Rivalry Renewed: Men's Basketball faces UCLA in Pauley Pavilion

How to follow
Sun Devil Men’s Basketball will make their season debut on Fox Sports 1 on Wednesday when they take on UCLA at Pauley Pavilion. The game is scheduled for a 8:30 p.m. MST tip-off with versatile play-by-play ace Jason Benetti and 2017 Sports Brodcast Hall of Fame inductee Bill Raftery on the call. Make sure to listen to Tim Healey and Kyle Dodd on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM (KMVP). The action can also be tracked via live stats.

Quotable
“We are a family as a staff. This is not my show. We work together and do this collectively. To see him have that moment and to lead us the way he did was so impressive. It was one of the better wins that I have had, and I wasn’t even a part of it. That is because of what Nick Irvin means to me and what my staff and players did in that second half.” - Coach Hurley on Nick Irvin taking over in the second half.

Nick Irvin with TNT Postgame after Santa Clara win

Last time out
Arizona State Men’s Basketball defeated Santa Clara, 82-79, improbably on Saturday night at Lee’s Family Forum. In the Entertainment Capital of the World, the Sun Devils (9-2) gave the fans a show, erasing a 19-point deficit to defeat the Broncos (8-3). Head Coach Bobby Hurley’s team battled adversity and a significant halftime hole, but still managed to secure their fourth neutral-site win of the season. ASU has now defeated Santa Clara and former Sun Devil Men’s Basketball Head Coach Herb Sendek in back-to-back years.

Without the services of Head Coach Bobby Hurley after his double technical foul with four seconds left in the first half, Arizona State did not let the circumstances faze them. Assistant coach Nick Irvin took over as the acting head coach and helped lead the Sun Devils to an epic comeback victory. 

It was a second half for the ages that helped Sun Devil Men’s Basketball move to 3-0 in games separated by six points or less this season. A total team effort proved to be too much for Santa Clara to handle, with contributions coming from all over the court during the comeback. Four Sun Devils ended in double figures, led by senior guard Anthony "Pig" Johnson’s 15 points, 14 of which came in the second half.

Joining Johnson in double figures is freshman center Massamba Diop, who finished with 15 points and nine rebounds in a season-high 35 minutes. Senior guard Moe Odum was the leader behind the big comeback effort, adding 12 points and seven assists of his own. Junior forward Andrija Grbovic delivered a season-high 13 points, including huge buckets down the stretch to keep the Sun Devils within striking distance.

Full recap of Santa Clara win

Second half shutdown
ASU completely dominated Santa Clara in the second half, thanks in large part to the defensive effort down the stretch. At halftime, Santa Clara was shooting 58.1% (18-of-31) from the field and had a season-best 55 points. Over the final 20 minutes, the Sun Devils outscored the Broncos 44-24, including holding SCU to only 9-of-33 (27.3%) from the field. SCU went from 9-of-15 (60%) shooting from three-point range heading into the locker room to 2-of-17 (11.8%) after the break. The 24 second-half points were the fewest scored in a half by the Broncos this season.

The Broncos’ duo of guard Christian Hammond and forward Elijah Mahi combined to score 31 points on 9-of-12 (75%) from the field with only one turnover in the first half. Arizona State absolutely shut the pair down in the second half, as the two combined for eight points on 3-of-14 (21.4%) shooting overall with three turnovers. The Sun Devils also dominated from the free-throw stripe over the final 20 minutes, finishing 13-of-16 (81.3%) compared to just 4-of-6 (66.7%) for Santa Clara.

Getting defensive
The Sun Devil defense has flipped a switch since coming back from Hawai'i. At the Maui Invitational, opponents shot a combined 93-for-167 (55.69%) from the field and 29-for-68 (42.65%) from deep. In the three games since returning, opponents are combining to shoot just 66-of-178 (37.1%) overall and 26-of-94 (27.7%) from behind the arc.

Sharing the rock
Arizona State’s unselfishness was on full display in the win over Santa Clara. The Sun Devils finished with 20 assists as a team, the first time they compiled 20 or more since having 21 in the NCAA Tournament victory over Nevada on March 15, 2022. Moe Odum led the way with seven assists and he has now led the team in assists in 10 of 11 games. Five different Sun Devils finished with two or more assists. 

Comfortable when it is close
Arizona State has 47 wins in games decided by six points or less since the start of the 2019-20 season, including a 3-0 record this season (wins over Texas, Washington State, and Santa Clara). The 47 wins by the Sun Devils in such circumstances are tied for the most in college basketball during that span. Head Coach Bobby Hurley’s team is 47-27 (64%) overall in games decided by six points or less since 2019-20. 

