TEMPE – Arizona State men’s basketball coach Bobby Hurley admitted that the outlook for his team in 2025-26 is somewhat of an unknown.
“My team is a little bit mysterious,” Hurley said.
That’s one way to describe a team picked to finish last in the Big 12 preseason media poll. However, after Hurley went an untraditional route in the offseason to retool the program, recruiting multiple overseas players as well as several from mid-major – and smaller – programs, the ranking is not unexpected.
In ASU’s final exhibition game, a 95-88 loss to Texas A&M, Hurley started five transfers, including former Pinnacle High guard Bryce Ford, who transferred from Toledo; Argentinian forward Santiago Trouet, who transferred from San Diego; big man Jovan Ićitović, who played professionally in Montenegro; and guards Moe Odum, a Pepperdine transfer, and Anthony “Pig” Johnson, who played at the NAIA level last season.
After a 13-20 (4-16 conference) record last season, Hurley is hopeful that the new faces can turn around the program by using their experience to their advantage and show they’re capable of playing at the next level.
The Sun Devils could begin to solve Hurley’s mystery Tuesday when they open the season against Southern Utah at ASU’s Desert Financial Arena.
While the Big 12 is regarded as one of the best basketball conferences in the NCAA, Hurley believes the players he recruited from smaller programs have talent that will translate to a major conference.
“We went with mid-major guys that we heard stuff (on) that is transferring up,” Hurley said. “We’ll see how all that translates. I don’t feel like we’re a team that is at, you know, the bottom of the league. … It’s a very good league and I guess they have to pick somebody last.”
One of the big pickups through the transfer portal for the Sun Devils is Odum, a senior playmaking guard. He’s coming off a productive season at Pepperdine where he finished fourth in the nation, averaging 7.5 assists per game. Odum, a native of the Bronx in New York, played two seasons at Pacific before transferring to Pepperdine.
While the modern offense rarely offers a traditional pass-first point guard, Odum brings a playstyle to Tempe that excites Hurley.
“(He has) unique ability off the dribble to just be shifting and drawing defense,” Hurley said of Odum. “He can rifle a pass, (he’s) a 3-point shooter, he can throw a lob…He just plays to win.”
Odum has self-belief that he can contribute at the Power Four level and make a meaningful impact for the Sun Devils this season.
“I would say I’m motivated, but I’m also grateful to just be here,” Odum said. “I’m looking to play hard. I’m not looking forward to anything but playing hard with my teammates.”
Odum echoed the energy that Hurley expressed about the media poll placing the Sun Devils last in the Big 12, and suggested that they will play with an even bigger chip on their shoulders because of it.
“You can’t really predict us,” Odum said. “They don’t really expect much out of us, it’s not a surprise. Now all we have to do is go out there and play hard and shock the world. It’s up to us to do it together.”
Another key piece for the Sun Devils could be “Pig” Johnson, a 6-foot-3 guard who starred at the University of Cumberlands, an NAIA program, where he averaged 23.6 points a game to lead the team. His 779 points in 2024-25 also led the NAIA.
Johnson showed he has the potential to be equally effective at the Division I level, dropping 27 points in ASU’s exhibition game against Texas A&M.
The Sun Devils will be missing a few key players as the season begins.
Sophomore guard Noah Meeusen rolled his ankle in a recent practice and will miss a few weeks. The news wasn’t as good for junior forward Vijay Wallace, who suffered a dislocated ankle against Texas A&M and has been ruled out for the season. Wallace, a junior college transfer from Triton College in River Grove, Illinois, and Meeusen, who played in Belgium’s BNXT League, were considered key pieces of Hurley’s transfer class.
Another Belgian, graduate forward Allan Mukeba, comes over from Oakland University, where he led the team with 14.6 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. He is another former mid-major player hoping to prove himself against elevated talent.
Mukeba said the difference between major college and mid-major programs comes down to the intensity of practices and the knowledge of the coach.
“As a player, you always want to play at the highest level,” Mukeba said. “It’s a dream come true for me, personally, to play out here for our team. I really got the motivation to play.”
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