Entering the 2025-26 college basketball season, figures across the sport noted the Big 12 as one of the top conferences capable of producing championship-caliber teams.

Flash forward two months into the season, and the Big 12 did just that and some. 

In the latest AP ranking released on Jan. 12, Big 12 members occupied the No. 1, No. 2 and four of the top 11 spots in the rankings.

ASU and coach Bobby Hurley got a taste of the conference's high-caliber teams on its recent trip to Provo, Utah, to face then-No. 9 BYU on Jan. 7, as the Cougars’ big three of sophomore guard Robert Wright III, senior guard Richie Saunders and freshman forward AJ Dybantsa outscored the Sun Devils themselves en route to a dominant 104-76 victory.

However, ASU quickly got back on track at home on Saturday, Jan. 10, squeezing past Kansas State 87-84. The win was pivotal for a Sun Devils squad that dropped their previous four games before Saturday’s triumph.

Consequently, ASU’s schedule only gets harder from here.

The grueling week of Jan. 12 kicks off with arguably the most difficult place to win in college basketball right now, as the Sun Devils head south on Interstate 10 to renew their storied rivalry with No. 1 Arizona on Wednesday, Jan. 14.

The Wildcats plowed their way to a 16-0 record to start the season, including five wins over opponents ranked in the top 25, behind a high-octane offense averaging 91.1 points per game – the best in the Big 12 and 12th in the nation.

Unlike other top offenses in college basketball, Arizona features a well-balanced attack. 

Senior guard Jaden Bradley and freshman forward and Chandler, Arizona, native Koa Peat, both of whom were named to the Wooden Award midseason top 25 watchlist, lead the way alongside eight different Wildcats who are currently averaging 8-plus points a game. 

Wednesday’s stat to watch is the battle on the boards. Arizona is one of the best rebounding teams in the country, ranking fourth in Division I with 43.94 rebounds per game. 

On the other side of the coin, ASU has consistently struggled to pull down rebounds this season, ranking 273rd in the nation with 34.19 rebounds per game.

On top of the Wildcats’ success this season and dominance on the boards, history isn’t on Hurley’s side in the rivalry. 

In the 11 years with Hurley at the helm, the Sun Devils are 4-17 against their in-state rival and have dropped 10 of their last 11 matchups with Arizona. 

Regardless, the rivalry game at a sold-out McKale Center in Tucson is sure to be an emotionally draining contest for both sides, no matter which team comes out on top.

However, ASU faces a quick turnaround once again and hits the road to Texas, going toe-to-toe with No. 7 Houston on Saturday, Jan. 17.

While the Wildcats shine on the offensive side of the ball, the Cougars’ defense is elite year in and year out. It is no different in 2026, as Houston surrenders the second-least points per game in the country at 60.

Since Houston suffered its only loss to this point in a 76-73 nailbiter against Tennessee on Nov. 25, the Cougars have rattled off nine consecutive victories by an average margin of 17.8 points and currently find themselves at 15-1 on the campaign.

Houston senior guard Emanuel Sharp and freshman guard Kingston Flemings joined Bradley and Peat on the Wooden Award watchlist, with both guards pouring in over 15 points per game this season.

Sharp, along with senior guard Milos Uzan and junior forward Joseph Tugler, is a returning starter from last year’s Houston squad that finished 35-5 and came just short of the 2025 NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship, losing 65-63 to Florida.

The coming week for the Sun Devils is nothing short of one of the toughest back-to-back games anyone can endure in college basketball this season. 

Given how unforgiving the Big 12 appears to be, ASU needs to prove it can compete with anyone on any court and contend in the nation's strongest conference.