Hurley earns 14th ranked win as Men's Basketball knocks off No. 13 Texas Tech

A monumental defensive effort was required from the Sun Devils in order to claim a victory on Tuesday, as they were going up against an offensive averaging 82 points per game against elite competition. ASU held Texas Tech to just 67 points and moved to 8-0 when holding opponents to under 70 this year. It was a second half shutdown that proved to be the difference, as the Red Raiders managed to shoot only 35.7% (10-of-28) in the second half.

In a gym filled with future NBA Draft Lottery picks, it was Sun Devil point guard Moe Odum that stood out among them all as the best player on the floor. He delivered his ninth 20-point performance of the season. In a matchup featuring two of the nation's best point guards, it was Odum and his Arizona State squad getting the better of potential All-American Texas Tech point guard Christian Anderson. Odum was an efficent 6-of-12 from the field on his way to a 23-point performance highlighted by a 8-of-8 effort from the free-throw line.

It was pure effort on the defensive side of the ball that propelled the Sun Devils to this statement win. Due to an injury to junior guard Bryce Ford and junior forward Andrija Grbovic on a minutes restriction (illness), Arizona State was forced to utilize a limited rotation. It did not stop them from relentlessly pressuring the Red Raiders, resulting in 17 Texas Tech turnovers. ASU turned those mistakes into 21 points off turnovers (21-6 edge in the category). Six players finished with at least one steal as the changing defenses constructed by Coach Hurley's staff paid dividends.

Odum was not alone in coming through for the home faithful that showed up to support their squad late on a Tuesday night. Freshman center Massamba Diop had yet another productive performance, finishing with 14 points, five rebounds, and two blocks. He now has two or more blocks in eight straight games. Pig Johnson came off the bench to provide his usual spark, contributing 11 points and three rebounds. Redshirt sophomore Santiago Trouet has back-to-back games with 10 or more points. Sophomore guard Noah Meeusen dished out a team-high 6 assists and played a season-best 38 minutes. The Sun Devils are back on the road for a pair of games, the first of which has them playing at Baylor on Saturday, Feb. 21 at 2 PM MST. Watch on ESPN2 and listen on ESPN 620 AM (KTAR).

Ranked wins under Hurley
Sun Devil Men's Basketball now has 14 wins over ranked teams in 11 years of the Bobby Hurley era. That includes eight victories over Top-15 teams, four of which have come at home. This is the eighth time Hurley has beaten a Top-25 team at home and first time since he defeated No. 21 Washington State on Feb. 24, 2024. It is the highest ranked team that Hurley has beaten since Arizona State took down No. 7 Arizona in Tucson on Feb. 22, 2023.

Comfortable when it is close
Arizona State now has 49 wins in games decided by six points or less since the start of the 2019-20 season, including five wins this season (wins over Texas, Washington State, Santa Clara, Kansas State, and Texas Tech). The 49 wins by the Sun Devils in such circumstances are tied for the third-most in college basketball during that span. Head Coach Bobby Hurley’s team is 49-30 (62.1%) 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
1. Kansas, 50 wins (50-19)
T2. Arizona State, 49 wins (49-30)
T2. Northern Colorado, 49 wins (49-34)
T4. Wisconsin, 48 wins (48-35)
T4. Western Kentucky, 48 wins (48-41)
T4. Boise State, 48 wins (48-24)
T7. SE Louisiana, 47 wins (47-36)
T7. Drake, 47 wins (47-27)
T7. Xavier, 47 wins (47-41)

2025-26 (5-3)
ASU 72, #13 Texas Tech 67 (Feb. 17, 2026)
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)

Series history
Arizona State moves to 16-6 against Texas Tech in Tempe and cuts into their series lead, with the Red Raiders holding a 24-22 advantage. This the first win for ASU over Texas Tech with the two programs meeting as Big 12 Conference foes. Arizona State has now won seven of the last nine meetings between the sides.

