Previewing Arizona State's Road Battle vs BYU
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TEMPE -- In today's episode of the Arizona State Sun Devils Insider Podcast, we take a look at Arizona State's road opener in Big 12 play against BYU - as the Sun Devils seek to end a three-game losing streak on Wednesday.
To listen to today's podcast, view below.
Below is a partial transcript from head coach Bobby Hurley following a December 5 practice, as well as PG Moe Odum.
On Ebbs and Flows of Season
“I think we grew in some areas and regressed in some others. So it was kind of like the balance is tilted, you know, more towards the offensive end. We put points up against Hawaii and, you know, and Texas, and then 100 points against Washington state, but, but our defense kind of dipped, and we need, we, we need to do better at that end of the floor. So that's been really something we've talked a lot about this week. Can't let a team score shoot 76% from the field like Texas did in the second half and and expect to win those games or 60% in each of the other two games and win in Maui. So we have to get better defensively.”
On Moe Odum
“He's a fighter, you know, he's a competitor and he wants to win, and he'll do, you know, what it takes to get that job done. If that means it's facilitating and making his teammates better, or if it's him looking for his own shot, if that's what he's saying, he's gonna, he's gonna, then he has the ability, and he's shown that he could take over a game like he did it in the Texas game if he needs to. At the same time, he sees a true point guard, and guys enjoy playing with him. And, you know, he's just got the right intangibles.”
On Updates on Adante Holiman’s Status
“Not at the moment. He's still working to get back and progressing through the elbow, so I don't see him playing in the next couple of weeks, but he has been involved in a limited way in practice. So we'll see how that goes.”
Odum On Importance of Bonding as Team
“Oh, that's super important to me, because I feel like if we bonded off the court like that, we could criticize the person the right way, and the person could take the right criticism away, because he know we coming from, and he knows all love and we all trying to get better. Stuff like that is super important. As if we just playing basketball together and we criticizing everybody. You want to think somebody may be hating on you, or just always got something to say, as if, well, you know somebody coming from, you want to be better.”
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.