Gonzaga vs. Arizona State: Analysis, prediction for college basketball matchup

Coming off a pair of impressive wins over power conference constituents, Gonzaga eyes a third for its résumé as it heads south for a matchup with Big 12 participant Arizona State.

Friday's 8 p.m. (PST) contest in the desert serves as the return game of a home-and-home series that the two schools agreed upon ahead of last season. The Bulldogs came away with an 88-80 victory in the first meeting in Spokane last November.

Heading into round two between the Zags (2-0) and Sun Devils (2-0), Gonzaga Bulldogs on SI caught up with Arizona State Sun Devils On SI beat writer Kevin Hicks for some added perspective on Friday's tilt.

Hicks broke down Arizona State's expectations for the season, the perception surrounding Bobby Hurley, the Sun Devils' new-look roster and much more.

What will be key for Arizona State — coming off a 13-20 season and picked to finish last in the Big 12 in 2025-26 — remaining competitive in the Big 12 this season?

"The key to remain competitive is truthfully taking it game-by-game, as cliché as it sounds. The Sun Devils are going to face a gauntlet including Houston, Texas Tech, BYU, Arizona, and others. Although the talent is better than advertised, it will be difficult to stack victories against national title contenders. They need to pick up wins against squads such as Colorado, Utah, UCF, and Oklahoma State to be in position to surprise people."

How do Arizona State fans perceive Bobby Hurley at this stage of his coaching tenure?

"The perception of Hurley has turned for the worse in general over the last year. His fault or not, the 2024-25 team collapsed after a promising start, and many who defended him for a lengthy period of time began to believe that there are limitations to the program under the CBB legend."

Arizona State Sun Devils coach Bobby Hurley. | Photo by Erik Smith, Myk Crawford

"However, Hurley always does his best work when his back is against the wall, so he absolutely should not be counted out."

What’s stood out about the Sun Devils’ new-look roster through two games?

"The connectivity of the offense has truly been impressive. This is despite guards Noah Meeusen/Adante Holiman having yet to play and wing Vijay Wallace being out for the year."

"There is intention with the vast majority of offensive positions; the international players have adapted to the NCAA game quite abruptly, and the decision to go after many three-point marksmen has appeared to be a wise decision."

The Massamba Diop-Santiago Trouet frontcourt tandem shone in the win over Utah Tech. What sort of challenges do they pose to Gonzaga’s front line of Graham Ike and Braden Huff?

"Diop is similar to Ike in many ways in that he doesn’t necessarily have the skillset of a ‘traditional’ big. He has shown the ability to handle the ball, has knocked down three-point looks, and has shown an incredible motor in transition."

Arizona State Sun Devils Santiago Trouet (1). | Diannie Chavez/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"Trouet is more of a tweener forward and has the ability to space out the floor, but keep an eye out for Allen Mukeba to be a better matchup physically speaking for the Zags to start the game."

Pepperdine transfer Moe Odom is an opposing player Gonzaga is familiar with from their WCC battles. What’s been your early impression of him so far in Sun Devils threads?

"Odum has been incredible. One of the shortcomings of recent Arizona State rosters is that the program has lacked a true ‘floor general’ who also had the ability to be a knockdown shooter. Odum’s leadership/calming presence, ability to seamlessly switch between different paces, and overall craftiness have made him a revelation to this point.

"It’s also noteworthy that he is one of the better players in the nation at generating steals — especially against a squad in Gonzaga that is typically as disciplined as anyone else."

Who’s a potential X-factor for Arizona State going into Friday’s game?

"Keep an eye on Marcus Adams Jr. in this game. The former four-star recruit spent time at Kansas as well as the Zags before stepping aside due to off-court developments."

Arizona State Sun Devils Marcus Adams Jr. (8). | Diannie Chavez/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"Adams averaged 16 PPG on 39.5% from behind the arc last year at Cal-State Northridge and should become a key cog in the rotation, but an offseason injury has had him working to get his legs under him in the first two games. A breakout game would be very welcome."

What will the final score be and why do you think so?

"Gonzaga 90, ASU 78. The Desert Financial Arena crowd should be lively for this game, and players such as Anthony ‘Pig’ Johnson are more ready to challenge high-profile teams than many realize, but Gonzaga’s firepower will be tough to overcome — especially with the mistakes that the team has made across the first two games."