Arizona State men’s basketball to open vs. Mississippi State in Chicago

The Arizona State Sun Devils men’s basketball team will begin 2023-24 with a Chicago visit to face the Mississippi State Bulldogs on Nov. 8.

The Sun Devils announced Tuesday they will play in the Barstool Sports Invitational at Wintrust Arena.

The 7 p.m. MST tip will follow the first game of the event between Florida Atlantic and Loyola Chicago. Tickets for Sun Devils fans in or traveling to Chicago are on sale.

ASU is coming off a 23-12 season with an NCAA Tournament appearance. Roster turnover, however, hit head coach Bobby Hurley’s team.

Point guard Frankie Collins, combo guard Jamiya Neal and forward Alonzo Gaffney are among the returning faces.

Mississippi State, led by senior forward Tolu Smith, returns a number of core players from a 21-13 squad that lost in the First Four of the NCAA Tournament in 2022-23.

The Sun Devils last played the Bulldogs in 2018. Arizona State defeated the then-No. 15 squad, 72-67, at the MGM Resorts Main Event in Las Vegas.

ASU’s 2023-24 nonconference schedule following the opener is highlighted by games against BYU (Nov. 23), TCU (Dec. 16) and Northwestern (Dec 20).

Arizona State men’s basketball nonconference schedule – 2023-24

November 8 – Mississippi State (Neutral site – Chicago; Barstool Sports Invitational)
November 11 – vs. Texas Southern (Home Opener)
November 16 – vs. UMass Lowell
November 23 – BYU (Neutral site – Las Vegas; Vegas Showdown)
November 24 – NC State/Vanderbilt (Neutral site – Las Vegas; Vegas Showdown)
November 29 – vs. Sam Houston State
December 3 – vs. San Francisco
December 6 – vs. SMU
December 9 – at San Diego
December 16 – TCU (Neutral site – Dallas; Coast-to-Coast Challenge)
December 20 – Northwestern (Neutral site – Phoenix; Jerry Colangelo’s Hall of Fame Series Phoenix)

Follow @AZSports