Saturday Showdown: Men's Basketball host No. 1 Arizona at DFA

How to follow
Arizona State will make their 16th appearance on a national broadcast as they appear on TNT/HBO Max for the second time this season when they take on No. 1 Arizona on Saturday at 12 p.m. MST. Spero Dedes (play-by-play), Greg Anthony (analyst), and Jared Greenberg (sideline) will be on the call. This is the second of three times an ASU game will air on TNT this season. 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.

Last time out
Sun Devil Men's Basketball led a majority of their road contest at UCF, but a late run from the Knights allowed them to emerge with a 79-76 victory. Arizona State built an 11-point lead with five minutes left, but were unable to hold on in front of a hostile road environment in Orlando. The backcourt duo of Moe Odum (18) and Pig Johnson (12) both reached double-figures scoring. Massamba Diop was outstanding on defense yet again, blocking four shots. Forwards Allen Mukeba, Andrija Grbovic, and Santiago Trouet combined for 24 points on 10-of-14 (71.4%) shooting.

942 crew giveaway

𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄 𝐓𝐎 𝐆𝐈𝐕𝐄 ‘𝐄𝐌 𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐋 😈

Tomorrow 🆚 our rivals - the #1, undefeated team in the country.

⏰ Doors Open @ 10:30 AM
👕 Student Giveaway: Give ‘Em Hell Devils Tee
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𝐖𝐄𝐀𝐑 𝐆𝐎𝐋𝐃. 𝐏𝐀𝐂𝐊 𝐃𝐅𝐀‼️🟡#ForksUp pic.twitter.com/KzNdDmnDzf

— 942 Crew (@942Crew) January 31, 2026

Adidas Harden Collection x Sun Devil Men's Basketball
Arizona State will debut their James Harden Collection uniforms from Adidas. The collection is now on sale and available now.

It always comes back to where it started.

Introducing the James Harden x ASU collection. pic.twitter.com/7fxFcoWgRR

— adidas Basketball (@adidasHoops) January 20, 2026

A legacy never leaves 🔱

Introducing the James Harden X ASU collection.
Available now: https://t.co/BbmKQRflzJ pic.twitter.com/Si7ra1CuJe

— Arizona State Sun Devils (@TheSunDevils) January 20, 2026

Fans are already sporting the new ASU X James Harden jersey 😈

Shop the collection today: https://t.co/e16gXtO0qI pic.twitter.com/sl94oIFrfs

— Arizona State Sun Devils (@TheSunDevils) January 27, 2026

First matchup
For only the second time this season, No. 1 Arizona found themselves trailing at halftime. In the first matchup between the two sides, Arizona State built a 39-38 advantage over the top-ranked Wildcats at the break. They joined No. 23 Alabama as the only two teams to have a lead on Arizona at halftime. Diop played excellent, notching 16 points on 7-of-11 shooting, while Odum had 23 points and seven assists. Arizona center Motiejus Krivas, who averages 10.9 points and 8.5 rebounds, was held to just four points and four rebounds.

Comfortable when it is close
Arizona State 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 tied for the most in college basketball during that span. Head Coach Bobby Hurley’s team is 48-30 (62.3%) overall in games decided by six points or less since 2019-20. Taking it a step further, ASU is 10-4 in one-possession games over the past three seasons.

Most wins by 6 pts or less since start of 2019-20
T1. Arizona State, 48 wins (48-30)
T1. Northern Colorado, 48 wins (48-34)
T1. Kansas, 48 wins (48-19)
T4. SE Louisiana, 47 wins (47-35)
T4. Drake, 47 wins (47-26)
T4. Wisconsin, 47 wins (47-34)
T7. Xavier, 46 wins (46-40)
T7. Western Kentucky, 46 wins (46-40)
T7. Boise State, 46 wins (46-23)
10. Oregon, 44 wins (44-25)

2025-26 (4-3)
UCF 79, ASU 76 (Jan. 27, 2026)
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 its 11 wins this season. Since 2015-16, Hurley’s 52 wins when trailing at halftime are the third-most by a DI men’s coach since 2015-16. 27 of those comeback have come in conference play. Here is the full list of comebacks.

