Men's Basketball travels across the country for UCF matchup

How to follow
Arizona State will make their 5th appearance on ESPN+ when they take on UCF on Tuesday at 5 p.m. MST. Austin Lyon (play-by-play), BJ Taylor (analyst), and Ansley Topchik (sideline) will be on the call. This is the final time an ASU game will air on ESPN+ this season, with the rest of the broadcasts available on national television. Make sure to listen to Tim Healey and Kyle Dodd on ESPN 620 AM (KTAR). The action can also be tracked via live stats.

Last time out
Arizona State Men’s Basketball took down Cincinnati, 82-68, to earn their second Big 12 Conference win of the season. In front of the home fans at Desert Financial Arena, the Sun Devils (11-9, 2-5) defeated the Bearcats (10-10, 2-5) to snap a three-game losing streak. Behind another masterful performance by senior guard Moe Odum, Head Coach Bobby Hurley's team powered past Cincinnati to earn a significant conference triumph. Arizona State made 13 three-pointers and limited the Bearcats to just 68 points, which moves them to 6-0 when allowing 70 points or less this season.

For the second straight contest, the Sun Devils got off to a strong start. The home team controlled the action early thanks in large part to the play of Moe Odum. However, this time they were able to maintain that level of play into the second half. Odum finished with 33 points and eight assists, putting on a prolific shooting display from behind the arc. He made 6-of-11 three-point attempts and 7-of-8 free-throws, creating offense in a plethora of ways. The Sun Devils wore down the Bearcats in the second half, with Odum piloting an offense that posted 45 second half points on 53.1% shooting on the nation's 33rd-best scoring defense.

The 82 points scored by Coach Hurley's squad were the second-most Cincinnati had allowed all season, as the offense was in sync against a worthy opponent. Pig Johnson (11) and Santiago Trouet (10) both put together double-digit scoring efforts, while Massamba Diop finished with a game-high ten rebounds and four blocks. Two trends that have been leading the Arizona State victories held true; ASU won the bench battle for the 13th time (10-3 record) and produced 19 fast break points (above their 15.3 season average).

Full recap of win over Cincinnati

Second-half surge
Arizona State dominated the second half to secure an 82-68 win at home over Cincinnati. Led by a coach known for his ability to engineer second-half comebacks, the Bearcats were unable to make it happen in Tempe on Saturday. The Sun Devils shot 14-of-26 (53.8%) in the second half compared to 13-of-31 (41.3%) prior to the break. ASU made 8-of-14 (57.1%) of their shots from behind the arc in the second half compared to just 2-of-11 (18.2%) from Cincinnati. The Maroon and Gold outscored their visitors 45-35 and led for nearly 16:31 of the game.

Second half shutdown
One of the biggest reasons why Arizona State was able to create separation in the second half was thanks to a fantastic defensive effort. After Cincinnati shot 14-of-24 (58.3%) in the first half, the Sun Devils held them to 13-of-36 (36.1%) in the second half.

Buckets against the Bearcats
Cincinnati came into the game ranked 33rd at the NCAA Division I level in scoring defense, allowing only 66.7 points per game. Arizona State scored 82 in a 14-point victory. It was only the fourth time all season that the Bearcats had given up 75 or more points. In fact, it was the second-most points allowed by Cincinnati all season. 

Cincinnati’s most points allowed in a game this season
84, vs. Georgia (84-65 loss on 12/13)
82, at Arizona State (82-68 loss on 1/24)
79 at Xavier (79-74 loss on 12/5)
77, at No. 1 Arizona (77-51 loss on 1/21)
74, vs. No. 6 Louisville (74-64 loss on 11/21)

No Day-light
Cincinnati guard Day Day Thomas came into the game averaging over 12.0 points per game, second on the team. He was held scoreless by the Sun Devils, who held him to 0-of-6 from the field and 0-of-3 from three-point range. It is the first time in Thomas’ 87-game Cincinnati and Division I career that he had been held scoreless in a game.

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 48-29 (62.3%) overall in games decided by six points or less since 2019-20. Taking it a step further, ASU is 10-3 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 (48-29)
T1. Northern Colorado, 48 wins (48-34)
T1. Kansas, 48 wins (48-19)
4. SE Louisiana, 47 wins (47-35)
T5. Xavier, 46 wins (46-40)
T5. Western Kentucky, 46 wins (46-39)
T5. Drake, 46 wins (46-26)
T5. Wisconsin, 46 wins (46-34)
9. Boise State, 46 wins (46-23)
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 its ten wins this season. 27 of those comeback have come in conference play. Since 2015-16, Hurley’s 52 wins when trailing at halftime are the third-most by a DI men’s coach since 2015-16. 

