Paint presence key in Arizona State Men's Basketball's win over Kansas State

A balanced offensive attack was responsible for the productive output, with all five Sun Devil starters finishing in double figures. Leading the way was freshman center Massamba Diop, who registered his third-straight game with 20 or more points. Diop added nine rebounds and five blocks, with his presence in the paint causing problems for Kansas State.

A great sign for Arizona State was the resurgence of senior Moe Odum, who matched Diop with a team-best 21 points. Backcourt mate senior Anthony "Pig" Johnson was also extremely effective and efficient, scoring 18 points on 5-of-10 shooting. For the third time this season, redshirt sophomore forward Santiago Trouet had a double-double. He ended the night with 10 points and 10 rebounds to become the first Sun Devil since Devan Cambridge in 2022-23 to have three double-doubles in a season. Fellow big man Allen Mukeba was also impactful, contributing ten points and eight rebounds to go along with two blocks.

Arizona State continued their success in getting to the free throw line, finishing with 32 attempts at the stripe. They also limited the efficiency of Kansas State star guard PJ Haggerty, holding him to just 36.8% shooting overall. The Sun Devils boasted a 48-34 advantage on the glass, as the moved to 6-0 when out-rebounding their opponent. ASU also hands Jerome Tang just his fifth loss in 40 games when Kansas State has scored 80 or more points in his tenure. The most important game of the season is next on the schedule, as the Maroon and Gold head to Tucson to take on Arizona on Wednesday, Jan. 14 at 8:30 PM MST. Watch on FS1 and listen on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM (KMVP).

Series history
Arizona State now owns the lead in the series with Kansas State. In the 13th meeting between the two programs, the Sun Devils captured their seventh victory. This was the first time that ASU had beaten Kansas State in Tempe since 1980, but they had only met one other time since. Hurley moves to 3-2 against the Wildcats during his tenure in Tempe.

10-6 start
The Sun Devils have started 10-6 or better for the fourth consecutive season. It is their eighth 10-6 start or better in the 11 years of the Bobby Hurley era. Five of their wins to start off 2025-26 have come away from home (4 neutral, 1 road). The 10-6 start comes against the nation's 25th-strongest schedule according to ESPN, who has ASU slotted at 72 in their latest Strength of Record metric with three Quad 1 wins credited (Texas, Santa Clara).

 

 

 

 

 

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Comfortable when it is close
Arizona State now has 48 wins in games decided by six points or less since the start of the 2019-20 season, including four wins this season (wins over Texas, Washington State,Santa Clara, and Kansas State). The 48 wins by the Sun Devils in such circumstances are the second-most in college basketball during that span. Head Coach Bobby Hurley’s team is 48-29 (62.3%) 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, 48 wins (48-29)
T1. Northern Colorado, 48 wins (48-31)
3. Kansas, 47 wins (47-19)
T4. SE Louisiana, 46 wins (46-34)
T4. Xavier, 46 wins (46-38)
T4. Western Kentucky, 46 wins (46-39)
T4. Drake, 46 wins (46-26)
T4. Wisconsin, 46 wins (46-33)
T8. Boise State, 45 wins (45-23)
10. Oregon, 44 wins (44-25)

2025-26 (4-2)
ASU 87, Kansas State 84 (Jan. 10, 2026)
Colorado 95, ASU 89 (Jan. 3, 2026)
ASU 82, Santa Clara 79 (Dec. 13, 2025/Las Vegas)
ASU 100, Washington State 94 (Nov. 25, 2025/Maui)
ASU 87, Texas 86 (Nov. 24, 2025/Maui)
Oregon State 78, ASU 75 (Dec. 21, 2025)

Don't count us out
The Sun Devils have come back to win a game when trailing at halftime 52 times during the Bobby Hurley era. It has happened five times this season. In fact, Arizona State has trailed at some point in the second half in six of their ten wins this season.  This is the 27th comeback in conference play under Hurley. Since 2015-16, Hurley’s 52 wins when trailing at halftime is tied for the second most by a DI men’s coach since 2015-16. Here is the full list of comebacks.

