PHOENIX – Arizona State men’s basketball lost to Arizona on Saturday 81-72, pushing it farther down the Big-12 conference standings. It is now stranded at 13th.
ASU’s inaugural season in its new conference was similar to its performance in the Pac-12: mediocre. The Suns Devils haven’t beaten the Wildcats at home in over five years and have gone 2-6 in their last eight games after starting 10-3.
Seven of the program’s final 10 games are against teams’ top six in the Big 12, which begs the question: Where does ASU go from here?
Head coach Bobby Hurley entered the season bringing in two dynamic four-star scoring transfers in senior forward BJ Freeman and guard Alston Mason. While having massive development of their interior presence with 17-year-old freshman center Jayden Quaintance and junior center Shawn Phillips Jr., all of which are massive for the program.
Feb 1, 2025; Tempe, Ariz., U.S.; Arizona State Sun Devils head coach Bobby Hurley reacts to a call during a Big 12 menÕs basketball game against the Arizona Wildcats at Desert Financial Arena. Mandatory Credit: Cheryl Evans-Arizona Republi
Hurley and his roster are experienced with nine seniors and graduate students, so adversity is nothing new to them. While an at-large tournament bid seems out of reach, a good showing against a tough stretch of games to end the season could do a lot for the confidence in the short-term and the long-term as well.
The tools to fix this wrecked ship are in place, and Hurley’s charisma can fire up any troops to head into battle. The only thing left is accountability. The building of a great program takes consistency. ASU football and head coach Kenny Dillingham showed that, and while their impressive turnaround might be an outlier, it’s a method to pay attention to. In 2023, Sun Devils football went 3-9, but some flashes showcased the potential for the future against talented programs like Washington, Oregon, and Arizona.
Now, Hurley and his Sun Devils are in that same position. As explained earlier, the talent is already present in that locker room the only thing left is a common goal to rally to in these final 10 games against the best the Big-12 has to offer, and that starts Tuesday against Kansas State 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
