Houston's Big 12 Beatdown Tour visited the Valley of the Sun this week and showed Arizona State what elite-level college basketball looks like.
The Cougars crushed the Sun Devils 80-65, leading by as many as 23 points and never trailing at Desert Financial Arena, where ASU has now lost seven consecutive games.
Houston (22-4 overall, 14-1 Big 12) also extended its winning streak in conference road games to 12 in a row — the longest in the nation — dating back to last season.
Road Warriors - 1⃣2⃣ in a row❗️
— Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) February 19, 2025
The new mark in the Big 12.#Big12MBB | @UHCougarMBK pic.twitter.com/Cd4QMOyNzs
The Cougars are 8-0 in Big 12 road games this season and 6-1 at home, with the lone setback coming Feb. 1 with an 82-81 overtime loss to Texas Tech.
Houston simply has been the big dog in the Big 12, outscoring conference foes by 14.1 points per game while boasting the league's top defense.
The Cougars certainly are deserving of their No. 5 ranking in this week's Associated Press Top 25 poll, as well as the projected No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament bracket preview.
Four other Big 12 teams are ranked in the AP Top 25, including Houston's next opponent: No. 8 Iowa State. The Cougars and Cyclones are joined in the rankings by No. 9 Texas Tech, No. 19 Arizona and No. 23 Kansas.
ESPN's "College GameDay" will visit Houston's Fertitta Center on Saturday to highlight the top 10 matchup between the Cougars and Cyclones. It's the second time in three weeks that the popular pregame show has featured the Big 12, following the Feb. 8 visit to Ames, Iowa, for Iowa State vs. TCU.
We're headed to Houston ‼️ pic.twitter.com/M1mN6GvoOR
— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) February 15, 2025
Arizona State, meanwhile, is running out of time to build a modicum of momentum heading into the Big 12 tournament March 11-15 at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri.
The Sun Devils (12-14, 3-12) face Kansas State in Manhattan, Kansas, at 2 p.m. MST Sunday. The Wildcats edged ASU 71-70 in Tempe on Feb. 4 in the second of what since has become a season-long, six-game losing streak for the Sun Devils.
Arizona State's remaining Big 12 schedule is daunting:
- Feb. 26 vs. BYU
- March 1 at Utah
- March 4 at No. 19 Arizona
- March 8 vs. No. 9 Texas Tech
All 16 schools will advance to the Big 12 tournament, with the top four seeds earning byes into the quarterfinals and the fifth-eighth seeds automatically advancing to the second round.
If the Sun Devils finish the season as the No. 15 seed, they would face the No. 10 seed for the opportunity to play the No. 7 seed in the second round. As of Thursday, Utah is the No. 10 seed, and Baylor holds the No. 7 spot.
2024-25 Big 12 men's basketball standings
School | Big 12 Record | Overall Record | Streak |
|---|---|---|---|
Houston | 14-1 | 22-4 | Won 5 |
Arizona | 12-3 | 18-8 | Won 1 |
Iowa State | 11-4 | 21-5 | Won 4 |
Texas Tech | 11-4 | 20-6 | Lost 1 |
BYU | 9-6 | 18-8 | Won 3 |
Kansas | 8-7 | 17-9 | Lost 2 |
Baylor | 8-7 | 16-10 | Lost 1 |
TCU | 8-7 | 15-11 | Won 3 |
West Virginia | 7-8 | 16-10 | Won 1 |
Utah | 7-8 | 15-11 | Won 2 |
Kansas State | 7-8 | 13-13 | Lost 2 |
Cincinnati | 5-10 | 15-11 | Lost 2 |
Oklahoma State | 5-10 | 13-13 | Won 1 |
UCF | 4-11 | 13-13 | Lost 7 |
Arizona State | 3-12 | 12-14 | Lost 6 |
Colorado | 1-14 | 10-16 | Lost 1 |