Why the Houston Cougars Are on Upset-Alert vs Arizona State

Based on some recent performances, the Cougars need to be on alert vs the Sun Devils on Sunday.

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

After dominating the West Virginia Mountaineers by a score of 77-48 on Tuesday, the Houston Cougars are looking to stay undefeated in Big 12 conference play with a win over the Arizona State Sun Devils.

The Sun Devils, who have struggled during conference play, are looking to right some of their wrongs with an upset-win over the Cougars. Before matching up against their fellow Big 12 programs, Arizona State had been competitive in nearly every one of its out-of-conference games.

Earlier this week, head coach Bobby Hurley's squad finally seemed to show what they were capable of on the court. The Sun Devils not only led the No. 1-ranked Arizona at halftime, but they also had the Wildcats on the ropes for a large portion of the second half. It took a late resurgence on offense from Arizona to finally put away a scrappy Arizona State team.

A Dynamic Duo on Offense for the Sun Devils

Jan 10, 2026; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils center Massamba Diop (35) celebrates a play 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

As is the case with every team in the country, there are keys to slowing down the Sun Devils. This season, Arizona State's production on offense has been led by senior guard Maurice Odum and freshman center Massamba Diop. Odum has been a focal point in the Sun Devils' ability to score with nearly 17 points per game, while Diop has been a force in the paint with 14.7 points and 5.6 rebounds per game.

Maurice Odum goes for 2️⃣1️⃣

Highlights vs. Kansas State 🎥#Big12MBB | @SunDevilHoops pic.twitter.com/6cedvWGQdz

— Big 12 Studios (@big12studios) January 10, 2026

If the Cougars are going to move to 17-1, stopping Arizona State's dynamic duo comes first. While Houston needs to be aware of senior guard Anthony Johnson, he only tallied four points in what turned out to be a shootout against the Wildcats. If the Cougars can find a way to shut down just one of the more consistent scorers for the Sun Devils, it should propel them to their 11th-straight win.

Motivation Meets Consistency in Houston

ASU Sun Devils head coach Bobby Hurley yells out to his team as they play the Oklahoma Sooners at Mortgage Matchup Center on Dec. 6, 2025, in Phoenix, Arizona. | Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

It's safe to say that Arizona State will be hungry for a win on Sunday. Combine their slow start to conference play with the fact that they just lost to their in-state rival, and you get a storm of motivation headed directly for Houston. While it doesn't necessarily show up on the stat sheet, I'm a real believer in upsets when there are other motivators at play.

The Cougars, on the other hand, have experienced an extremely different season up to this point. While head coach Kelvin Sampson's squad might not be leading any of the major statistical categories in college basketball, Houston's defense seems to perform at a high level every week. In fact, with freshmen Chris Cenac Jr. and Kingston Flemings getting more experience against Big 12 competition, they seem to be getting better as the season goes on.