UPSET IN TEMPE 😈

DOWN GOES #13 TEXAS TECH 🔱 pic.twitter.com/hXS9aQXNSt

— Sun Devil MBB (@SunDevilHoops) February 18, 2026

Magic Number
The Sun Devils held the Red Raiders to only 67 points, moving them to 8-0 on the season when allowing 70 or less to an opponent. This is only the FOURTH TIME all season Texas Tech has been held to less than 70 points. The only other teams to accomplish the feat were No. 1 Purdue, No. 7 Houston, and No. 11 Kansas. Meanwhile, Arizona State has scored 70 or more points in 24 of 26 games this season. 

Second half shutdown
After Texas Tech shot 53.8% (14-of-26) from the field in the first half, Arizona State clamped down defensively. The Red Raiders only shot 35.7% (10-28) in the second half to finish at 44.4% for the game.

Turning Texas Tech over
The Sun Devils forced 17 Texas Tech turnovers (came in averaging 10.5), converting those into 21 points. This is the most turnovers that the Red Raiders have committed in a game this season. On four previous ocassions, they had 14 turnovers, so Arizona State's 17 turnovers smashes the previous mark. Seven of those giveaways were courtesy of All-American candidate Christian Anderson. The Sun Devils forced Anderson into a season-high turnover total, with his previous high being five. It is the 11th time ASU forced 15 or more turnovers. Over the past two games, ASU has a 47-19 (+28) advantage in points off turnovers.

Most turnovers by Texas Tech in 2025-26
17, at Arizona State on 2/17/26
14, Wake Forest on 11/20/25
14, LSU on 12/7/25
14, Winthrop on 12/28/25
14, at No. 6 Houston on 1/6/26

Most turnovers by Christian Anderson in 2025-26
7, at Arizona State on 2/17/26
5, vs Colorado on 2/11/26
5, Duke on 12/20/25
5 vs New Orleans on 11/26/25

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 came into the game one of only three players in the nation averaging 17.0+ points, 6.0+ assists, 3.0+ rebounds, and 1.5+ steals per game (Boopie Miller, SMU; Christian Anderson, Texas Tech). He was Top-20 in the Big 12 in points, assists, three-pointers made, free throws made, FT%, and minutes per game. He only improved upon most of those numbers tonight, finishing with 23 points, two rebounds, and three assists. He has at least 10+ points in 23 of 26 games this season and now has nine 20-point performances. Through 26 games, he has already registered nine of his 13-best career scoring performances. 

Moe Odum’s highest career scoring games

With his 3-of-6 effort from behind the arc, Odum now has 14 games with three or more made threes. This was his fifth time shooting 50% or better from three point range and overall from the field in the same game. He was also 8-for-8 from the free-throw line and is now shooting 84.4% from the stripe this season. That total would be good enough for 11th-best in program history right now. Odum continues to move up the Sun Devil Men's Basketball all-time single season assist record book. His 153 assists this season are tied with Jahii Carson for the 10th most in program history. He needs 23 more assists to crack the Top-5.

Sun Devil single-season assists record (1972-73 to present)
294 – Ahlon Lewis, 1998
233 – Marcell Capers, 1995
200 – Marcell Capers, 1993
185 – Mike Redhair, 1990
177 – Jahii Carson, 2013
177 – Lynn Collins, 1992
162 – Derek Glasser, 2009
158 – Derek Glasser, 2010
156 – Lynn Collins, 1991
153 - Moe Odum, 2026
153 – Jahii Carson, 2014

Sun Devil best single-season FT% (1972-73 to present)
89.7 – DJ Horne, 2022 (35-39)
87.7 – Bryson Krueger, 2006
87.5 – Rihards Kuksiks, 2010
87.5 – Chris Beasley, 1984
87.4 – Stevin Smith, 1992
86.3 – Derek Glasser, 2010
86.3 – Alex Austin, 1989
85.9 – James Holliman, 1977
85.3 – Shannon Evans II, 2018
84.9 – Alston Mason, 2025
84.4 - Moe Odum, 2026 (103-of-122)
84.1 – Derek Glasser, 2008
84.0 – Isaac Burton, 1994
84.0 – Rick Taylor, 1978

 

 

 

 

 

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He will block you
Massamba Diop is establishing himself as one of the premier defenders in the entire conference. His 36 blocks in Big 12 play are the second-most of any Big 12 player (Flory Bidunga, Kansas). Diop now has 16 games with two or more blocks this season, including each of his last eight. During that seven-game stretch, he has been credited with 23 blocks (2.9 blocks per game).