Most wins by 6 pts or less since start of 2019-20
T1. Arizona State, 47 wins (46-27)
T1. Northern Colorado, 47 wins (47-31)
3. SE Louisiana, 46 wins (46-34)
T4. Wisconsin, 45 wins (45-33)
T4. Xavier, 45 wins (45-37)
T4. Kansas, 45 wins (45-18)
T4. Boise State, 45 wins (45-22)
T4. Western Kentucky, 45 wins (45-38)
T9. Oregon, 44 wins (44-24)
T9. Drake, 44 wins (44-25)

Non-conference road success under Hurley 
After defeating Hawai'i back in November, ASU moved to 11-7 in non-conference road games under Bobby Hurley. That is significant when you consider the program went 9-21 in such games its previous 30 prior to his arrival. Hawaii joined SMU, Creighton (twice), Grand Canyon, San Francisco, Princeton, Georgia, No. 2 Kansas, San Diego State and UNLV as major non-conference road wins in the Hurley era.

The Moe Show
Sun Devil point guard Moe Odum is one of the elite passers in college basketball. He is currently 25th nationally and third in the Big 12 with 66 assists on the season. Odum has 5+ assists in nine of 11 games this season. He now sits with 66 assists through 11 games, which puts him on pace for 192 assists over a 32-game season. This would be the fourth-highest in program history.

Single season assists record
294 – Ahlon Lewis, 1998
233 – Marcell Capers, 1995
200 – Marcell Capers, 1993
192 - Moe Odum, 2025* (66 through 11 games) 
185 – Mike Redhair, 1990
177 – Jahii Carson, 2013
*32-game pace

Mo(r)e assists, less games
Odum is putting together one of the most productive passing careers in recent memory. Among active NCAA players at the Division I level, Odum's 584 assists are the THIRD most. He is the only active NCAA Division I player to have been credited with 550+ assists and have played in 109 games or less. Wednesday's matchup features two of the Top-4 players with the most career assists among active NCAA Division I players (Donovan Dent, UCLA).

Active NCAA Division I players with 500+ career assists
1. Braden Smith, Purdue - 859 assists in 121 games
2. Themus Fulks, UCF - 642 assists in 120 games
3. Moe Odum, Arizona State - 584 assists in 109 games
4. Donavan Dent, UCLA - 554 assists in 113 games 
5. Kerr Krisa, Cincinnati - 541 assists in 118 games

Sun Devil fans will be tracking Braden Smith’s total, as he is attempting to catch Arizona State Head Coach Bobby Hurley as the all-time NCAA assists leader. Hurley finished with 1,076 in 140 games. Smith needs 217 assists to pass Hurley. If he were to play the maximum amount of games (40), Smith would need to average at least 7.5 assists per game the remainder of the season to pass Hurley. Keep in mind, Smith is going to play at least five more games than Hurley did in his career.

Proven passer
Odum ranks near the top nationally in several significant career passing statistics, an indication of the successful career he has had. Here is a closer look at where he stands nationally in several important categories:

Getting to the line
As a team, Arizona State ranks 36th nationally and 3rd in the Big 12 averaging 25.5 free throw attempts per game. In 33 games last season, ASU had only five instances in which they attempted 27 or more free throws. They have already accomplished the feat five times through only 11 games this year. In 2024-25, the Sun Devils had only two games where they attempted 34 or more free throws (in 33 games). They have already accomplished this MORE TIMES this season (3) through 11 games. 

Moe Odum has been the driving force behind the increased free throw frequency. Over his past seven games, he is 38-for-42 (90.5%) at the line and is shooting 46-of-52 (88.5%) on the year, the third-highest mark in the Big 12. After an 8-of-9 performance from the stripe in his last game, Pig Johnson now has at least nine free throw attempts in five of his last seven games.

9-2 start
The Sun Devils have started 9-2 for the second consecutive season. It is their fourth 9-2 start or better in the Bobby Hurley era. Five of their wins to start off 2025-26 have come away from home (4 neutral, 1 road). The 9-2 start comes against the nation's 40th-strongest schedule according to ESPN, who has ASU slotted at 24 in their latest Strength of Record metric with two Quad 1 wins credited (Texas, Oklahoma). The only two losses the Maroon and Gold have suffered this season have come to No. 7 Gonzaga and the first team out of the AP Top-25 USC. The two teams are a combined 20-2 this season.

Seeking a 10-2 start
The Sun Devils are looking for their first 10-2 start or better to the season since 2022-23 when they started 11-1. Should ASU claim the victory, it would be their third 10-2 start or better in the Bobby Hurley era.

Don't count us out
The Sun Devils have come back to win a game when trailing at halftime 51 times during the Bobby Hurley era. It has happened four times this season, all of which have come in the past eight games. In fact, Arizona State has trailed at some point in the second half in five of their wins. Since 2015-16, the Maroon and Gold are in the top 40 in the nation in halftime comeback victories. Here is the full list of comebacks.

