Sun Devils struggle in road test against No. 9 BYU, picking up fourth consecutive loss

(Photo: Sun Devil Athletics)

Inside the Marriott Center in Provo, Utah, on Wednesday, the Sun Devils felt a lid on the basket from the opening tip. Whilst a shoo-in first round pick in the 2026 NBA draft, and company showed no signs of struggles on the other end.

For four separate stretches spanning three and a half minutes or longer, the Sun Devils didn’t convert a field goal attempt. Meanwhile, ASU’s opponents, BYU, shot 57.4% on the night, with scoreless runs coming few and far between en route to a 104-76 victory.

BYU’s (14-1, 2-0 Big 12) prolific offense was just one of many factors in part of their victory over the Sun Devils (9-6, 0-2).

BYU “Big 3” Bullies

The trio of freshman forward AJ Dybantsa, sophomore guard Rob Wright III, and senior guard Richie Saunders has been one of the most prolific units in the Big 12 and showed it Wednesday night.

Head coach Kevin Young’s “Big 3” outscored ASU by themselves, 81-76. It was also a triad of efficiency, as they combined to shoot 26-of-41 from the field and 11-of-19 from three.

Saunders led the way in scoring with a new career high of 31 points on 10-of-13 shooting. Saunders nailed 6-of-8 three-pointers, with the Sun Devils’ defense seemingly losing track of the marksmen at every opportunity.

Also, despite his 6-foot-5-inch frame, Saunders led the way on the glass, with eight total rebounds on the night.

As for Dybantsa, he came into this season with hopes of being the No. 1 Overall pick in the 2026 NBA draft and displayed that potential with a fiery 23-point performance. Dybantsa’s length and athleticism proved difficult to stop, as ASU was undermanned with the absences of redshirt sophomore forward Marcus Adams Jr. and junior guard Bryce Ford.

Wright’s 27 points were also a career high for himself, and he finished the night playing 37 of 40 minutes.

ASU Offensive Woes

The Sun Devils’ offense continued their woes into the fourth game of this losing span, as they shot 38.4% from the field. This was ASU’s second-lowest mark of the season, only ahead of its 77-65 loss against then-No. 8 Gonzaga.

The three-point shooting well also continued to run dry for the Sun Devils, as they shot 28%. This was ASU’s fourth consecutive game

Senior guard Anthony “Pig” Johnson led his team in scoring with 24 points, but did it on an inefficient 7-of-21 line. Johnson showed will and determination to get to the rim time and time again, but came up empty too many times.

To Johnson’s credit, he was able to get to the free-throw line repeatedly, as he converted 7-of-9 attempts from the charity stripe.

However, Johnson was one of only two Sun Devils to get to the free-throw line on two occasions, with the other being freshman center Massamba Diop. Diop converted 6-of-8 free throws, as he finished with a career high 22 points.

Senior guard Moe Odum also struggled to make his impact felt on the scoring side, finishing the night with only 10 points. Yet, Odum was strong, making plays for others, with six assists and not one turnover blemish.

All in all, the Sun Devils’ offense showed moments of promise with Diop’s presence in the paint and Odum’s playmaking, but the four lengthy spans without a field goal proved costly in their pursuit of an upset.

Issues Down Low

While Diop finished with a career high in points, the rest of ASU’s team did not see that same success in the paint.

BYU blocked 10 shots on the night, with former NBA G-League center Abdullah Ahmed blocking five.

Graduate forward Allen Mukeba and redshirt sophomore forward Santiago Trouet weren’t able to bypass the brigade from Ahmed and Co., as both went 2-of-6 in the paint.

Johnson’s offensive struggles were also seen in the paint, as he had multiple of his own shots blocked in the paint.

Meanwhile, the Sun Devils only blocked one shot themselves. Despite the difference on the blocks scale, the rebounding scale was near-even.

ASU lost the rebounding battle 40-38, with Diop leading the way with nine rebounds.

The Sun Devils won on the offensive glass by a margin of 20–11, but lost on the defensive glass, 29-18, primarily due to the difference in shooting conversion.

Ultimately, ASU’s woes in the paint were a microcosm of the team’s struggles in a dominant defeat at the hands of BYU.

What’s Next?

The Sun Devils have no time to dwell on Wednesday night’s blowout loss, as they return home to take on Kansas State in just three days’ time.

ASU will be looking to not only break this current four-game losing streak, but also a six-game losing streak in Big 12 play dating back to last season.