While this wasn’t a patented halftime comeback win for Coach Hurley’s squad In the last game, they did accomplish a feat in the second half. He prevented Wes Miller from earning his 52nd comeback win after a halftime deficit since 2015-16, which would have tied Hurley for the third-most by a DI men’s coach during that span. In fact, Arizona State outscored Cincinnati 45-35 in the second half. 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 12th nationally and third in the Big 12 with 132 assists on the season. His 6.6 assists per game are 14th nationally and third in the Big 12. Odum has 5+ assists in 17 of 20 games this season. He now sits with 132 assists through 20 games, which puts him on pace for 211 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
211 – Moe Odum, 2025* (132 through 20 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 650 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 650+ assists and have played in 118 games or less. The matchup with UCF features two of the Top-3 assist leaders among active NCAA Division I players.

Active NCAA Division I players with 500+ career assists
1. Braden Smith, Purdue - 943 assists in 130 games
2. Themus Fulks, UCF - 713 assists in 130 games
3. Moe Odum, Arizona State - 650 assists in 118 games
4. Donavan Dent, UCLA - 621 assists in 123 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 133 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 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 - 7th nationally
• 650 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, 3.2+ rebounds, and 1.4+ steals per game (Boopie Miller, SMU; Christian Anderson, Texas Tech). He is Top-15 in the Big 12 in points (344), assists (132), three-pointers made (53), free throws made (79), and minutes per game (33.3).

Odum came through with his second career 30-point performance in the win over Cincinnati, finishing with 33. He has at least 10+ points in 17 of 20 games this season and a team-best seven 20+-point performances. Through 20 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 57th nationally and 4th in the Big 12 averaging 24.1 free throw attempts per game. Their 17.9 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 only 20 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 20 games.

Moe Odum has been the driving force behind the increased free-throw frequency. Odum is shooting 79-of-95 (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)

11-9 start
The Sun Devils have started 11-9 or better for the fourth consecutive season. It is their eighth 11-9 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 11-9 start comes against the nation’s 12th-strongest schedule (23rd in non-conference) according to ESPN, which has ASU slotted at 67 in their latest Strength of Record metric with two Quad 1 wins credited (Santa Clara, Texas). 

Seeking an 12-9 start
The Sun Devils are looking to start 12-9 or better for the third straight season. Should ASU claim the victory, it would be its seventh 12-9 start or better in the Bobby Hurley era.

Noah's Arc
Sophomore guard Noah Meeusen is playing his best basketball of the season, emerging as a scoring threat for the Sun Devils. He has 10 or more points in three of his past four games, the first three double-digit efforts of his career. In the win over Cincinnati, he was +18 in 28 minutes off the bench. Meeusen is shooting 46% from the field and 38% from three on the season. He is second on the team with 26 steals despite missing the first three games. In Big 12 Conference play, he ranks in the Top 10 in steals. 
 
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 62.7% from the field (106-of-169). That figure is good for 16th in the country regardless of class and is second in the Big 12.

Diop is second on the team in points (13.8) and first in rebounds (5.8), producing at that level in only 28.5 minutes per game. In the win over Cincinnati, Diop had his second career double-digit rebounding effort. He also has a team-high 38 blocks and is fourth on the team with 15 steals, doing all this while committing only 36 personal fouls through 20 games. He has 12 games with at least one steal and 16 games with at least one block. 

Stop, Diop, and roll
Diop is establishing himself as one of the premier defenders in the entire conference. In a matchup of two of the best rim protectors in the country, he outplayed Cincinnati center Moustapha Thiam on the defensive end. Diop finished with four blocks. Through seven conference games, he already has three 4+ block performances. His 19 blocks in Big 12 play are the second-most of any Big 12 player.

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 38 blocks on the season, which puts him 40th 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 freshmen 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 38 blocks this season.

Single-season blocks by a Sun Devil freshmen
63, Jayden Quaintance, 2024-25
55, Mario Bennett, 1991-92
38, 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 62.7% of his field goals.

Single-season FG% by a Sun Devil freshman (min. 100 attempts)
.652, Romello White, 2017-18 (120-of-184)
.627, Massamba Diop, 2025-26 (106-of-169)
.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 13.8 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
13.8, 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

Pushing the pace
A big factor in Arizona State’s 82-68 win over Cincinnati was their play in transition. The Sun Devils finished with 19 fast-break points, the sixth time this season they have reached the mark. ASU ranks 30th nationally, averaging 15.4 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 13 of 20 games (10-3 record). Two of the three 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 Cincinnati 19-16 and now holds a 479-408 (+71) 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 118 career blocks in 107 career games or fewer. He has six games with two or more blocks. He has played in over 100 career games (107) and scored over 1,000 career points (1,041). 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 (5.6) and has had the most rebounds in a team-best eight of the 19 games he has appeared in. He is the first Sun Devil with three or more double-doubles since current UCF forward 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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