Most halftime comeback wins since 2015-16
Bill Self, 55
Eric Musselman, 53
Bobby Hurley, 52
Wes Miller, 51
Kevin Willard, 51
Chris Beard, 51
Kevin Baggett, 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

The Moe Show
Sun Devil point guard Moe Odum is one of the elite passers in college basketball. He is currently 16th nationally and third in the Big 12 with 138 assists on the season. His 6.6 assists per game are 15th nationally and third in the Big 12. Odum has 5+ assists in 18 of 21 games this season. He now sits with 138 assists through 21 games, which puts him on pace for 210 assists over a 32-game season. This would be the third-highest in program history.

Single-season assists record
294 – Ahlon Lewis, 1998
233 – Marcell Capers, 1995
210 – Moe Odum, 2025* (138 through 21 games)
200 – Marcell Capers, 1993
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 656 assists are the THIRD most. He is just the third active Division I player to reach 650 career assists. He is the only active NCAA Division I player to have been credited with 600+ assists and have played in 119 games or less.

Active NCAA Division I players with 500+ career assists
1. Braden Smith, Purdue - 948 assists in 131 games
2. Themus Fulks, UCF - 719 assists in 131 games
3. Moe Odum, Arizona State - 656 assists in 119 games
4. Donavan Dent, UCLA - 625 assists in 124 games 
5. Boopie Miller, SMU - 567 assists in 116 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 128 assists to pass Hurley. If he were to play the maximum amount of games (40), Smith would need to average at least 6.7 assists per game the remainder of the season to pass Hurley. Keep in mind, Smith would finish with 10 more games played 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:

• 2.58 career assist/turnover ratio - 8th nationally
• 656 career assists - 3rd
• 5.51 career assists/game - 7th

In the game against Colorado, Odum dished out a season-high 12 assists. It is the most assists by a Sun Devil since Jahii Carson had 12 against Stanford on Feb. 27, 2014. Odum is one of only six Big 12 players to have 12 or more assists in a game this season.

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 17.2+ points, 6.6+ assists, 3.0+ rebounds, and 1.3+ steals per game (Boopie Miller, SMU; Christian Anderson, Texas Tech). He is Top-15 in the Big 12 in points (362), assists (138), three-pointers made (56), free throws made (84), FT% (83.2%), and minutes per game (33.4). 

Odum came through with his second career 30-point performance in the win over Cincinnati last week, finishing with 33. He has at least 10+ points in 18 of 21 games this season and a team-best seven 20+-point performances. Through 21 games, he has already registered seven of his ten-best career scoring performances. His 36 points against Texas on Nov. 24 were the most points by a Sun Devil in a win since Tra Holder had 40 vs #15 Xavier on Nov. 24, 2017.

Most points by a Sun Devil away from Tempe
61, Eddie House at California (2 OT), Jan. 8, 2000
45, Paul Williams at USC, Mar. 10, 1983
43, Alonzo Verge Jr. vs. Saint Mary’s (Phoenix), Dec. 18, 2019
40, Tra Holder vs. #15 Xavier (Las Vegas), Nov. 24, 2017
40, Jahii Carson at UNLV, Nov. 19, 2013
40, James Harden vs. UTEP (Anaheim), Nov. 30, 2008
37, Mario Bennett at Washington, Mar. 2, 1995
36, Moe Odum vs. Texas, Nov. 24, 2025
36, James Harden at Oregon, Feb. 5, 2009

Moe Odum’s highest career scoring games

Getting to the line
As a team, Arizona State ranks 56th nationally and 3rd in the Big 12 averaging 23.9 free throw attempts per game. Their 17.7 free throws made per game are 53rd nationally and 4th in the conference. 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 21 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 21 games.

Moe Odum has been the driving force behind the increased free-throw frequency. Odum is shooting 84-of-101 (83.2%) on the year, the sixth-highest mark in the Big 12. 

Earlier in the season, Arizona State enjoyed historic success from the free-throw line against UCLA. The Sun Devils finished 25-of-26 (96.2%) from the stripe, including connecting on their first 25 attempts of the game. It is the second-best free-throw shooting performance in program history and the best in a game in which the Sun Devils attempted 20 or more free throws. 

Sun Devil best FT% (min. 15 att.)
1.000 (19-of-19) vs. Arizona, Feb. 4, 1978
.962 (25-of-26) at UCLA, Dec. 17, 2025
.950 (19-of-20) vs. UCLA, Feb. 12, 2004
.941 (16-of-17) at Oregon, Feb. 5, 2009
.938 (15-of-16) vs. Southern Illinois, Mar. 20, 2008
.938 (15-of-16) at Oregon, Jan. 24, 1998
.938 (15-of-16) vs. New Mexico, Jan. 5, 1973
.933 (14-of-15) at California, Jan. 6, 1996
.929 (26-of-28) vs. Grand Canyon, Dec. 9, 2021
.923 (24-of-26) vs. CS -L.A., Dec 19, 1981

ASU’s performance at the line was tied for the tenth-best at the NCAA Division I level this season.

