Arizona State men's basketball just cannot catch a break this season. The Sun Devils dropped their fourth contest in their last five attempts, losing 86-73 to Oklahoma State on Sunday.
ASU entered the contest without two starters - BJ Freeman and Adam Miller - due to non-injury-related issues. But it also lost freshman phenom Jayden Quaintance to a re-aggravated ankle injury early in the second half. That left head coach Bobby Hurley with just six players featured in the normal rotation.
Jayden Quaintance has been ruled out for the rest of the game due to an ankle injury per the ESPN+ crew. It appeared to be his left ankle that was twisted. He previously had a right ankle injury.
— Chris Karpman (@ChrisKarpman) February 9, 2025
Tough news for an ASU team already limited to six regular rotational players.
Alston Mason and Joson Sanon tried to pick up the slack from the missing starters, recording 25 and 17 points respectively but their efforts weren't enough to keep up with the Cowboys in Stillwater.
Arizona State's season is in free fall. Can Bobby Hurley salvage it?
The state of ASU's season can be summed up into one stat line: Bobby Hurley Jr. (son of the head coach) logged eight points, two rebounds and a steal after being significant minutes in both halves Sunday.
With just eight games remaining in the regular season (half against ranked opponents) and the team just barely hovering above .500 (12-11, 3-8 in the Big 12), it's naively optimistic to think the Sun Devils will find a way into the NCAA Tournament.
Hurley is squarely on the coaching hot seat as the season enters the home stretch and he's somehow managed to squander one of his best rosters. Quaintance is a clear NBA lottery pick and won't be eligible until after next season but there's no guarantee he returns to Tempe next year. In fact, it's more likely he gets poached in the transfer portal so he can improve his draft stock at a more stable program.
The question for ASU's athletic director, Graham Rossini, is becoming more and more painfully clear: Do you blow it all up now and start over, or do you keep giving Hurley more leash to try and turn things around. After 10 seasons, most fans probably feel plenty of leash (if not too much) has been given to him. It's time for results or to get out of town.