Diop now has 55 blocks in 26 games on the season. Coming into the game, he ranked 21st nationally and 2nd in the Big 12 in the category and will only move up after the performance Tuesday. He was already tied for first among freshmen nationally in blocks, meaning he was top-5 in both field goal shooting and blocks for freshmen. He is the only player who can make that claim.

Stop, Diop, and Roll
Diop stuffed the stat sheet with 14 points, five rebounds, two blocks, two steals, and two assists doing it all in 33 minutes of action. He even made his fourth three-pointer of the year, showing off his versatility in the highly-anticipated matchup with Red Raiders' forward JT Toppin. Diop now has 10+ points in 20 of 26 games this season. He had two blocks and two steals while only committing two personal fouls. It is the fourth time he has had two steals and two blocks in the same game.

Diop is second on the team in points (13.9) and first in rebounds (5.8), producing at that level in only 29.2 minutes per game. He also has a team-high 55 blocks and is fifth on the team with 19 steals, doing all this while committing only 49 personal fouls through 26 games. He has 14 games with at least one steal and 22 games with at least one block. 

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 20 of 26 games, with 16 of those performances coming off the bench. He delivered yet again in the victory, accounting for 11 points, three rebounds, and two steals. Johnson was a team-best +12 in 32 minutes of action, typically getting the assignment to guard Christian Anderson when in the game. It was his tenth game with mulitple steals.

Telling the Troueth
Redshirt sophomore Sun Devil forward Santiago Trouet has fit in seamlessly since transferring in. He is currently second on the team in rebounds per game (5.6) and has had the most rebounds in a team-best 13 of the 24 games he has appeared in, including tonight. He is the first Sun Devil with four or more double-doubles since Romello White accomplished the feat in the 2019-20 season. The big man delivered with 13 points and six rebounds on 5-of-10 shooting. Trouet finished with two steals and two blocks, the eighth time he has had at least one or more of each in the same game this year. Over his past two games, Trouet is averaging 14.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per game.

Trouet had two consecutive double-doubles earlier in the year, becoming the first Sun Devil since Kimani Lawrence in 2021 to accomplish the feat. Two Sun Devils finished tied for the team-lead with two double-doubles last year and Trouet has already doubled the feat.

Noah's arc
Sophomore guard Noah Meeusen continues to play his basketball of the season. He finished with six points, four rebounds, and a team-high six assists getting the start in place of Bryce Ford. It is the fourth time he has reached the 5-assist mark this season, doing so for the second consecutive game. He added another steal to his season total, which now sits at 34 (2nd on team despite missing three games). It was Meeusen's third game with at least one steal and one block.

Bench boost
A key to Arizona State’s season has been the success of its bench unit. That was no different tonight, as the three-man unit of guards Trevor Best and Pig Johnson along with forward Allen Mukeba made their presence felt against the Red Raiders reserves. ASU has now outscored or tied their opponent off the bench in 18 of 26 games (13-5 record). Three of the five losses when winning the bench battle were to Top-10 teams (No. 1 Arizona & No. 7 Houston). ASU’s bench won the battle over Texas Tech 14-8 and now holds a 607-482 (+125) advantage in points this season.

STORM THAT COURT 😈 pic.twitter.com/omJKhVK3k6

— Sun Devil MBB (@SunDevilHoops) February 18, 2026

First half
The first couple points for the Sun Devils came from a combination of Noah Meeusen dishing two assists to Massamba Diop with one of them being a fast break alleyoop dunk. The Sun Devils trailed the Red Raiders 7-4 going into the first media timeout.

Pig Johnson got himself going on the scoring end with a smooth left handed layup. Diop added onto his offensive surge with a layup of his own, he recorded six of ASU’s first eight points of the game as the Sun Devils trailed 12-8 going into the break.

