (15) shoots the ball against the Iowa State Cyclones during the second half at James H. Hilton Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images | Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

Bennett's ability to identify and bring in international talent has been noted as well, which already brings Arizona State one step closer to being where they would like to be - ultimately they don't possess the resources that the Wildcats do at the moment, but it doesn't mean that the principles displayed by Lloyd cannot be approximated by a great coach that finally made the jump to power-league basketball after decades of success at the mid-major level.