How ASU Set Up To Compete in Daunting Big 12

The Big 12 conference for College Basketball is the best out of all of them. Last season, that was certainly the case, and going into next season, that will not change.

They want to be the best conference once again, and they have a lot of different teams that could make the NCAA Tournament. From top to bottom, the Big 12 is filled with teams that are complete and know how to play good basketball. It is a conference where teams beat each other up a lot.

May 7, 2026; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils basketball head coach Randy Bennett speaks to the media during an introductory press conference at the Weatherup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

One week, you have a good stretch of games, and the next week, it is one rough one because you are facing top teams each time you step on the court. That is how it will be next season. Before, you wouldn't hear the Big 12 being called the best, but times have changed, and it shows that teams have to adapt and make the right adjustments to be successful. That is certainly what all the teams have to do when playing in this conference.

Mar 19, 2026; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Saint Mary's (CA) Gaels forward Paulius Murauskas (23) faces off against Texas A&M Aggies forward Zach Clemence (7) during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

ASU Taking Right Steps for Big 12 Play

The Arizona State Sun Devils will have to enter this season differently than they have in the last few seasons. They started on the right foot by bringing in a great head coach in Randy Bennett this offseason. He knows what it takes to win at the highest level and get a team on track to compete with the best teams in college basketball. And he is going to make sure that his team is ready for conference play by the way they work this offseason.

Offseason Set ASU Up for Success

The offseason is as important as the season. That is when your team buys into or not to the season and all the challenges it will present. That is not the only thing that will get you ready for this conference. The non-conference schedule plays a huge roll on how a team does in the Big 12. They want to play good teams in other conferences, because once they get into conference play, the good teams do not stop coming after them. Every game feels like you are playing the best.

Arizona State, along with many of its Big 12 rivals, has made non-conference schedules that will suit them well when they get into conference play. That will make them even better in the toughest league in the sport.

Saint Mary's head coach Randy Bennett walks in front of the bench in the first half during a first round men’s basketball game of the NCAA Tournament between St. Mary's and Texas A&M, at Paycom in Oklahoma City on Thursday, March 19, 2026. | NATHAN J. FISH/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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