Moe Odum drilled a three pointer off the right wing for his first points of the game followed by him hitting three free throws off a shooting foul to quickly get him to six points. Arizona State topped off their 8-0 scoring run with a fast break layup from Trevor Best as that forced a Texas Tech timeout with the Sun Devils leading 16-12.

Coming out of the timeout, Johnson drove to the basket for an acrobatic layup as he continued his strong play. The Red Raiders did not pull away as they fought back to tie the game 20-20 going into the media timeout.

Both teams continued to battle it out, with the Red Raiders then taking a seven point lead before Santiago Trouet drilled a three from the corner to pull the Sun Devils closer as they trailed 33-27 going into the break.

Noah Meeusen dropped in a three from the corner to inch the Sun Devils closer, he also had five assists in the first half. Andrija Grbovic tipped in a layup to draw the Red Raiders’ lead to two. The Sun Devils had the ball for the last possession of the first half, as Diop nailed a three from the top of the key off an Odum assist to a 37-36 lead going into the half. The Sun Devils finished the half with an 8-0 scoring run to help them regain the lead.

Second half
Both teams kept it close as the second half began. Trouet made an early impact in the second half, starting off with a smooth dish to Diop who knocked down a jumper in the paint and then hit a smooth hookshot jumper as both teams entered the first media timeout of the second half with both teams even at 42-42.

Coming out of the break, the Sun Devils took the lead thanks to a three pointer from Meeusen from the left wing that was then followed by a second-chance dunk from Trouet to force a Texas Tech timeout as ASU held a 47-44 lead.

Texas Tech tied things up coming out of the timeout, but Diop hit a jumper off an Odum assist to keep the Maroon and Gold ahead 49-47 going into the timeout.

Odum knocked down his second three of the game to extend the Sun Devils’ lead to five. He then hit down three free throws to bring his point total to 16. Johnson threw down an alleyoop dunk off an Odum assist that capped off a 15-3 scoring run for the Sun Devils. ASU was also able to get into the bonus early with 9:57 left to go. The Red Raiders kept it close, but a Trouet layup kept the Sun Devils in the lead 59-54 going into the break.

The Sun Devils maintained the lead coming out of the break, they took the upper hand of a Texas Tech turnover and turned into a Trouet layup that was assisted by Diop. ASU extended their lead to double digits with Odum drilling another three pointer which resulted in a Texas Tech timeout, with the Sun Devils leading 67-56.

Coming out of the break, Texas Tech hit a three pointer to draw closer into the game, but Odum’s jumper to keep ASU in the lead as he now recorded 21 points on the night. But the Red Raiders kept fighting back as they were within two points with 29 seconds left. Pig Johnson made one of two free throws to give the Sun Devils a three point lead. With eight seconds left, Texas Tech had a chance to tie or take the lead, but a Trouet steal and Odum hitting two more free throws clinched the upset victory for the Sun Devils as they upset No. 13 Texas Tech 72-67. 

