Bobby Hurley Continues to Reinvent His Sun Devils

TEMPE -- Bobby Hurley has been a polarizing figure from within Arizona State athletics for some years now.

The 11th-year head coach has had a fair share of ups and downs leading the men's basketball program. The ups include numerous top-25 wins over elite programs, along with several NCAA tournament appearances for a program that sorely lacks them. Lows have included posting an 11-14 record with McDonald's All-American Josh Christopher in 2020-21, and going 13-20 with the highest rated recruiting class in program history last season.

Arizona State Sun Devils head coach Bobby Hurley reacts during action against the Gonzaga Bulldogs on Nov. 14, 2025, at Desert Financial Arena in Tempe. | Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

One thing that cannot be denied is the ability the New Jersey native has to reinvent himself - this has injected life into the program when hope was seemingly lost.

2018-19

2017-18 was the first true breakout season for Hurley in Tempe, as he took the team to a 12-0 start, with wins over Kansas and Xavier. They finished the season 8-12 and lost in the First Four to Syracuse in a bid to reach the tournament.

Pressure was mounting for the head coach - he responded by signing four-star wing Luguentz Dort to the program in the class of 2018, along with securing the transfer of forward Zylan Cheatham from San Diego State, and securing the eligibility of guard Rob Edwards after sitting out a season.

Mar 22, 2019; Tulsa, OK, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils guard Luguentz Dort (0) drives to the basket against the Buffalo Bulls in the first round of the 2019 NCAA Tournament at BOK Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Arizona State broke through this time behind a different approach by Hurley, as they defeated Kansas once again and won the First Four game before running into a high-level 6-seed in Buffalo.

2022-23

The Sun Devils went 25-31 in the two seasons before the 2022-23 season, when pressure, once again, began to build.

Hurley responded to a rough 14-17 season by adding a quartet of impact players via the transfer portal: brothers Desmond and Devan Cambridge, Warren Washington and Frankie Collins.

Another quick start to the season (11-1) was marred by a midseason lull, but the program eventually finished the pre-tournament slate with a 22-12 record. They decimated Nevada in the First Four and were seconds away from finally breaking through with a first-round win.

2025-26

wdefew — Arizona State Sun Devils Moe Odum (5) yells before passing the ball during a game against the Southern Utah Thunderbirds at Desert Financial Arena in Tempe on Nov. 4, 2025. | Diannie Chavez/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Hurley reinvented himself in perhaps the most profound manner here, as he had to replace all but one player who was on the team the year before.

The 2025-26 team is largely comprised of overseas players and mid-major stars that were undervalued by power-league programs.

The result thus far has been astronomically better than the average person would have expected, as the team sits inside the top 50 in the NCAA NET rankings and appears poised to make another tournament run.

Read more on why the Arizona State men's basketball team will exceed expectations in the 2025-26 season here, and on why the bright future of the football program isn’t dimmed by the loss to Arizona here.

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