February 21, 2026; Waco, Texas, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils guard Maurice Odom (5) attempts a pass against Baylor Bears guard Isaac Williams (10) in the second half at Paul and Alejandra Foster Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-Imagn Images No. 12 seed Arizona State will face No. 13 seed Baylor in the Big 12 Conference tournament opener Tuesday afternoon in Kansas City, with both teams hoping to keep their NCAA Tournament chances alive for at least one more day.
The Sun Devils (16-15, 7-11 Big 12) enter the conference tournament after suffering a painful 86-65 loss at No. 7 Iowa State on Saturday. Arizona State led by four points in the first half of that game, but dominated the first 12 minutes of the second half before Iowa State fell by 24 straight points and the Sun Devils never recovered.
Arizona State went scoreless for 8 minutes and 45 seconds during this critical period and endured 10 minutes and 42 seconds without a field goal. Massamba Diop led the Sun Devils with 12 points, which snapped their second straight win, while Anthony Johnson and Maurice Odum each had 10 points.
“We have a lot of wounds and battle scars,” Arizona State coach Bobby Hurley said. “I’ve really enjoyed coaching these kids. They give me what they’ve got. We’ve got to find a way to put the two parts together.
“…There’s no more time to figure it out. We’re playing for the season now every time we step on the court.”
Baylor (16-15, 6-12) has alternated wins and losses over its last six contests, but came back at full strength a week after defeating Utah 101-75 at home on Saturday in the regular-season finale. This is the fifth time this season that the Bears have surpassed 100 points, but the first since December 29.
The Bears must get their fifth win in a matter of days or their five-year NCAA Tournament winning streak will end.
“With the ups and downs of this year, obviously we’re not where we want to be right now,” Baylor center Caden Powell said. “We still have a chance. The door is still open. Even though it will be extremely difficult, the door is still open.”
Tounde Yessoufou scored 26 points and Cameron Carr added 21 for the Bears in a win over Utah. They made 61.5 percent of their shots from the floor, forced 16 turnovers that turned into 31 points, and committed just three turnovers to help coach Scott Drew earn his 500th career win.
Baylor defeated Arizona State 73-68 in Waco, Texas, on February 21 in the only meeting between the teams this season.
The winner will face fifth-seeded Iowa State on Wednesday afternoon.
–Field level media
