TEMPE — Arizona State men’s basketball passed its first test on Tuesday with a comfortable 81-64 win over Southern Utah in its season opener.
For this team to find success in what could be Bobby Hurley’s last season as ASU head coach, it may need to take on the personality of Hurley, making unselfishness and scrappy play its calling cards.
ASU checked off one game where those traits were the identity, even if it was against Southern Utah. The Sun Devils led by as much as 22 and never trailed.
The Sun Devils frequently were the first ones to 50-50 balls, spreading the ball around with quick touch passes and never relying on any one player to be the sole provider of offense.
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Point guard Moe Odum will be near the top of the team in shot attempts and assists in every game he plays, but the ball doesn’t stick to his hands for very long.
7-foot-1 center Massamba Diop flashed potential to be the most impactful player on the team given his mix of scoring at the rim on offense and rim protection on defense. He showed some versatility with a coast-to-coast bucket and some playmaking vision.
Odum and Diop appeared to work out kinks in real time about where to place his passes, as Odum finished with eight assists and Diop finished with 14 points.
Allen Mukeba provided physicality off the bench with four blocks and a couple high-flying dunks.
Of course, ASU (1-0) won’t define success this season by how it looks against Southern Utah (0-1) in its season opener. The Sun Devils started 9-2 in the 2024-25 nonconference schedule before winning just four Big 12 games.
ASU was picked by the Big 12 coaches and media to finish 16th in the conference after it finished 15th in its inaugural season.
The biggest keys to finding better long-term success will be playing as mistake-free and with as much physicality as possible, while retaining health into conference play.
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