In the Sun Devils’ inaugural year in the Big 12 conference, its basketball team finished with a 13–20 record, winning just four of its 20 conference games. Even the most pessimistic ASU fan didn’t expect such a substandard campaign. After all, despite the anticipated struggles of joining one of college basketball’s premier leagues, which includes NCAA tournament finalist Houston, Arizona State entered the season with a star-studded squad. The Sun Devils added three top-50 recruits in the class of 2024, including five-star prospects Jayden Quaintance and Joson Sanon and four-star Amier Ali. It marked head coach Bobby Hurley’s best freshman recruiting class since his arrival in Tempe in 2016.
But the season quickly soured. Conference play brought a string of injuries, discipline problems, and depth issues that were apparent from the outset. At times, ASU had just six or seven scholarship players available. Following a grueling campaign, the professional aspirations of many on the roster faded, and all but two players, including all three touted freshmen, departed during the offseason.
Now entering his 10th season at the helm, Hurley has recorded just four winning seasons and three NCAA Tournament appearances in his Tempe tenure. The 2022–23 season remains the last time ASU heard their name on Selection Sunday and also the only winning year in the previous five. The upcoming 2025–26 season is the final year of Hurley’s contract, and he acknowledged during his first summer press conference that his future with the Sun Devils is still uncertain. With a revamped roster, he’ll try to defy the low expectations that are sure to take place when it comes to his team's prospects.
"Everybody has got to earn everything they get when they get to campus, and that'll be the approach," Hurley said. "We tried to identify guys that I think want to win. We have a number of guys that have one year left and have got to make it work, myself included."
ASU is still finalizing its roster, but the players who have arrived in Tempe are a versatile group. Freshman forward Kash Polk is the lone true freshman. At 6-foot-9, the Texas native had over a dozen Division I offers, including from Oklahoma and Texas A&M.
Most of the new additions bring college experience. Senior guard Maurice Odum is a skilled playmaker who averaged 13.1 points and 7.5 assists per game for Pepperdine in 2025, finishing fourth in the nation in assists.
The Sun Devils also added a slew of athletic wings, including 6-foot-8 Marcus Adams, who averaged 16.1 points per game on 52% shooting (39% from three-point range) at Cal State Northridge. Junior Vijay Wallace, a 6-foot-6 guard from Triton College, added 15.9 points per game last season.
Hurley emphasized size and international experience in this cycle. San Diego transfer Santiago Trouet, a 6-foot-10 forward, played against ASU last season and posted 10 points and six rebounds despite his team’s 90–53 loss. Graduate wing Allen Mukeba, originally from Belgium, joins from Oakland University, where he averaged 14.6 points, 7.5 rebounds, and nearly three assists per game.
"Because of the NIL and the money that’s available now, you’re seeing some of the top European and international prospects that never would have considered coming over here in the past," Hurley said. "They would stay with their club teams. Now, those guys are coming into the college game because the money is better, and they can make more."
Team-building is underway in Tempe, though more players are expected to join throughout June. Hurley is committed to establishing chemistry early. On June 11, he’ll host the team at his home to watch the NBA Finals and plans to continue with team bonding activities.
"I had some butterflies; I was a little nervous because I had not conducted a workout in about six weeks," Hurley said with a laugh. "We're trying to do a lot of things to eliminate some of our issues from last year. We're going to try and do as many team-building things as we can throughout the summer."
While the 2025–26 roster may not bring the hype of Quaintance or Sanon, it boasts experience from multiple college basketball levels. Each player will look to use this season in Tempe as a launching pad.
"I don't have guys currently that are on draft boards," Hurley said. "I shifted my narrative and the vision, and what I was trying to portray to everybody — 'My back's against the wall.' I've loved my time here at Arizona State, and I value that greatly. I'm a competitor. So if you have one year and you want to be with someone who's all in and invested to win this year and have a great season, then it might make sense for you."
The NBA Finals — featuring the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers — tip off Thursday. Among the starters for the Thunder is former ASU standout Luguentz Dort, who played for the Sun Devils during the 2018–19 season. Dort averaged 16.1 points per game that year, leading the team to a 23–11 regular-season record — the best under Hurley.
Dort went undrafted in 2019 but earned a spot with the Thunder during the 2019–20 season. He has since become a five-year starter as the team rose to contender status.
"He's a great example of somebody that things were not always handed to him and he had to earn it," Hurley said. "He's really climbed the ladder, and he's done it with a great deal of humility. He's not like some athletes who think they're better than other people. He’s a very grounded person. He's on the biggest stage right now. So when we're recruiting guys on the perimeter, we talk about him quite a bit."
Another former Sun Devil, forward Jeff Ayres, was recently announced as an inductee into the Sun Devil Athletics Hall of Fame. Ayres played in Tempe from 2005 to 2009, averaging 12.6 points per game and starting 120 of 126 collegiate contests. He spent over six seasons in the NBA before continuing his career overseas in Japan and Moscow.
Ayres remained close to the ASU program after his playing days, serving as a mentor and familiar face around Tempe.
"I was speechless," Ayres said. "I’m still kind of getting goosebumps. It’s been something I’ve thought about for a while, and just to cement that legacy and be able to look up in the rafters, it's going to be so cool. This school is very special to me."
Hurley praised both Ayres and Dort as players and leaders, and he aims to set a similar tone himself as he enters a critical year. Following NCAA rule changes related to the House settlement, programs like ASU are allowed to carry up to 15 scholarship players — the most under Hurley’s tenure.
With that depth, the path forward starts in practice.
"I'm bringing, I think, potentially 15 guys in," Hurley said. "I have a vision of an intra-squad scrimmage in July where I could have eight guys on one team and seven on another, and now we get to compete against each other. I'm looking for more competition and better practices."
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