In the final hours of Monday, Nov. 24, Feast Week, college basketball’s bonanza of preseason tournaments during the week of Thanksgiving wound down in the lower 48 states.

However, Arizona State senior guard Moe Odum just woke up across the Pacific.

Odum went nuclear against Texas, dropping 36 points and hitting six 3-pointers, including a game-winner with 10 seconds left, propelling ASU over the Longhorns 87-86.

Odum’s outburst made him the first Sun Devil to score 35-plus points in a single game since Alonzo Verge Jr. poured in 43 against Saint Mary’s in 2019.

Yet, Odom proved more, hitting five 3-pointers the next day, Nov. 25, and finishing with 26 points and five assists in a 100-94 shootout win over Washington State.

Over the course of those two games, Odum went 11-for-19 from beyond the arc and 25-for-27 from the free-throw line.

Despite Odom’s magic in the Maui Invitational, the Sun Devils’ run ended short of the title, as they fell 88-75 to USC in the championship game. 

Red-hot from the jump, the Trojans shot 60% from the field in the contest.

Consequently, for leaving Maui victorious, USC appeared in this week’s AP Poll at No. 24, marking its first ranked appearance.

In terms of individual efforts, Trojan senior guard Chad Baker-Mazara totaled 23 points and received tournament MVP honors. 

Baker-Mazara also became the first player in the tournament's history to win back-to-back seasons, winning with Auburn in 2024 – No team has ever won the tournament twice in a row.

While USC reigned victorious, rebounding remained a recurring issue for ASU. 

The Sun Devils secured just 21 total boards in the championship loss, partially due to the Trojans’ hot shooting. Add the team’s 31.4 rebounds per game (last in Big 12), and ASU’s eyes are set on improving on the boards.

Now, head coach Bobby Hurley and his team return to the mainland and shift their focus to a formidable SEC opponent. 

ASU (6-2) squares off against Oklahoma on Saturday, Dec. 6, at the Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix. Part of this year’s Jerry Colangelo Hall of Fame Series, Grand Canyon and Oklahoma State join the Sun Devils and Sooners in a doubleheader of action in the home of the NBA’s Phoenix Suns.

Head coach Porter Moser, who propelled 11-seeded Loyola-Chicago on a magical run to the Final Four in 2018, before taking the Oklahoma job in 2021, leads the Sooners (5-2) into Saturday’s contest. 

Between the lines, the centerpiece of Oklahoma’s offense is senior guard Nijel Pack, averaging 19.3 points per game. Pack does the bulk of his damage from behind the arc, connecting on over one-half of his attempts from long range so far this season.

Whoever has the upper hand between Pack and Odum is a key to victory for both sides, as the two experienced counterparts in the backcourt have put up similar numbers on the campaign.

The two sides also have a common opponent already this season, with nearly identical results to show for it. The Sooners and the Sun Devils both faced No. 11 Gonzaga, with Oklahoma falling 83-68 in Spokane and ASU losing 77-65 in Tempe.

Before they make the trip to the Valley, the Sooners head east and face Wake Forest on Tuesday, Dec. 2.

In what is essentially a home game for ASU, Hurley and the Sun Devils have another opportunity to add to their collection of solid wins this season in a year where a tournament berth seems especially necessary for Hurley to stay in Tempe.