ASU 's Bobby Hurley Discusses Arizona Preparations, Meaning of Rivalry
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TEMPE -- Arizona State head coach Bobby Hurley spoke with media after Tuesday's practice - in anticipation for a showdown with the number-one ranked Arizona Wildcats on Wednesday night.
The Sun Devils are coming off of a second-half comeback win over the Kansas State Wildcats, while Arizona continued to add to their undefeated season with a dominant win over TCU on Saturday as well.
Hurley dove into what makes Arizona a great team, as well as what the rivalry means to him on a personal level.
Hurley Praises Arizona's 2025-26 Team
“Yeah, great, really, outstanding basketball team, pretty much complete team and dominant inside the paint, around the basket, things that we did at BYU don't translate well, you know, in terms of getting into a track meet with Arizona. So we got to do a good job of managing the game and being ready for their force, you know, on the interior.”
Hurley nailed the notion that Arizona is a complete basketball team, as the Wildcats feature eight rotation players that average at least five points per game - this isn't accounting for the inside-outside balance, balance between youth/experience, and versatility on the defensive side of the ball.
Koa Peat, Brayden Burries, and Dwayne Aristode comprises one of the most talented freshman trios in the entire country, while upperclassmen that are in place compliment the explosive NBA prospects in strong fashion.
Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd has also been lauded as one of the best talent evaluators and in-game adjusters in the entire country, which adds to the challenge that picking up a victory presents ASU.
Hurley Discusses What Arizona Rivalry Means to Him
Hurley - a New Jersey native and Duke alum - has certainly gathered the stakes of this rivalry in his 11 seasons as head coach of the Sun Devils.
“I've shared with them what the game means to me. I'm not saying that it's like I don't prepare for every game and my intensity isn't amped up, but just there's a little bit more meaning in this game. Because you know what it means to the fan bases in the state.”
The Sun Devils have only won four games against Arizona in Hurley's tenure (twice in 2018/19, once in 2019/20, once in 2022/23) - which typically points to Arizona's program having more high-end talent.
The lopsided win/loss total doesn't necessarily reflect in Arizona State being non-competitive, as the Sun Devils only had one season (2023-24) in which they weren't competitive in a single game.
The stakes of this game are even greater than that of conference confines, NCAA tournament spots, or recruiting - it's a battle for the heart of the state. While Arizona holds the perceived advantage at the moment, it's difficult to count Hurley out.
Arizona-Arizona State is slated for an 8:30 P.M. MST start time tonight, and will be broadcast on FS1.
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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Kevin Hicks is an Arizona State alumni and now serves as the Arizona State Beat Writer On SI.