Where Does Arizona State Stand in Opening NET Rating Reveal?

The Sun Devils are ranked lower than one would have expected at the beginning of December.

Nov 26, 2025; Lahaina, HI, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils head coach Bobby Hurley reacts to play as his team takes on the USC Trojans during the first half of the championship match at Lahaina Civic Center. Mandatory Credit: Marco Garcia-Imagn Images | Marco Garcia-Imagn Images

TEMPE -- The Arizona State men's basketball program entered the 2025-26 season with tempered expectations after a 13-20 mark the season prior.

Head coach Bobby Hurley was tasked with constructing a roster that had the ability to compete in an incredibly challenging Big 12 - the group that was assembled wasn't thought of in an incredibly bright light heading into the season, as coaches and media alike voted the Sun Devils to finish last in the league.

The opening month of the season yielded better-than-expected results, as this iteration of the program sits at 6-2, with an impressive victory over Texas included in the run to this point.

Exceeding expectations hasn't reflected positively in certain avenues of the basketball world, particularly in the initial NCAA NET rankings that were unveiled on Monday morning - which slot the Sun Devils in at the 100th best team in the nation.

They effectively fit in as the 13th best team in the Big 12 at the moment - only above West Virginia, Cincinnati, and Utah.

While they aren't in an ideal spot at this stage of the season, there is much time to atone for the current shortcomings in the months to come - ASU on SI takes a look at a brief explanation of the NET rankings and discusses the best opportunities to improve their resume moving forward below.

Nov 26, 2025; Lahaina, HI, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils guard Moe Odum (5) tries to get around the USC Trojans defense during the first half of the championship match at Lahaina Civic Center. Mandatory Credit: Marco Garcia-Imagn Images | Marco Garcia-Imagn Images

Explanation of NET

This is the clearest, most concise explanation of how the rankings are calculated - directly from the NCAA.

"The NET includes more components than just winning percentage. It takes into account game results, strength of schedule, game location, net offensive and defensive efficiency, and the quality of wins and losses."

The Sun Devils' performances in wins such as Georgia State and Washington State likely are playing a factor in the lower-than-expected ranking - however, there are numerous opportunities to take a jump in the months ahead as previously mentioned.

What Opportunities do Arizona State Have to Climb in NET Rankings?

The Sun Devils have the opportunity to pick up a pair of quadrant two victories against Oklahoma and UCLA in the coming weeks - as well as a quadrant one opportunity in a neutral court battle against the 32nd-ranked Santa Clara Broncos.

As far as Big 12 play is concerned, virtually every game the Sun Devils play will be considered an opportunity to pick up a positive victory as far as the NET rankings are concerned today. The only contests that they would need to win to avoid a catastrophic loss are the singular home games against West Virginia and Cincinnati, as well as the pair of games against Utah, who is ranked 175 at this juncture.

ASU Sun Devils center Massamba Diop (35) sits on the bench before their game against the Georgia State Panthers at Desert Financial Arena on Nov. 17, 2025. | Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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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