Bobby Hurley Finishing Out Arizona State Season in Style
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TEMPE -- Bobby Hurley has seen it all as the head coach of the Arizona State basketball program over the last 11 seasons.
Between dealing with rosters that spiraled as the season went on, having to manage the NIL era without requisite support from former AD Ray Anderson, and coaching in the midst of a global pandemic - Hurley has truly been thrust into one of the biggest challenges of any coach in the power conferences over the last several seasons - having yet to waver despite challenges being stacked against him on a yearly basis.
Hurley's potentially final discussion with media at Desert Financial Arena after Tuesday night's 70-60 win over Kansas proved to be a perfect encapsulation of his time in Tempe, and should result in the Arizona State fandom viewing his tenure in a more fond manner.
Hurley Learned From Past Mistakes
There have been moments when Arizona State fans have been in unison when critiquing Hurley - most often occurring when the Sun Devils collapsed late in games, particularly in Pac-12 play.
One of the more overarching points of criticism beyond that has been rooted in the perceived focus on securing elite talent over elite fit - with blue-chip recruits such as Sam Cunliffe, Josh Christopher, Marcus Bagley, and Joson Sanon not working out - Hurley ultimately pivoted following those failed experiments, with the end result being far better than anyone
"We prioritized high character more than ever this year, with last year's situation at the end," said Hurley following Tuesday's game. "So I think our staff was really considering that as we looked at these kids, and these kids care about the game. They want to play the right way."
The 54-year old head coach then went on to elaborate what has measured the true character of this team and why they are different compared to previous renditions of Sun Devil basketball.
"A lot of them are underdogs, like I always was, and that's why I could relate to them in terms of what they're doing. And they've, they've never given up, and they've and they've, we've actually gotten better, despite, you know, going through a tough stretch in January in the Big 12."
This group is much more in-line with a roster such as the 2019-20 squad that would have made the tournament had the season not been cancelled, or the 2022-23 team that scrapped their way to a tournament appearance that nearly resulted in a round of 64 victory.
Hurley absolutely learned from past errors, correcting those by taking a different approach to roster construction, how his coaching staff was assembled, and many other subsets of factors.
Arizona State Has Bucked Expectations This Season
These adjusted strategies and approaches to this season ultimately resulted in this team exceeding all reasonable expectations heading into the 31-game campaign.
"We were picked dead last in the Big 12 by everybody, and no one thought we could win any games, basically. And they've, I think, proven a lot of people wrong. I think the people from Arizona State that showed up tonight, and it was a great crowd, and thankful for that, to honor the seniors, I think there's a reason, because they are kind of fun to watch. We're not perfect. We're far from perfect that we do some some crazy things sometimes, and we don't always get every rebound, but they're, they're going to lay it all out on the line. And I think that's what, what sports is about."
There was serious skepticism as to whether Arizona State would even be able to win 10 games in the regular season - something that. they accomplished in a January 10 victory over Kansas State.
Hurley is absolutely correct that this is a flawed, inconsistent team - they are also well-connected, undeniably entertaining to watch, and have shown immense growth in recent weeks - particularly on the defensive side of the ball, which has resulted in a rise from the 130's in defensive efficiency to 69 as of Wednesday according to KenPom.
The wins over Texas Tech and Kansas truly exhibited the blend of talent/grit the team has, with Moe Odum leading the charge offensively and serving as the heart of a team that has been confined to eight rotation players for much of the season.
Ultimately, Hurley's growth as a talent evaluator, in-game coach, and as an overall leader has led to one of Arizona State's most shocking outcomes in recent years - this is an incredible way for Hurley to depart Tempe if this truly is the end of his tenure.
Read more on the bold strategy that head coach Bobby Hurley employed with comments on 1/21 here, and on why Arizona State may have saved the season with the win over Cincinnati on Saturday here..
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Kevin Hicks is an Arizona State alumni and now serves as the Arizona State Beat Writer On SI.