It's a new era for Sun Devil basketball with a revamped band of players, Big 12 foes and now a nonconference schedule.
Last season, the Sun Devils finished 6-5 during the nonconference stretch before going 8-12 in their final Pac 12 season. This season's nonconference slate features 12 games before ASU's inaugural season in the Big 12.
Key matchups
Duke, Oct. 27 in Durham, NC
The Blue Devils will welcome back a familiar face as ASU head coach Bobby Hurley returns to his alma mater in a charity exhibition game benefiting Duke Children's Hospital. Duke is bringing in the nation's No. 1 recruiting class headlined by Cooper Flagg, the top player in the 2024 class and a major NBA prospect, per 247Sports.
READ MORE: Bobby Hurley builds new team embracing modern tactics
Idaho State, Nov. 5 in Tempe
The Sun Devils kick off the regular season against Big Sky member Idaho State. The Bengals finished last season 14-20 overall and 7-11 in conference play. Idaho State made it to the Big Sky semifinal game but lost to Montana.
Santa Clara, Nov. 8 in Las Vegas
Last season, Santa Clara finished 20-13 and fourth in the West Coast Conference and went 3-1 against Pac 12 teams. The Broncos will be led by last year's leading scorer Adama-Alpha Bal who averaged 14.4 points a game.
Gonzaga, Nov. 10 in Spokane, WA
Gonzaga head coach Mark Few didn't sign any recruits and will rely on veterans heading into the season. Graham Ike, Nolan Hickman and Ryan Nembhard all return to the Bulldogs' core. Gonzaga also brought in 3 veteran transfers including former Pepperdine star Michael Ajayi and former Temple and Arkansas guard Khalif Battle.
GCU, Nov. 14 in Phoenix
One of the great stories of last season, the Lopes totaled 30 victories, won the Western Athletic Conference, and advanced to the NCAA Tournament Round of 32. GCU did lose Tyon Grant-Foster but returned three of their top five scorers including former Sun Devil Duke Brennan.
St. Thomas, Nov. 17 in Tempe
ASU is back home for the first time in twelve days to face the Tommies, who are going into their 4th season as a Division I school. St. Thomas is coming off a 20-13 season that saw the team lose by just five against No. 7 Marquette.
Cal Poly, Nov. 20 in Tempe
The Mustangs were one of the worst teams in the country last year per KenPom, a computer ranking of every Division I team. Cal Poly went 4-28 and lost all 20 conference games. The Mustangs hired head coach Mike DeGeorge after six seasons at the helm of Colorado Mesa and are looking to turn things around.
Nov. 28 and 29 in Palm Springs, CA
The Acrisure Classic is a midseason tournament pitting ASU against New Mexico and either USC or St. Mary's. Last season, New Mexico went 26-10 and 10-8 in the Mountain West. The Lobos made the NCAA Tournament as an 11-seed but fell to Clemson. They lost key pieces to the transfer portal including Jamal Mashburn Jr. and JT Toppin. New Mexico also lost its electrifying leading scorer Jaelen House to graduation.
San Diego, Dec. 3 in Tempe
The Toreros finished last year with an 18-15 record with an 89-84 home win against the Sun Devils. However, San Diego has seen a major loss of production heading into the new season as its top four scorers left via the transfer portal.
Florida, Dec. 14 in Atlanta
The Gators look to bounce back after a first-round loss against Colorado in the NCAA Tournament. Florida lost guard Riley Kugel to Mississippi State but was able to grab a trio of four-star transfers. The Gators are also bringing back Walter Clayton Jr., their leading scorer who averaged 17.6 points per game last year.
UMass, Dec. 21 in Springfield, MA
The Minutemen, members of the Atlantic 10, are coming off a positive 20-11 turnaround season after a 15-16 finish to the 2022-23 season. UMass has undergone sweeping roster changes after eight players entered the transfer portal. The Minutemen did grab a few solid transfers including former ASU forward Akil Watson.
Edited by Jack Barron, Abigail Beck and Madeline Schmitke.
Reach the reporter at jkmccar2@asu.edu and follow @jackmccarthyasu on X.
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Jack is a junior studying sports journalism with a minor in business. This is his first semester with The State Press. He has also worked at his high school paper.