Most halftime comeback wins since 2015-16
Bill Self, 55
Bobby Hurley, 52
Eric Musselman, 52
Wes Miller, 51
Kevin Willard, 51
Kevin Baggett, 50
Chris Beard, 50

2025-26 (5)
(-2) Kansas State 38, Arizona State 36/Jan. 10, 2026/ASU 87, Kansas State 84
(-17) Santa Clara 55, Arizona State 38/Dec. 13, 2025 (Las Vegas, NV)/ASU 82, Santa Clara 79
(-6) Washington State 48, ASU 42/Nov. 25, 2025 (Maui)/ASU 100, Washington State 94
(-1) @Hawaii 35, ASU 34/Nov. 20, 2025/ASU 83, Georgia State 76
(-5) Georgia State 39, ASU 34/Nov. 17, 2025/ASU 75, Georgia State 62

Getting to the line
As a team, Arizona State came into the game ranking 43rd nationally and 3rd in the Big 12 averaging 25.1 free throw attempts per game. Their 18.8 free throws made per game were 33rd nationally and 4th in the conference. They only improved on those totals today, finishing 24-of-32 from the stripe.

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 seven times through only 16 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 16 games. This was their fourth game this year with 30 or more attempts. 

Mo(e)mentum
Known nationally for his passing, Moe Odum is proving he can be one of the best all-around players in the Big 12 as well. Odum is one of only three players in the nation averaging 16+ points, 6.5+ assists, 3+ rebounds, and 1.5+ steals per game (Boopie Miller, SMU; Christian Anderson, Texas Tech). He came into the game Top-15 in the Big 12 in points (242), assists (99), three-pointers made (37), free throws made (63), and minutes per game (33.2). He now has at least 10+ points in 14 of 16 games this season. Through 16 games, he has already registered five of his ten-best career scoring performances.

Moe Odum’s highest career scoring games

• 36 pts with ASU 11/24/25 against Texas
• 31 pts with Pepperdine 3/7/25 against Portland
• 26 pts with ASU 11/25/25 against Washington State
• 26 pts with Pepperdine 2/22/25 against Loyola Marymount
• 24 pts with Pepperdine 12/30/24 against Gonzaga
• 24 pts with ASU 11/17/25 against Georgia State
• 22 pts with Pacific 3/2/23 against Pepperdine
• 21 pts with ASU 1/10/26 against Kansas State
• 21 pts with ASU 1/3/26 against Colorado
• 21 pts with Pacific 1/18/24 against Santa Clara

Massamba making his mark
Freshman center Massamba Diop has established himself as one of the top newcomers in college basketball. He came into the game leading all freshman nationally, shooting 64.5% from the field (80-of-124). That figure was good for 12th in the country regardless of class and leads the Big 12. He only improved on that total after finishing 8-of-10 from the field. 

Diop is third on the team in points (14.6) and second in rebounds (5.6), producing at that level in only 28.1 minutes per game. He also has a team-high 31 blocks and is fourth on the team with 13 steals, doing all this while committing only 31 personal fouls in 16 games. He has 11 games with at least one steal and 13 games with at least one block. After starting the season 18-of-29 (62.1%) from the free throw line, Diop has made 37 of his last 45 (82.2%) from the stripe.

He was impactful yet again against Kansas State, scoring 20+ points for the third straight game and 15+ points for the seventh consecutive contest. He was extremely efficient finishing with 21 points, going 8-of-10 from the field and 5-of-6 from the free-throw line. He entered the Top-10 among freshman in program history with his third 20-point performance.

Sun Devil Freshman 20-point games (1972-73 to present)
18, Jahii Carson, 2012-13
16, James Harden, 2007-08
12, Ike Diogu, 2002-03
9, Luguentz Dort, 2018-19
7, Jamal Faulkner, 1990-91
5, Steve Beck, 1983-84
4, Christian Polk, 2006-07
3, Massamba Diop, 2025-26
3, Joson Sanon, 2024-25
3, Josh Christopher, 2020-21
3, Eddie House, 1996-97
3, Ron Riley, 1992-93
3, Byron Scott, 1979-80
3, Gary Jackson, 1972-73

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 13 of 16 games, with nine of those performances coming off the bench. Getting the start today, he delivered with a 18-point outing on 5-of-10 shooting in only 23 minutes of action. 

He continues his tear at the line, making 8-of-10 from the stripe. He is now 59-of-69 (85.5%) free throws over the past eight games. He went from 64.6% to 76.9% from the line on the season during that stretch. Johnson now has at least nine free throw attempts in eight of his last 12 games.

Johnson is second on the team, averaging 14.9 points per game. He produces that highly while playing only 23.5 minutes a game. He is third in the team in steals (19) and second in assists (31). Johnson is also on pace to have one of the most productive seasons in program history from the free throw stripe.

