The Arizona State Sun Devils (ASU) are preparing to compete in the inaugural College Basketball Crown tournament. The event will take place March 31 through April 6 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.  

This tournament presents an opportunity for the Sun Devils to showcase their talent as a team and as individuals after missing out on the 2025 NCAA Tournament. However, ASU has still had a strong season, as they were one of only four teams in the country with at least five neutral-site wins.  

ASU will face Nebraska in the first round on March 31. The Sun Devils enter with a 13-19 (4-16) record, while Nebraska holds a 17-14 (7-13) record, setting up an exciting matchup.  

Sun Devils head coach Bobby Hurley believes his team should have earned a spot in the NCAA Tournament, but this tournament provides another chance to prove themselves.

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“ASU is not the problem whatsoever,” Hurley said. “They really backed us to go out and put together a team that should’ve been an NCAA Tournament team, but we did not get the job done in that regard.”  

Similar to the NCAA Tournament, the College Basketball Crown will follow a single-elimination format. The 16-team bracket includes representatives from seven conferences: the Big 12, Big East, Big Ten, WCC, Mountain West, A-10 and AAC.  

The Sun Devils are looking over both their strengths and weaknesses as they prepare for the tournament, taking key players’ status into account. Freshman Jayden Quaintance will likely sit out due to a right knee injury sustained during a game back in February against Kansas State.  

However, ASU will rely on senior guard Alston Mason, who has been a strong player and performer this season. Over the last 10 games, Mason has consistently delivered double-digit scoring performances.