Above the margins
Arizona State has been one of the best teams in the nation at taking care of the basketball. Through 11 games, they rank 40th nationally and 4th in the Big 12 in turnover margin (+3.7).

Massamba making his mark
Freshman center Massamba Diop was impactful yet again in the win over Santa Clara, tying for the team lead with 15 points. He was extremely efficient from the field, going 6-of-10 and hitting his only three point attempt. He added nine rebounds and two assists in a season-high 35 minutes of action. Diop is the first person to lead the team in minutes in a game other than Moe Odum.

Diop is third on the team in points (12.7) and second in rebounds (5.3), producing at that level in only 27 minutes per game. He also has a team-high 16 blocks and is tied for fourth on the team with nine steals, doing all this while committing only 19 personal fouls in 11 games. He has seven games with at least one steal and nine games with at least one block. After starting the season 18-of-29 (62.1%) from the free throw line, Diop has made 11 of his last 13 (84.6%) from the stripe.

Bench boost
Despite being shorthanded due to Pig Johnson's inclusion in the starting lineup, the Arizona State's bench still managed to have an impact in the win over Santa Clara. After matching Santa Clara's bench points (23) in the win, the Sun Devils still hold a 305-214 (+91) advantage in bench points this season. They have outscored or tied their opponent off the bench in nine of 11 games (all nine wins).

Graduate forward Allen Mukeba led the way with eight points, two rebounds, one steal, and one block in 14 minutes. Redshirt sophomore forward Marcus Adams Jr. was effective for a third straight contest, coming through with seven points and five rebounds in 14 minutes. Sophomore guard Noah Meesuen stuffed the stat sheet, ending with eight points, four rebounds, four assists, two steals, and two blocks.

Dialed in from deep
The Sun Devils have emerged as one of the nation's elite three-point shooting teams. They are currently shooting 39.2% from deep, the 22nd-best total in the NCAA. Over the past three games (3-0 record), ASU is 29-for-64 (45.3%) from behind the arc, helping bring up their season total.

Arizona State's starting backcourt has been particularly effective from three-point range this season. Moe Odum and Bryce Ford are a combined 50-for-117 (42.7%) from deep through 11 games. Ford leads the team shooting 43.9% (18-of-41) with Odum not far behind at 42.1% (32-of-76). Both rank in the Top 10 in the Big 12 in three-point shooting.

When Pigs fly 
Senior guard Anthony "Pig" Johnson has emerged as one of the nation’s best sixth men, coming off the bench to provide energy and scoring while living up to his nickname. “Pig” has 10 or more points in nine of 11 games, with eight of those performances coming off the bench. His 15 points in the win over Santa Clara were tied for the team lead. Fourteen of those points came in the second half, as he took over the game after the break. Johnson went 3-of-3 from the field - and most importantly - a perfect 7-of-7 from the free throw line to spark the comeback. Johnson finished 8-of-9 from the stripe tonight to add to his team-leading free-throw attempt total.

He is second on the team, averaging 13.5 points per game while shooting 43-for-83 (51.8%) from the field. He produces well and efficiently while playing only 22.0 minutes a game. Johnson also leads the team with 75 free throw attempts (3rd in Big 12) and is second in the team in steals (15) and assists (20).

M.A.J.
Through his first eight games, Marcus Adams Jr. accounted for a combined 16 points, averaging just 2.0 points per contest. In his last three matchups, he has accumulated 26 points, good for 8.7 points per game. After going just 1-of-10 from distance in those first eight games, he is 6-for-10 in his last three games. The Sun Devils are 3-0 with wins over Oklahoma and Santa Clara and an average margin of victory of 14.3 points during Adams Jr.’s resurgence.

T-Allen-ted
Graduate transfer forward Allen Mukeba is solidifying his reputation as one of the premier rim protectors in all of college basketball. Mukeba is second on the team with ten blocks this season, adding to his impressive career total. He is one of only 44 active NCAA Division I players with 109 or more blocks. Mukeba’s 109 career blocks are tied for the 43rd-most of any active NCAA Division I player. He is one of only 20 NCAA Division I players nationally with over 109 career blocks in 98 career games or fewer.

Telling the Troueth
Redshirt sophomore Sun Devil forward Santiago Trouet has fit in seamlessly since transferring in from San Diego. In the matchup with No. 7 Gonzaga and a formidable frontline, Trouet had 10 points and 11 rebounds while adding two blocks. Trouet had two consecutive double-doubles earlier in the year, becoming the first Sun Devil since Kimani Lawrence in 2021 to accomplish the feat. Only two Sun Devils finished with two or more double-doubles all of last year, and Trouet accomplished the feat in only three games. He currently leads the team in rebounds per game (5.9) and has had the most rebounds in a team-best seven of the 11 games.

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