A bleak campaign continues down its treacherous path for Arizona State men's basketball. After falling to under .500 on its season record, ASU (12-13, 3-11 Big 12) displayed a new level of irritation following its 74-70 home defeat against Texas Christian on Saturday. The road Horned Frogs entered Tempe with a 1-6 road record on the 2024-25 season, making this matchup an ideal one for the struggling Sun Devils. Despite the lackluster competition, the host dropped their ninth game in 11 contests, marking a fifth consecutive home game without a win.
After the contest, the usually animated ASU head coach Bobby Hurley presented himself in a tranquil manner during the post-game press conference. Resembling a disappointed parental figure, Hurley didn't waste time hounding his players for yet another close defeat. Rather, he simply accepted a new reality, one where he's out of options or adjustments on how to improve the team's circumstances.
“My players didn’t even want me to talk to them after the game,” Hurley said. “‘What do you want me to say at this point?’ is some of the comments I got from my own players. I think they’re fairly frustrated at this point that we haven’t been able to close these games out, and we find new ways to not be able to get a win. So, I think we’re all at premium frustration.”
In seven of its last nine losses, ASU has been bested by a single-digit margin. Hurley’s anecdote tells the story of a team capsized by its own inability to come away with victories in the dying embers of a contest. On Tuesday night, it hosts a team that will allow no room for error.
The Big 12 table-toppers travel to Tempe, as perennial powerhouse, No. 5 Houston (21-4, 13-1), will face off with the Sun Devils at Desert Financial Arena. Houston has stifled its opponents all season like no other, with the best-scoring defensive team in the nation, allowing just 57.3 points per game. It's nothing short of a miracle to produce over 70 points on the Cougars in regulation.
The Cougars' relentless defensive pressure and ability to dictate the pace of play say it all. However, they rank outside the top 50 in the country in steals per game, and their 38.1% opponent field goal percentage places them sixth in NCAA Division I.
Houston's methodical pacing forces teams into long possessions and minimal shot attempts per game. In 24 of 25 contests, the Big 12 leaders attempted more shots than their opponents, a clear point of emphasis for program head coach Kelvin Sampson.
Offensively, the Cougars don’t top the national charts, but they rank exceptionally well in one metric: three-point shooting. They shoot a conference-best 39% from beyond the arc, which is good for the 11th in the country.
A thematic trend noticed when observing Houston’s season statistics is the program's ability to value every possession on both sides of the ball. This is a key reason it ranks so highly in many major statistical categories as the stand-alone conference leader—a stark contrast to ASU's inability to clean up the minor details that go a long way in the grand scheme of a grueling collegiate season.
With that being noted, the Cougars have displayed in all facets why they are so dominant. They have the largest scoring margin in the Big 12 at a +17 point differential per contest, which ranks third in the nation. They are also first in the conference in turnover margin with a +5.24 turnover per game. They concede just nine turnovers a night, the fewest in the league while forcing over 14, the second most. ASU is placed 15th in turnover margin at -1.32 turnovers per game.
To break down the individuals responsible for the high levels of production, look no further than graduate guard LJ Cryer. The sharpshooter leads the team in scoring at 14.3 points per game. As the primary outlet for outside scoring, Cryer shoots a higher percentage from three-point range (40.3%) than he does from the floor holistically (39.7%). This is largely due to his immense volume of outside shot attempts, with 174 of 300 (58%) of his field goal attempts being three-pointers. Cryer is also a great option for the Cougars down the stretch of close contests, shooting 90.7% from the charity stripe.
Cryer’s backcourt aid comes from redshirt junior guard Emanuel Sharp and junior Milos Uzan. For the 6-foot-3 Sharp, his last name fits the description of his talents. A sniper from long-range, he averages 11.8 points per game, shooting 42.7% from the field and 41.5% from three-point land. Similarly to Cryer, a majority of Sharp’s field goal attempts are from a distance, with 123 of 178 (69%) field goal attempts coming from beyond the arc. Sharp is also the team and conference leader in free-throw percentage, shooting 91.8% from the line.
For Uzan, the dynamic 6-foot-4 playmaker averages 10.6 points per game, the fourth most on the squad, while averaging a team-high 4.9 assists. Uzan spends the majority of his time going downhill to create shots for his lethal shooters. However, his 42% shooting from deep proves he’s anything but a liability from beyond the arc.
Houston's fourth critical starter is 6-foot-8 graduate forward J’Wan Roberts. The U.S. Virgin Islands native uses his 235-pound frame to bully opposing bigs. His team-leading 6.4 rebounds per game and 11.6 interior points per game play an integral role in the Cougars' inside-out dynamic.
The remainder of Houston’s roster fulfills numerous roles needed for an elite-level basketball team. Although no fifth player has started 20 or more games, dynamic fringe starters sophomore guard Terrance Arceneaux and forward Joseph Tugler have started a combined 23 games for the Cougars, with Tugler making the starting five in 19 matches.
Tugler is a 6-foot-8 powerhouse forward who makes the most of his 22 minutes per game. He averages just 5.9 points but dominates the interior, averaging 6.1 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game.
Arceneaux is a lengthy 6-foot-6 combo guard who utilizes every tangible skill set Sampson looks for in wing players. Averaging 8.6 points and 1.1 steals, he can play downhill and dominate on both ends of the floor. Like every other player on the Houston roster, his 39% shooting from deep feels normal for a player of his size and length. However, when playing for a top-5 team in the nation, even an extraordinary talent can appear just extraordinary.
ASU is going to have its hands full on Tuesday night. With five-star freshman forward Jayden Quaintace potentially missing his third consecutive game, the Sun Devils' odds appear slim at face value. However, this is a team that, even during a trying season, has proven it can and will play up to the competition.
When they traveled to Lubbock to face No. 9 Texas Tech, the Sun Devils played the host in a blockbuster shootout. They forced double overtime and nearly defeated the Big 12’s second-place team, losing narrowly, 111-106. The Red Raiders are also the only side to defeat Houston to this point, noting a level of talent that one could assume ASU also has at its disposal.
If ASU desires any chance of defeating one of the nation’s best programs, it’ll require more than just lethal shooting from its talented offensive players. Rather, Hurley’s team will require cohesiveness on both ends of the floor—something it’s yet to show for a full 40 minutes. But for the Sun Devils, it’s certainly better late than never.
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