TEMPE – Off a rebound corralled by sophomore forward Marcus Adams Jr., Arizona State kicked it into transition mode, zipping multiple passes around the floor. The ball never touched the ground, ending in the hands of freshman center Massamba Diop for an emphatic slam.
The Sun Devils defeated Southern Utah 81-64 Tuesday night in their season opener at Desert Financial Arena. The Maroon and Gold showed a surprisingly substantial connection throughout the game, leading to four different players scoring 10 or more points.
TRANSITION OFFENSE 😈
— Sun Devil MBB (@SunDevilHoops) November 5, 2025
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Devs up 51-36 pic.twitter.com/I6zhaiEuYk
“They like each other and they’re willing to make the extra pass,” ASU coach Bobby Hurley said. “The international guys (have) got a good feel … It’s good to have guys that have a feel for the game.”
The Sun Devils only retained a single player who saw minutes last season in sophomore guard Trevor Best. Five different players from Hurley’s squad came to Tempe from overseas, making for a challenging climb in developing chemistry.
Due to the slower pace of international play, transitioning to the college game presents a difficult adjustment for many of ASU’s players. In order to adjust to the fast-paced and physical style of American basketball, many of the international guys worked harder in the offseason.
“We push them (international players) to keep up with us (American players),” senior guard Anthony “Pig” Johnson said. “They run fast, we run fast. We just have to keep each other on the same track and be on the same page.”
It didn’t seem to be a problem for the international athletes who saw playing time. Junior forward Andrija Grbović and Diop both found success connecting with their teammates. Grbović had eight points and four rebounds while Diop scored 14 points and registered three blocks on the night.
The Sun Devils’ big men for the Sun Devils performed throughout the entire game. With multiple unselfish feeds into the low post and painted area, Diop and graduate forward Allen Mukeba took advantage of open looks and allowed ASU to develop an offensive rhythm.
Arizona State finished the game with 17 assists and 24 fast-break points.
The catalyst of the ball movement?
Senior guard transfer Moe Odum.
Odum finished with eight assists on the night to multiple teammates. On almost every fast-break opportunity in transition, Odum swung the ball to an open white jersey, creating easy looks for his teammates.
“Moe is a guy that I can give the ball to and trust,” Hurley said. “He’ll continue to flourish the way we play and look for Mussamba or Andrea. … Eventually they’ll really start connecting and things will work out.”
Johnson also impressed in his debut at the NCAA level. The former NAIA playmaker finished with a team-high 17 points.
“My teammates trust me,” Johnson said. “I trust coach (Hurley) and what he has going on. … Whatever I have to do to win, I’m going to do it.”
However, on the defensive end, the Sun Devils didn’t have the same cohesion. They struggled to communicate and slow down the Thunderbirds, as the defensive effort didn’t live up to Hurley’s standard.
“There’s a lot of work to still be done, especially today defensively,” Hurley said. “We lost containment of the ball way too much. I thought we were way too spread out on defense, not helping when a guy did drive the ball. They got into the paint way too much.”
Southern Utah ended the night with 44 points in the paint and got to the bucket 29 times for layups, proving that the Maroon and Gold still have a way to go in figuring out how the pieces fit on the defensive side.
While growing pains were almost certain with a team that welcomed 14 new scholarship players, ASU overall seemed ahead of schedule with its togetherness through one game. The Sun Devils will be looking to build their chemistry before their next game against Utah Tech on Saturday at 1 p.m.
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