Top-10 ASU single season FTs made
248 – Ike Diogu, 2005
243 – Ike Diogu, 2004
204 – James Harden, 2009
180 – Pig Johnson, 2025*
180 – Ike Diogu, 2003
173 – Freddie Lewis, 1966
169 – James Harden, 2008
159 – Tra Holder, 2018
156 – Jahii Carson, 2014
154 – Bobby Lazor, 1999

Top-10 ASU single season FT attempts
311 – Ike Diogu, 2005
298 – Ike Diogu, 2004
270 – James Harden, 2009
245 – Ike Diogu, 2003
234 – Pig Johnson, 2025*
234 – Mario Bennett, 1995
224 – James Harden, 2008
217 – Jahii Carson, 2014
215 – Tony Cerkvenik, 1961
213 – Paul Stovall, 1972
*32-game pace

T-Allen-ted
Graduate transfer forward Allen Mukeba continues to solidify his reputation as one of the premier rim protectors in all of college basketball. He came into the game one of only 26 NCAA Division I players nationally with over 111 career blocks in 101 career games or fewer. He added to that total with a two-block performance, the fifth time this season he has multiple blocks. Mukeba added 10 points and eight rebounds, part of the dominant paint effort. He has played in over 100 career games (103) and scored over 1,000 career points (1,031). Mukeba is the second Sun Devil to reach the two career milestones this year, joining Moe Odum.

Telling the Troueth
Redshirt sophomore Sun Devil forward Santiago Trouet has fit in seamlessly since transferring in from San Diego. In the matchup with Top-10 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. Tonight, he registered his eighth career double-double and third of the season (10 points and 10 rebonds). He currently leads the team in rebounds per game (5.7) and has had the most rebounds in a team-best eight of the 16 games, including tonight. He is the first Sun Devil with three or more double doubles since Devan Cambrdige in the 2022-2023 season.

Notables

• Over the past five games, the Sun Devils are 104-of-127 (81.8%) from the free throw line. In the prior 11 games, they were just 202-of-281 (71.9%).
• After Noah Meeusen finished with a season-high four steals against BYU, he tacked on another multi-steal performance against Kansas State. He now two or more steals nine times through 13 games. He now leads the team with 23 steals this season and averages 2.9 steals per 40 minutes.
• The 48 rebounds were not only a season high, they were also the most since the Sun Devils grabbed 48 against San Diego on Dec. 3, 2024. It is the most in a conference game for Arizona State since finishing with 56 at Cal on Feb. 13. 2023. ASU is now 6-0 when out-rebounding their opponent this season. 
• Coming into the game, Kansas State was 35-4 when scoring 80 or more points in a game under Jerome Tang. Arizona State hands them just their 5th loss in 40 games as the Wildcats fell in the game 87-84.
• Coming into the game P.J. Haggerty was shooting 52.2% (120/239) from the field. The Sun Devils held him to just 36.8% (7/19) from the field.
• Kansas State went 9-11 (82%) from the free throw line in the first half. In the second half, that dropped to 6-10 (60%) due to the impact from the Curtain of Distraction and 942 Crew.
• Kansas State’s second-leading scorer David Castillo came into the game averaging 12.9 points per game. Arizona State held him to just three points of 1-of-7 shooting in 26 minutes.
• Kansas State came into the game with a 50-9 record when leading at half under head coach Jerome Tang the last four seasons. The Sun Devils handed them a rare loss in this situation and it is also the first loss for Kansas State when leading at the half this season (previously 8-0).
• ASU shot just 12-of-30 (40%) in the first half. They improve that to 18-of-34 (52.9%) in the 2nd half.
• Under the Bobby Hurley era this is his sixth season in which the Sun Devils have had at least four games with 30 or more free throw attempts.
• Arizona State had a 50-to-28 advantage points in the paint, which was a season high. The last time the Sun Devils had 50 points in the paint was a win against Sam Houston (11/29/23).
• It is only the third time this season that Kansas State had been outscored by 20+ in the paint. Arizona State joins No. 10 Nebraska and No. 1 Arizona in accomplishing the feat against the Wildcats.
• The Sun Devils finished with 10+ blocks and 5+ steals for the second time this season (Colorado).
• ASU won the game despite Kansas State making 13 three pointers compared to just three from the Sun Devils. It is the fewest made three pointers in a win by Arizona State since going 3-of-15 from deep in a win over Utah on Feb. 12, 2023. 

 

 

 

 

 

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First half
Odum got things going for the offense as he made good on his first attempt beyond the arc. The Sun Devils anchored themselves in defensively early on, as limited the Wildcats to under 30% shooting at the first media timeout.

A back-and-fourth affair developed, with both sides exchanging runs. With Kansas State leading 11-10 at the 11:31 mark, ASU went on its largest run of the half and outscored Kansas State 8-0 over the next 1:30. Arizona State boasted a 20-16 lead as the half entered its third media stoppage at the 7:31 mark. 