Empty the notebook

• For the first time since moving to the Big 12 Conference, the Sun Devils have won consecutive league games (Oklahoma State, Texas Tech). 
• Texas Tech All-American candidate JT Toppin makes the Red Raiders a handful in the paint. The Maroon and Gold were able to overcome what was perceived as an advantage for the visitors. ASU outscored TTU 32-30 in points in the paint.
• Arizona State finished 13-of-17 from the free throw line, continuing their recent success in the category. Over the past 15 games, the Sun Devils are 261-of-336 (.777) from the free-throw line. In the prior 11 games, they were just 202-of-281 (.719).
• Texas Tech came into the game with a 14-2 record when holding their opponent to under 75 points. The only losses were to No. 1 Purdue and No. 7 Houston. ASU hands them just their third loss under the circumstance.
• Despite missing Bryce Ford due to injury, the Sun Devils still managed to enjoy success from the three-point line.
  • In the 21 games that Ford had played, the Sun Devils were shooting 35.8% (170-of-475) from three-point range.
  • In the four games that Ford missed with a hip injury, the Sun Devils were shooting 25.5% (24-of-94) from three-point range.
  • They reversed the trend in the win over Texas Tech. ASU shot 39% (7-of-18) from distance and are now 9-2 this season when they shoot 37% or better from behind the arc.
• Arizona State commited only 15 personal fouls which led to only 13 free throw attempts for Texas Tech.
  • This is the eighth time ASU has been whistled for 15 or fouls or less in a game this season.
  • For the eighth time this season, a Sun Devil opponent attempted 15 free throws or less. Three of those ocassions came over the past four games.
• ASU came into the game ranked 42nd nationally, averaging 4.6 blocks per game. They will only move up after a 5-block performance against Texas Tech.
• Sophomore guard Trevor Best stepped up when called upon. In his first appearance since Jan. 18 at Houston, Best played six minutes and scored two points and collected a rebound.
• Arizona State completely neutralized Texas Tech role players LeJuan Watts and Jaylen Petty.
  • The duo came into the game averaging a combined 21.3 points on 40.5% shooting from the field.
  •  In the matchup with the Sun Devils, Watts and Petty combined for 9 points on 2-of-10 (20%) shooting, including a 1-of-6 (17%) mark from behind the arc.
    
    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 tied for second among freshmen in program history with 55 blocks this season.
    
    Single-season blocks by a Sun Devil freshmen
    63, Jayden Quaintance, 2024-25
    55, Massamba Diop, 2025-26
    55, Mario Bennett, 1991-92
    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 third-best shooting season by a freshman in program history, making 58.4% of his field goals.
    
    Single-season FG% by a Sun Devil freshman (min. 100 attempts)
    .652, Romello White, 2017-18 (120-of-184)
    .608, Ike Diogu, 2002-03 (209-of-344)
    .584 Massamba Diop, 2025-26 (136-of-233)
    .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 13.9 points per game, the seventh-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
    13.9, Massamba Diop, 2025-26
    13.6, Byron Scott, 1979-80
    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
    
    Diop is currently having the tenth-best shooting season at the free-throw line by a freshman in program history, hitting at a 74.6% from the line.
    
    Single-season FT% by a Sun Devil freshman (min. 35 attempts)
    .851, Steve Beck, 1983-84 (63-of-74)
    .831, Shawn Redhage, 1999-2000 (59-of-71)
    .825, Jeremy Veal, 1994-95 (33-of-40)
    .821, Johnny Nash, 1976-77 (55-of-67)
    .800, Josh Christoper, 2020-21 (44-of-55)
    .795, Kevin Kruger, 2003-04 (35-of-44)
    .791, Christian Polk, 2006-07 (34-of-43)
    .778, Derek Glasser, 2006-07 (34-of-45)
    .754, James Harden, 2007-08 (169-of-224)
    .741, Massamba Diop, 2025-26 (86-of-116)
    .737, Fat Lever, 1978-79 (28-of-38)
    .735, Ike Diogu, 2002-03 (180-of-245)

Quotables

Arizona State Head Coach Bobby Hurley
Opening statement
“It was a fantastic team win. I'll just start by saying I don't know what the status is for JT Toppin, but that's the first thing I was thinking about. I hope he's ok, and I hate to see a guy go out of a game like that. He's one of the best players in the country. I went through it last year with one of the best players in the country, one of the best freshmen in the country. My heart goes out to him and hope that he's back soon for them. Outside of that, I'm thrilled for our guys who really fought and it's probably as good a defense as we played all year. We'll be working on end of the game situations for the next two or three days, but outside of that, it's hard to find a lot of faults in our effort tonight.”

On the emotions of a huge win
"It's just great to celebrate with our guys and to see them have that moment. We had a week to get fresh and prepare for this game, and Texas Tech is an outstanding team, a great program. Grant does a fantastic job. They have great players. They played in Arizona Saturday and then had to come back here. We had a little more time to prepare, and I think that that helped us.” 

