Bobby Hurley Praises Arizona State's Resilience After Home Win

The Sun Devils' head coach is seeking to lead the charge of a late-season miracle run.

Feb 28, 2026; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils head coach Bobby Hurley against the Utah Utes in the first half at Desert Financial Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

TEMPE -- Arizona State men's basketball head coach Bobby Hurley spoke to media following a convincing 73-60 victory over the Utah Utes at home on Saturday afternoon.

The Sun Devils entered the game seeking to avoid falling below .500 for the first time this season, while continuing to face the same injury issues that has plagued the team all year.

Arizona State's efforts and resiliency were praised by Hurley following the game - something that will hopefully be carried into the final home game of the season.

To watch the full press conference, view below.

Hurley Praises Resilience of Players

Hurley's opening statement was a glowing assessment of a pair of players that battled through injuries on Saturday after getting dinged up late in the loss to TCU on Tuesday.

"I just got to compliment Alan Mukeba and Moe Odum. I've had some teams that, if their guys have had their injuries, they might be out for six to eight weeks. But testament to the to the character of those two to Allen had an ankle injury in the TCU game. Moe, at the end of the TCU game, came up with a foot. He's got a foot mid foot sprain. But neither guy practiced last two days."

Feb 28, 2026; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils guard Maurice Odum (5) shoots a three pointer against the Utah Utes in the first half at Desert Financial Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The reveal that Odum has a foot injury is a bit of a surprising one, as it didn't appear that the senior struggled to move on the court in Saturday's game, although it does back up the notion that he is built to compete regardless of the circumstances.

"You know, are you sure you don't want to, you know, make this thing perfect and get ready for Kansas, and then there was not a chance in the world the way that kid looked before the game. And Allen, same thing, gutted it out. So, very impressive, very thankful to have those two in the program."

Mukeba opened up about his struggles with injuries earlier this season - discussing shin surgery that he received over the summer that held up integration into the team over the course of the offseason. Mukeba playing in every single game in his final season of collegiate eligibility is nothing short of impressive, and the forward has been a key piece of the team.

Odum stated after the game that being inactive for the first time this season was never an option despite missing practice once the team returned to Tempe - his senior night against Kansas on Tuesday will be an opportunity to make a major statement.

Arizona State guard Moe Odum (5) looks over at the officials during a game against Cincinnati at Desert Financial Arena in Tempe, Ariz., on Jan. 24, 2026. | Patrick Breen/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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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