Both sides increased their tendency to attack the rim, leading to more attempts at the free throw line. Kansas State began to get hot from beyond the arc, allowing them to pull ahead by a small margin as the half wound down. The Wildcats would score on their final possesion, taking a 38-36 lead into the break.

The Sun Devils made their impact felt from within 22 feet, amassing 33 of their 36 points from inside the arc and holding Kansas State to just 7-21 (33.3%) from on two-point field goals. Massamba Diop led the charge on the defensive end for ASU as he tallied an incredible five blocks in the first half of play.

Dillon Brooks is in the house ☀️ pic.twitter.com/ruXj5YutWF

— Arizona State Sun Devils (@TheSunDevils) January 10, 2026

Second half
In what was a repeat of the first half, the first points out of the break came courtesy of Moe Odum. He hit a three pointer, matching ASU's first half total from behind the arc with just one shot. The tides changed to start the second half in what jumped off to a more efficient offensive game. The senior guard tandem of Johnson and Odum kept the offense on track through the early going, attacking the rim at a high rate. Heading into the half’s first media timeout Arizona State trailed 51-45, attempting to withstand Kansas State's three-point barrage.

The Sun Devils remained committed to their gameplan and earned their first lead of the half at 56-55 with 12:57 left in regulation. However, KSU gained some traction connecting from deep on consecutive three-point shots to give them their largest lead of the second half, 65-58, with 10:32 left to go.

ASU responded by doing damage down low. The trio of Trouet, Mukeba, and Diop each contributed to a 12-1 scoring run that had the Sun Devils on the other end of a five-point lead at 70-65 with 6:39 to go. Over that seven minute stretch ASU accumulated a 20-6 point differential over the Wildcats and provided a nine point lead — their largest lead of the night with less than five minutes remaining. 

The late push from the Sun Devils moved the starting five into double-digit scoring and was enough to hold off Kansas State and complete the 87-84 comeback victory.

Quotables

Arizona State Head Coach Bobby Hurley
On the victory
“It wasn’t the cleanest game in the world. But with everything the guys have been through the last couple weeks this outcome was much needed for morale. I told the guys when you start losing, the feeling is like when are you going to win again and tonight was our night. Haggerty's a really good player; he's banking 3s and at the end. So when you lose a couple of games, things like that start happening, and you question whether you’re going to get over the hump. I’m glad we were able to do enough to get the win tonight.”

On what contributed to their late scoring run
“I thought Santi (Santiago Trouet) was a big part of our turnaround in that second half. He had some really blue-collar plays, getting offensive rebounds and driving the ball. We got to the basket. Massamba (Diop) was very good offensively and challenging shots defensively. We had an advantage over them around the basket and we were able to take advantage of it. It was 50-to-28 in the paint. When you have that type of attack where you're getting those quality shots you're in pretty good shape.”

On the rebounding advantage over Kansas State
“It's more of some of the lineup combinations, the way we're starting the game with Santi and Allen (Mukeba) and Massamba naturally gives us a rebounding advantage and gets us off to a good start on the interior. That's kind of the thought there, but Santi, I thought, was a standout going after the offensive glass especially in that stretch where we really started to get some momentum. He was a big part of it.”

Senior guard Moe Odum
On what it has been like to play shorthanded
“It's tough, but it's nothing we haven't been through and nothing Coach Hurley hasn't been through. I feel like that makes us closer as a team because now we're 7-8 deep. We have to roll with who is playing.”

On his high turnover number
“I really don't have any excuse. I gave him the ball up seven times. I have to think about that and never do it again. That’s simple. I don’t have any excuses. turned the ball over, traveled, gave it away and stepped out of bounds. I just gave it away tonight, but thank God my teammates had my back today. I'll make sure that won't happen again.”

Senior guard Pig Johnson
On what it feels like to get a Big 12 win
“I feel like we had to win this game. There was no other option. Either we were going to win this game or we were going to be in a dark place and have to try to crawl out of it. I feel like if we get on the floor with anybody we can win. I trust my teammates.”

On the upcoming matchup with Arizona
“We feel like we can beat anyone that we step on the floor with.”

Up next
Sun Devil Men's Basketball will take a trip down south to Tucson, where they will face off against their in-state rivals Arizona on Wednesday, Jan. 14 at 8:30 PM MST. Coverage of the game can be found on television at FS1 and on the radio at Arizona Sports 98.7 FM (KMVP).

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Head coach Bobby Hurley (X: @BobbyHurley11)