PHOENIX –Arizona State Men’s basketball coach Bobby Hurley is halfway through his tenth season with the program, and similar to the previous nine years, there has been a drop-off after the New Year. Regardless of how strong Hurley and the team start, once that clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve, a switch is flipped.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!To illustrate this point, each bulleted point below will represent a year with records from before New Year (BNY) and after New Year (ANY) listed below.
- 2015-2016:
- BNY: 10-3 (.769)
- ANY: 5-14 (.263)
- 2016-2017:
- BNY: 8-6 (.571)
- ANY: 7-12 (.368)
- 2017-2018:
- BNY: 12-1 (.923)
- ANY: 8-11 (.421)
- 2018-2019:
- BNY: 9-3 (.750)
- ANY: 14-8 (.636)
- 2019-2020:
- BNY: 9-4 (.692)
- ANY: 11-7 (.611)
- 2020-2021:
- BNY: 4-3 (.571)
- ANY: 7-11 (.389)
- 2021-2022:
- BNY: 5-7 (.417)
- ANY:Â 9-10 (.474)
- 2022-2023:
- BNY: 11-3 (.786)
- ANY: 12-10 (.545)
- 2023-2024:
- BNY: 8-5 (.615)
- ANY: 6-13 (.316)
- 2024-2025:
- BNY: 9-3 (.750)
- ANY: currently 3-5 (.375)
Jan 28, 2025; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils head coach Bobby Hurley reacts in the second half against the Colorado Buffaloes at CU Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
Only three of Hurley’s 10 seasons as the head coach has seen the team have a winning record in the New Year, with only the 2021-2022 season being the lone exception where ASU had a better win percentage in the New Year. Now, the Sun Devils play more games from January on, and typically when they start their conference schedule, which could lead to more challenging games. However, a 10-year sample size shows that the issue might be more glaring than those simple answers.
Regardless, ASU has won two of their last three games, including two road wins at No. 23 West Virginia and Colorado. Momentum is undoubtedly leaning favorably toward the program, which could indicate Hurley and his players turning a corner. Senior guard Adam Miller has scored double figures in the past three games and has a consistent presence for the Sun Devils offense, while junior center Shawn Philips Jr. stepped up big time with his rim protection during the same stretch.
Hurley has his players operating at their best for the first time in a month but will be tested once again when an Arizona squad that has won 10 of their last 11 games comes into town.
ASU men’s basketball faces 5-year curse against Arizona in Tempe
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Reporter Tanner Tortorella covers general assignment for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account, @TannerTSports
