Previewing Houston’s Matchup With Arizona State

Following a blowout win for the Cougars against the Mountaineers and a loss to the Wildcats for the Sun Devils, a Sunday afternoon showdown showcases two teams hungry for a win.

Feb 18, 2025; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Houston Cougars forward J'Wan Roberts (13) celebrates a basket against Arizona State Sun Devils center Shawn Phillips Jr. (9) during the first half at Desert Financial Arena. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images | Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

No one in the Big 12 has figured out how to defeat No. 7 Houston. Can Arizona State do so this weekend on the road?

It’s going to be extremely tough as a 10-6 team that is 1-2 in conference play, but any given Sunday, a team can win.

Going into Sunday afternoon’s game, the Sun Devils are not favored to win, as ESPN Analytics gives the Cougars a 97 percent chance to win, which says how much respect there is for coach Kelvin Sampson’s program.

For coach Bobby Hurley’s program, they’ll have to figure out a way to get the offense going because Houston’s defense does not give up a ton of points.

The last time Arizona State played Houston, it was the first time the two teams had ever met in basketball, and it wasn’t even close. Houston ran away with an 80-55 win on the road, so does that happen again?

Sun Devils vs Cougars Preview

16-1 overall
4-0 in @Big12Conference

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This is going to be an interesting contest between a strong and physical defense and an offense that knows how to score. Numbers might indicate it could be one-sided, but the Cougars are in for another rough test, regardless of how the last four conference games have looked.

As an offense, Houston is not in the top 50 in scoring as of Monday, but there are plenty of playmakers who are the reason they are where they are now. In other departments, there are a ton of positives that help them stay in games. A couple of categories Houston has excelled in include scoring defense (No. 2), turnover margin (No. 3), scoring margin (No. 20), field goal percentage defense (No. 23), turnovers forced (No. 27), and steals (No. 51).

For Arizona State, they are No. 27 in free throws made per game, No. 63 in turnovers forced,  No. 67 in turnover margin, No. 69 in blocks per game, and No. 80 in free throw percentage. If these numbers are any indication of what’s ahead, it could be anyone's game despite the offensive numbers not off the charts.

From the field, the Cougars are 44.2 percent, 33.4 percent from three, and 75.6 percent from the free throw line. For the Sun Devils, they are 32.9 percent from deep, 75 percent from the charity stripe, and 45.7 percent from the field. Defensively, the Cougars are averaging 8.8 steals and 3.9 blocks per game, while the Sun Devils are averaging 7.4 steals and 4.4 blocks per game, so there are many similarities and differences between the two squads.

Players To Watch

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Arizona State has six guards, five forwards, and one center. Of the 12 players listed, the three guards that are going to have a big night include Maurice Odum, Anthony Johnson, and Bryce Ford. Two other forwards who make a lot of noise inside include Santiago Trouet and Allen Mukeba.

For Houston, the roster lists seven guards, four forwards, and two centers. Among the 13 players, standing out in the guard group are Emanuel Sharp, Kingston Flemings, and Milos Uzan, who make a great trio. Two forwards to keep an eye out for include Joseph Tugler and Chris Cenac Jr.

The Sun Devils and Cougars will square off at the Fertitta Center on Sunday, January 18, at 5:30 p.m., with the game televised on ESPN.