TEMPE — Bobby Hurley’s Arizona State Sun Devils (13-12, 4-8 Big 12) face a critical stretch of their season, kicking off with the first of six remaining regular-season games Tuesday night against the #13 Texas Tech Red Raiders (19-6, 9-3) at Desert Financial Arena in Tempe.
The Sun Devils resume play after a week-long break, having previously defeated Oklahoma State on February 10. Texas Tech, conversely, is fresh off an impressive road win against Arizona this past Saturday.
Coach Hurley enters this matchup with significantly more challenges than his opponent, Grant McCasland, especially given the Monday night revelation that Bryce Ford is doubtful to play. This news further limits Arizona State’s already tight rotation.
Arizona State’s Announced Starting Lineup
Odum has consistently driven Arizona State’s performance this season. The senior point guard leads the team in points, assists, and steals, showcasing remarkable durability by playing in every game, a true measure of his reliability.
This game marks Meeusen’s fourth career start. The 6’5″ guard offers a more favorable matchup against Texas Tech’s starters than Anthony “Pig” Johnson, at least on paper.
Trouet delivered his top performance of the junior season last Tuesday, contributing 16 points and 10 rebounds in the victory against Oklahoma State, a game-changing effort that likely secured the win in a close contest.
Grbovic is confirmed to play after initially being listed as questionable on Monday. The Montenegro native is making his 20th start of the season and will be relied upon for clutch shooting.
Diop stands out as the Sun Devil most capable of independently influencing both offense and defense. The freshman center faces a tough challenge against Texas Tech’s formidable front-line, but the 21-year-old is ready, having performed admirably in two previous games against Arizona.
It’s anticipated that the Sun Devils will deploy two key bench players tonight: guard Anthony “Pig” Johnson and forward Allen Mukeba, with a possibility that guard Trevor Best could also get some playing time.
The Arizona State versus Texas Tech game is scheduled to tip off just after 9 P.M. MST.
Discover more about head coach Bobby Hurley’s audacious strategy, discussed on 1/21 here, and how Arizona State’s Saturday win against Cincinnati might have rescued their season, detailed here..
Share your feedback by liking our Facebook page; you can access it by clicking here.
For continuous Arizona State updates, follow us on X here, and also check out @khicks_21!