Odum’s 33 Points resurrect ASU in crucial bounceback win

Nothing defines a leader, a franchise player, or a superstar quite like delivering when a team needs it most. 

It shows in the moments between plays, in how teammates are pulled together and pushed forward. It is the first voice in the huddle and the last body to leave the floor. It is walking the arena after the final buzzer, locking eyes with fans, handing out high fives, making sure they feel seen and appreciated. It is praising the team before ever mentioning yourself.

That is senior point guard Moe Odum in a nutshell. 

And when ASU needed a lift, he did not just provide it. He launched them exactly where they needed to go.

Three days earlier, ASU had suffered one of the most demoralizing losses in recent memory. Head coach Bobby Hurley admitted the Sun Devils had failed to generate energy at home, leaving the program to confront its direction. With Cincinnati coming to Tempe days later, this game would say a lot about ASU’s 2026 season.

A year ago, ASU never found its footing. The 2025 team drifted, lacking voices willing to grab the wheel in a fractured locker room. Hurley could not change the tide. This season, he insisted, is different. This group refuses to fold. When the moment demanded proof, Odum became the embodiment of that belief.

From the opening tip, Odum controlled the game. He dictated tempo, punished defensive lapses, and set the tone on both ends. His scoring came from everywhere, stretching Cincinnati’s defense from deep to the paint. Six three-pointers, 33 points, eight assists, just two turnovers. Every possession felt deliberate, every decision steady. It was Odum’s night from start to finish. When the final horn sounded, ASU had not just earned an 82-68 win over the Bearcats. It had rediscovered its pulse. At the center of it all stood a veteran point guard who reminded everyone what leadership looks like when it matters most.

So when, exactly, did Odum know he was going to have a big night?

“When I woke up,” Odum claimed. 

That response did not happen by accident. ASU and Odum knew something had to change after the loss to West Virginia. Someone had to pull a team back together after a week when Hurley admitted he felt he was failing to reach his players.

“We had a meeting about it,” Odum said. “He wasn’t wrong. We weren’t deliberately ignoring him, but when a coach draws something up, and we don’t run it, that’s not listening. He was right…We came together, staff and players, and said we just have to change it.”

The results were immediate. Energy replaced hesitation. Fight replaced frustration. ASU shot 13 of 28 from three, forced 15 Cincinnati turnovers, and scored 17 points off those mistakes. The ball moved freely, generating 19 fast-break points. Odum’s points and assists accounted for 51 of ASU’s 82 total points, setting the standard possession by possession.

Context made the performance even more impressive. ASU entered Saturday on a three-game skid, a stretch where Odum shot just 17 of 48 from the field. When Odum struggles, ASU often follows, particularly during periods of inconsistent secondary scoring.

So Odum went back to work. Two hours early, back on the court, dialing in the details: free throws, jump shots, footwork, rhythm. Preparing himself for the moment he knew would come.

“I feel like the game where I went three for seven from the free throw line last game, I was rushing,” Odum said. “I wasn’t breathing, I wasn’t bending my knees. So I just got back to the drawing board…I’m continuing to trust my work, whether the shots go in or out. I’m just happy to be here, so I’m trying to play hard whether the ball goes in or not.”

The reset was clear. Odum looked refreshed, confident, fully engaged. The performance echoed past nights where he carried ASU, whether it was his 36-point explosion against Texas in the Maui Invitational or his 12-assist outing against Colorado. Once again, he was doing everything.

He scored 17 first-half points, nearly half of ASU’s 37 before the break. All three of his steals came in the opening half, stripping Cincinnati and igniting transition opportunities. He paired his scoring with playmaking, dishing four assists in each half.

Leadership followed production. Odum has often spoken about pushing freshman center Massamba Diop to reach his potential. Saturday provided another example.

Diop struggled in the first half with just two points, four rebounds, and no blocks, a quiet start for a player who had scored 20 points in three straight games earlier this season. At halftime, Odum challenged him to raise his level.

Diop responded. He added four points, six rebounds, and four blocks in the second half, transforming ASU’s interior defense and anchoring the team.

“I kind of got on Massamba earlier,” Odum said. “I felt like he wasn’t playing hard, and he responded. He came out blocking shots and rebounding…The Big 12 is crazy. Guards, bigs, front courts — everybody’s got their hands full. I’m just trying to bring that competitive fire back.”

ASU carried a four-point lead into halftime, a similar margin they had held against West Virginia earlier in the week. This time, Odum made sure it meant more. He poured in 16 second-half points, all four of his made field goals coming from beyond the arc. One deep three-pointer in the closing seconds served as the final statement. He added seven of eight free throw attempts to seal the win.

Hurley said postgame that Odum’s drive and will to win had caused him to press too hard in recent games, but Saturday he played with control, letting the game come to him and making every possession count. ASU walked off with a much-needed morale boost because of it.

Still, Odum’s work is far from done. He continues to push his teammates, urging them to control what they can and build on the momentum.

“It’s all about controlling the controllables,” Odum said. “Our energy, our effort, keeping that at a high pace, no matter if the other team goes on a run or if we’re up 20. We’re trying to fight like it’s tied. It’s just about maturing through the season. But yeah, it’s possible to turn things around. Plenty of schools have done it after a rough stretch. That’s what I’ve been preaching to the team. One game at a time. You get a few wins in a row in the best conference in the country, and you’re back in the conversation.”