Top Team FT% NCAA Division I 2025-26 season
30-of-30 (100%) - Tulane (vs Texas State, 11/8/25)
22-of-22 (100%) - Florida Atlantic (vs Saint Leo, 12/10/25)
21-of-21 (100%) - Yale (vs Akron, 11/24/25)
20-of-20 (100%) - Saint Mary's (vs Washington State, 1/10/26)
19-of-19 (100%) - Penn (vs Princeton, 1/5/25)
16-of-16 (100%) - Indiana (vs Alabama A&M, 11/5/25)
15-of-15 (100%) - Wright State (vs Oakland, 1/11/26)
15-of-15 (100%) - Holy Cross (vs Hampton, 11/16/25)
31-of-32 (96.9%) - San Diego (vs Grambling, 11/18/25)
25-of-26 (96.2%) - Arizona State (at UCLA, 12/17/25)
25-of-26 (96.2%) - Sacred Heart (Central Connecticut State, 11/24/25)

11-10 start
Arizona State's 11-10 start comes against the nation’s 12th-strongest schedule (23rd in non-conference) according to ESPN, which has ASU slotted at 72 in their latest Strength of Record metric with two Quad 1 wins credited (Santa Clara, Texas). The average NET of a Sun Devil opponent this season is 102, the 10th-best figure in the nation. Arizona State's NET strength of schedule is 15th in the nation. Five of their wins to start off 2025-26 have come away from home (4 neutral, 1 road).
 
Massamba making his mark
Freshman center Massamba Diop has established himself as one of the top newcomers in college basketball. He leads all freshman nationally, shooting 62.3% from the field (109-of-175). That figure is good for 19th in the country regardless of class and is second in the Big 12.

Diop is third on the team in points (13.5) and first in rebounds (5.8), producing at that level in only 28.7 minutes per game. He also has a team-high 42 blocks and is fourth on the team with 17 steals, doing all this while committing only 37 personal fouls through 21 games. He has 13 games with at least one steal and 17 games with at least one block. 

Stop, Diop, and roll
Diop is establishing himself as one of the premier defenders in the entire conference. For the second consecutive game, Diop had four blocks. Through eight conference games, he already has four 4+ block performances. His 23 blocks in Big 12 play are the second-most of any Big 12 player (Flory Bidunga, Kansas).

Earlier in the year, he finished with seven blocks against Colorado, the most by a Sun Devil since Jordan Bachynski had eight vs. Arizona on Feb. 14, 2014. He is one of only two Big 12 players to record seven blocks in a game this season, joining BYU's Keba Keita. He is the only one to accomplish the feat in a Big 12 Conference game. Diop is one of four freshman nationally and one of only two at the Power 5 conference level (Johann Grünloh, Virginia) with seven or more blocks in a single game.

Diop now has 42 blocks on the season, which puts him 28th nationally and 3rd in the Big 12 in the category. He ranks 3rd among freshmen nationally in blocks, meaning he is top-5 in both field goal shooting and blocks for freshmen. He is one of only player who can make that claim.

Record chasing
Diop is in the Top-10 among freshmen in program history with three 20-point performances.

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

Diop is already third among freshmen in program history with 42 blocks this season.

Single-season blocks by a Sun Devil freshmen
63, Jayden Quaintance, 2024-25
55, Mario Bennett, 1991-92
42, Massamba Diop, 2025-26
33, Jamal Faulkner, 1990-91
31, Ike Diogu, 2002-03
29, Jalen Graham, 2019-20
24, Shawn Redhage, 1999-2000
23, Romello White, 2017-18
23, Jeff Pendergraph, 2005-06

Diop is currently having the second-best shooting season by a freshman in program history, making 62.3% of his field goals.