On the atmosphere at Desert Financial Arena
"It was a great atmosphere. It was an electric atmosphere, and I think our guys fed off of it. It was very important on a number of different occasions in the second half where we needed to step up and make stops and make a big play. So certainly, especially for a 9 o'clock game, I thought it was a really good atmosphere.”

On Moe Odum's performance
"He's been doing that for just about the entire season. He's got to be one of the more difficult players to guard in our league just because of how shifty he is with the ball and his ability to shoot. He got fouled on threes twice today. People have to honor that part of his game.”

On Santiago Trouet's performance
"He's opportunistic and he's healthy. He had gone through a stretch where he had both of his ankles hurt at different points. He'd sprained both ankles. Now, he’s moving well. He is our best rebounder and he's done a better job the last two games of having a nose for the ball on not only his rebounding, but he was guarding one of the best offensive players in our conference and doing a pretty good job at it.”

On how he deals with the outside noise
“I don't care about doubters, what people say and all that stuff.  I've coached against some of the best coaches in the country. I've been doing it now for 11 years here so I feel like I'm in my element. I could go toe to toe with anybody. I'm very confident in my abilities, but for me to have that confidence, you need to have guys like I have and the players that I played tonight. When you have guys that fight and battle like that, then there's going to be a level of confidence on my end too in my abilities.”

Sophomore guard Noah Meeusen
On how they pulled off the upset
"I feel like we're always playing good during the first half, and then in the second half we fall down. We didn't play the full 40 minutes, but today I think we really stuck together and fought for the whole game. We knew they were tired from their last game [vs. No. 4 University of Arizona] because they played 45 minutes of a dogfight. So I think just being ready for 40 minutes was great for us.” 

On the team's mindset heading into the final stretch of games
“We had a good non-conference run besides the last game against Oregon State or UCLA. We really dropped from there and went into a black hole. We knew we were better than that. Now we stick together and have been getting some good wins, quality wins that give us the confidence that we can really do this.”

Senio guard Pig Johnson
On the injury to JT Toppin
“That's tragic for that to happen in that type of situation. I don't wish that on anybody to get injured. I want everybody to play, but he got injured and I’m not going to say it wasn't supposed to happen, but we don’t know what to do after he got injured. That's not our teammate, so we can't feel the same type of way.”

On his impact off the bench
“I feel like that's what they need me to do, coming off the bench, attacking the paint, and that's what I did. Moe (Odum) told me to not stop attacking the paint no matter if they're calling a foul or not, and that's what I did, I just kept going.”

Redshirt sophomore Santiago Trouet
On getting the statement win
“We talked in one of the huddles at the end of the game, three or five minutes left. He (Head Coach Bobby Hurley) said ‘remember UCF, remember Colorado at home? We're not losing this game, just stay disciplined,’ and then we came out with a win.”

On the defensive performance
“We knew they had two main guys that they're going to start weighing down as the game went along in the second half, (Christian) Anderson and (JT) Toppin. We stayed, we trusted the coaches and what they told us to do, and we stayed disciplined.”

Senior guard Moe Odum
On gaining the trust of Coach Hurley
“It means a lot. When you hear the press conferences and his comments, we don't look at it as him giving up on us. He's telling the truth. If we didn't rebound well in a game, he would say we rebounded like crap. If we didn't guard, he would say we guarded like crap. It's the truth and none of us take it personally. If we do take it personally, we take it personally in a good way to show him that that's not who we are. It’s been super fun to see how he could challenge us and we could respond back.”

On the celebration after the game
"I’m not going to lie. It meant a lot. I had to storm the court this year. That's what I was thinking of when I got in the portal. I thought to myself, let's see if we’re going to be ranked or we're just going to knock some teams off and we just have to storm the court. I've dreamed of this. I'm so happy we could finally get one and hopefully get more.” 

Up next
Sun Devil Men’s Basketball will return to the road when they head to Texas for a two-game stretch, the first of which has them matching up with Baylor on Satruday, Feb. 21st at 2 PM MST. The game broadcast will be available on ESPN2 and ESPN 620 AM (KTAR).

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Head coach Bobby Hurley (X: @BobbyHurley11)