Bobby Hurley Pleased With Arizona State in Win Over Oklahoma State
In this story:
TEMPE -- Arizona State improved to 13-12 on the 2025-26 campaign on Tuesday night with a triumphant 85-76 victory over Oklahoma State at Desert Financial Arena in Tempe.
The Sun Devils came through with a gritty victory that was marked with a strong rebounding output, a disruptive defensive effort, and by generating looks at the free throw line.
Head coach Bobby Hurley spoke following the game in a press conference setting - updating what a key player is going through injury wise, praising the effort the team put forward, and much more.
To watch the full press conference, view below.
Hurley Praises Starting Forward
Arizona State forward Santiago Trouet returned to the starting lineup for the first time since January 31 - a game in which the junior suffered an ankle sprain in. The 6'11" face-up talent proceeded to be held out of the win over Utah last week before returning for the Colorado contest on Saturday - in which he played 20 minutes in the loss.
Trouet truly rebounded in the best way imaginable, as he contributed 16 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, and blocked a shot in - including four offensive rebounds. Hurley views Trouet's motor as what truly defines his game.
“Yeah, I mean, he just, I think he takes that personal. That's probably the skill that he possesses that as a separator for him when he is really focused on rebounding, and the ankle felt better, and he looked better in practice yesterday, too.”
The truth is that Trouet largely made the difference as far as the flow of the game was concerned, and that the Sun Devils don't come out on top without the extra possessions created and the finishes made at the rim.
Defensive Effort Being Noticed
Arizona State's defense was perhaps the most disruptive it has been in several weeks in this game, as the team forced 17 Oklahoma State turnovers, blocked seven shots, and forced one of the most high-octane offenses in the Big 12 to shoot just under 43% from the floor - this is a topic that resounded with Hurley after the game.
“Yeah, you know, turning them 17 times was big, big for us, because we didn't shoot a crate again like this is the second time in three games that, you know, we went five for 20, I think, against Utah, and five for 21 tonight from three and still were able to win. So that's good, because usually we would need around 10 made threes in a game to win against an opponent like this.”
One of the players on the Arizona State roster that has impressed the most on the defensive side of the ball over the course of conference play is Belgium native Noah Meeusen.
The 6'5" combo guard has provided defensive value in areas that reflect on the stat sheet, as well as around the margins in meaningful ways, including when securing loose balls.
Perhaps the most conspicuous area of Meeusen's game is the feel that the sophomore has - the first-year Sun Devil is incredibly strong as far as seeing different angles on the court, playing with anticipation, and taking advantage of having a precise internal clock on a possession-by-possession basis.
Hurley Updates Status of Starting Guard
Guard Bryce Ford's absence for much of the game was noticed by the end of the night, as the junior played just seven minutes on the night.
Hurley acknowledged the concern, although the 11th-year head coach stated that the staff felt confident that the sharpshooter was continuing to improve in overall recovery from an injury that was originally suffered in a game against Northern Arizona on December 9. Now, the nature of the injury has been vaguely unveiled.
"It's kind of a unique type of injury. I'm not really an expert medically to talk about it, but it's something with the hip flexor and the groin and kind of multiple muscles kind
of interconnected."
It will be fascinating to see how Ford's status progresses in the week ahead.
The Sun Devils return to action on February 17 against Texas Tech in another home contest.
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..
Please let us know your thoughts when you like our Facebook page when you click right here.
Please follow us on X when you click right here, as well as @khicks_21 for nonstop Arizona State coverage!
Kevin Hicks is an Arizona State alumni and now serves as the Arizona State Beat Writer On SI.