Single-season FG% by a Sun Devil freshman (min. 100 attempts)
.652, Romello White, 2017-18 (120-of-184)
.623, Massamba Diop, 2025-26 (109-of-175)
.608, Ike Diogu, 2002-03 (209-of-344)
.574, Mario Bennett, 1991-92 (159-of-277)
.570, Dwayne Fontana, 1990-91 (102-of-179)
.568, Eric Holloway, 1983-84 (79-of-139)
.545, Kyle Cain, 2010-11 (78-of-143)
.527, James Harden, 2007-08 (196-of-372)
.525, Jayden Quaintance, 2024-25 (93-of-177)

Diop is currently averaging 13.5 points per game, the eighth-most by a freshman in program history.

Single-season points per game by Sun Devil freshmen
19.0, Ike Diogu, 2002-03
18.5, Jahii Carson, 2012-13
17.8, James Harden, 2007-08
16.1, Luguentz Dort, 2018-19
15.4, Jamal Faulkner, 1990-91
14.3, Josh Christopher, 2020-21
13.6, Byron Scott, 1979-80
13.5, Massamba Diop, 2025-26
13.0, Ron Riley, 1992-93
12.6, Eddie House, 1996-97
12.5, Mario Bennett, 1991-92
12.0, Christian Polk, 2006-07
11.9, Joson Sanon, 2024-25

Diop is currently averaging 5.8 rebounds per game, tied for the eighth-most by a freshman in program history.

Single-season rebounds per game by a Sun Devil freshman
7.9, Jayden Quaintance, 2024-25
7.8, Ike Diogu, 2002-03
7.1, Romello White, 2017-18
6.8, Mario Bennett, 1991-92
6.2, Marcus Bagley, 2020-21
6.2, Jamal Faulkner, 1990-91
6.1, Jeff Pendergraph, 2005-06
5.8, Massamba Diop, 2025-26
5.8, Johnny Nash, 1976-77
5.4, Kyle Cain, 2010-11
5.3, James Harden, 2007-08
5.2, Chris Sandle, 1984-85

Pushing the pace
A big factor in Arizona State’s success this season is their play in transition. The Sun Devils have finished with 19 or more fast-break points six times this season, including in the win over Cincinnati last week. ASU ranks 31st nationally, averaging 15.3 fast break points per game.

Bench boost
A key to Arizona State’s season has been the success of its bench unit. They have outscored or tied their opponent off the bench in 14 of 21 games (10-4 record). Two of the four losses when winning the battle were on the road to Top-10 teams (No. 1 Arizona & No. 7 Houston). ASU’s bench won the battle over UCF 24-15 and now holds a 503-423 (+80) advantage in points this season.

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 is one of only 29 NCAA Division I players nationally with over 119 career blocks in 108 career games or fewer. He has six games with two or more blocks. He has played in over 100 career games (108) and scored over 1,000 career points (1,050). 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.

In the win over Kansas State, he registered his eighth career double-double and third of the season (10 points and 10 rebounds). He is currently second on the team in rebounds per game (5.5) and has had the most rebounds in a team-best ten of the 20 games he has appeared in. He is the first Sun Devil with three or more double-doubles since Devan Cambridge accomplished the feat in the 2022-2023 season.

Empty the notebook

Jeff Pendergraph in the Hall of Fame
A cornerstone of the Sun Devil Men’s Basketball program from 2005 to 2009, Ayres left an indelible mark on ASU Basketball. He was part of the 2025 Sun Devil Athletics Hall of Fame class. Over 126 games, he averaged 12.6 points, 7.5 rebounds, and shot an impressive 58 percent from the field. His senior season was his finest, as he led the nation in field goal percentage at 66 percent, averaged 14.5 points and 8.2 rebounds per game, and earned First-Team All-Pac-10 honors. Notably, he delivered a 31-point, 11-rebound performance in a decisive win over Stanford in January 2009.

Ayres ranks sixth all-time in scoring (1,588 points), second in rebounds (942), and his 2008-09 field goal percentage is the school record. He is the only player in program history to lead the team in rebounding four consecutive seasons and helped guide ASU to a 25-win campaign and NCAA Tournament berth in his senior year.

Following his collegiate career, Ayres was selected in the 2009 NBA Draft and went on to play six seasons in the NBA, including a championship run with the San Antonio Spurs in 2014, before continuing his career overseas.

His consistency, leadership, and inside dominance made him a pillar during a pivotal era of transition for ASU basketball.

Linking the program 

• Healey’s Highlights: Sun Devil moments that define 28 seasons
• Sun Devil Men's Basketball solidifies staff
• Lu Dort wins the 2025 NBA Championship
• Jeff Ayres (Pendergraph) named to 2025 ASU Hall of Fame Class
  
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