Arizona State's basketball season is over... again. Typically a non-NCAA Tournament team's year ends after falling in the conference tournament but the Sun Devils surprised many fans by accepting an invitation to play in the College Basketball Crown, a new postseason tournament meant to rival the NIT. After a dismal regular season, the team put up yet another disappointing effort on Monday.
ASU was eliminated 84-78 by Nebraska in the first round despite owning an eight-point halftime lead. The Cornhuskers took advantage of scoring droughts and sloppy play by the Devils in the second half. The team will make their way home from Las Vegas to Tempe and begin preparations for next season.
Alston Mason led the team with 23 points, followed closely by Basheer Jihad with 21 points. Despite those impressive numbers, the Devils were simply too shorthanded to sustain its first half form.
Injuries and absences doom ASU in Crown tournament
ASU was without several big names against the Cornhuskers on Sunday. Head coach Bobby Hurley dismissed leading scorer BJ Freeman for "conduct detrimental" in February, and freshman Joson Sanon entered the transfer portal on March 25.
Five-star freshman phenom Jayden Quaintance also missed Monday's matchup with an ankle injury he's been nursing for almost two months. Questions are swirling around whether he will decide to transfer out of Tempe now that Sanon has departed.
Despite a 13-20 record, ASU decided to keep Hurley around for the final season of his contract. The team played a top 10 toughest schedule, per the Fox Sports broadcast, but that might not be enough of an excuse for fans to have optimism next year will be any better.
With the 2024-25 season officially wrapped up, it's time to keep an eye on the transfer portal and the recruiting trail as Hurley attempts to turn things around.