West Virginia's Road Win Pushes Bobby Hurley to Admit His Voice is Not Working

At one point in the first half, Arizona State held a 13-point lead and looked like a team that was going to have its way with West Virginia, forcing the Mountaineers to play at a much faster tempo than they would like.

The road woes could have gotten to this team's head, but instead, they buckled down with a strong finish to the half and then flipped the script in the second half, outscoring the Sun Devils 40-26, giving WVU their first win away from Morgantown this season.

“I like their team," Arizona State head coach Bobby Hurley said of West Virginia. "They have a distinct style. They don’t do anything that they can’t do. They play a very tight game. We can’t afford to turn the ball over thirteen times against a team like this. We can’t afford to in a lesser possession game, do those things. We can’t go 10/18 from the foul line in a game where points are at a premium. We failed. I failed. I can’t get through to the team, so I don’t know what else I can say.

“They’re a pretty good team. They suck the life out of you. If you can’t guard their shooters and you lose guys and they start hitting threes, and you know they’re going to slow the game down… they’re very methodical.”

Jan 21, 2026; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils forward Santiago Trouet (1) drives to the basket against West Virginia Mountaineers forward DJ Thomas (5) and center Harlan Obioha (55) in the first half at Desert Financial Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

This loss to West Virginia clearly bothered Hurley so much that he basically admitted that he's not being heard by his team and talked about how poorly they've played in recent years on their home floor.

“Things we might draw up on a board in a huddle don’t get executed sometimes because there isn’t a commitment to listening. We lack discipline in terms of listening to some of the things that I’m trying to get across to the team. My voice is not working with this group.

“We have not played well here. In years. Like, since before COVID," he continued. "We had this place cooking before COVID. Now it’s just a sterile environment. We don’t win here. We don’t give our fans any reason to show up with enthusiasm to think that we’re going to win a basketball game. We have been dreadful at home for years. This has been going on for a while. It’s not a homecourt advantage. We can’t win here. Bottom line.”

Hearing a coach say things like this should make Mountaineer fans feel very thankful (which they are) for how well Hodge and this group have played at home. They've won fifteen straight inside Hope Coliseum, dating back to last season, which of course was under Darian DeVries. Still, they protect their home floor, and if you can do that AND steal a few games on the road, you have a chance to do some pretty neat things.

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