Arizona State, Baylor Battle to Keep Slim Postseason Hopes Alive

The Sun Devils and Bears face off in the opening round of the Big 12 Conference tournament with NCAA Tournament berths on the line.

Published on Mar. 9, 2026

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Twelfth-seeded Arizona State and No. 13 seed Baylor will meet in the opening game of the Big 12 Conference tournament on Tuesday, with both teams hoping to keep their NCAA Tournament chances alive for at least one more day. The Sun Devils are coming off a lopsided loss to No. 7 Iowa State, while the Bears are looking to build on a blowout win over Utah in their regular-season finale.

Why it matters

With both teams hovering around .500 on the season, the winner of this matchup will have a chance to potentially earn an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament by making a deep run in the conference tournament. However, the loser will likely see their postseason hopes come to an end.

The details

Arizona State (16-15, 7-11 Big 12) is led by Massamba Diop, Anthony Johnson, and Maurice Odum, while Baylor (16-15, 6-12) is paced by Tounde Yessoufou and Cameron Carr. The Bears defeated the Sun Devils 73-68 in their only meeting this season. The winner of Tuesday's game will face fifth-seeded Iowa State in the next round.

  • The game will tip off on Tuesday afternoon in Kansas City.
  • Arizona State is coming off a loss to No. 7 Iowa State on Saturday.
  • Baylor is coming off a blowout win over Utah in its regular-season finale on Saturday.

The players

Bobby Hurley

Head coach of the Arizona State Sun Devils.

Massamba Diop

Leading scorer for the Arizona State Sun Devils.

Caden Powell

Center for the Baylor Bears.

Scott Drew

Head coach of the Baylor Bears, earning his 500th career win on Saturday.

Tounde Yessoufou

Scored 26 points for the Baylor Bears in their win over Utah.

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What they’re saying

“We have a lot of scars, battle scars. These kids, I really have enjoyed coaching them. They give me what they have. We need to figure out a way to put together two halves.”

— Bobby Hurley, Head coach, Arizona State Sun Devils (statenews.net)

“Going through the ups and downs of the year, obviously we're not where we want to be right now. There's still opportunity for us. The door's still open. Even though it may be extremely challenging, the door's still open.”

— Caden Powell, Center, Baylor Bears (statenews.net)

What’s next

The winner of Tuesday's game between Arizona State and Baylor will face fifth-seeded Iowa State in the next round of the Big 12 Conference tournament on Wednesday.

The takeaway

This matchup between the Sun Devils and Bears represents a last chance for both teams to keep their NCAA Tournament hopes alive. The winner will have an opportunity to potentially earn an at-large bid by making a deep run in the conference tournament, while the loser will likely see their season come to an end.