Arizona State gets favorable draw in Big 12 basketball tournament bracket

The Arizona State Sun Devils started the 2024-25 college basketball season with a bang. But they're going out with a whimper.

After running out to a 10-3 record that included wins over New Mexico and Saint Mary's, the Sun Devils crumbled in their first season in the Big 12, finishing 4-16 in conference and losing 10 of their last 11 games. ASU (13-18) ended its conference slate with an 85-57 home loss to Texas Tech on Saturday.

Questions have been swirling around head coach Bobby Hurley's job status for well over a month, and it appears the only thing that could save his job is a miraculous run to the Big 12 Tournament championship. While winning five games in five days is highly unlikely for any team — much less the Sun Devils — they did get a favorable draw in the tournament bracket.

Arizona State, the No. 15 seed, will face No. 10 seed Kansas State in the first round of the Big 12 Tournament on Tuesday in Kansas City. The Wildcats are the only team Arizona State has beaten in the last six weeks, a 66-54 road victory in Manhattan, Kansas on Feb. 23.

If ASU finds a way to beat Kansas State, they will face No. 7 seed Baylor in the second round on Wednesday. The Sun Devils lost to Baylor 72-66 in overtime in their only meeting this season on Jan. 11.

If the Sun Devils get to the quarterfinals, Texas Tech will be waiting. Here are the Big 12 Tournament seeds and matchups for the first three rounds in Kansas City:

First round - Tuesday, March 11

• Game 1 - No. 12 seed Oklahoma State vs. No. 13 Seed Cincinnati - 11:30 a.m. CT
• Game 2 – No. 9 seed TCU vs. No. 16 seed Colorado - 2 p.m. CT
• Game 3 – No. 10 seed Kansas State vs. No. 15 seed Arizona State - 6 p.m. CT
• Game 4 – No. 11 seed Utah vs. No. 14 seed UCF - 8:30 p.m. CT

Second round - Wednesday, March 12

• Game 5 – No. 5 seed Iowa State vs. Winner of Game 1 - 11:30 a.m. CT
• Game 6 – No. 8 seed West Virginia vs. Winner of Game 2 - 2 p.m. CT
• Game 7 – No. 7 seed Baylor vs. Winner of Game 3 - 6 p.m. CT
• Game 8 – No. 6 seed Kansas vs. Winner of Game 4 - 8:30 p.m. CT

Quarterfinals - Thursday, March 13

• Game 9 – No. 4 seed BYU vs. Winner of Game 5 - 11:30 a.m. CT
• Game 10 – No. 1 seed Houston vs. Winner of Game 6 - 2 p.m. CT
• Game 11 – No. 2 seed Texas Tech vs. Winner of Game 7 - 6 p.m. CT
• Game 12 – No. 3 seed Arizona vs. Winner of Game 8 - 8:30 p.m. CT