It looked like Arizona State basketball's luck was finally about to turn around on Saturday night. The Sun Devils erased a 13-point deficit in the second half against TCU with just a couple minutes to play, appearing like they had all the momentum to snatch a victory from the jaws of defeat.
Ultimately, defeat snapped its jaws shut on Sparky's hand as the team made too many simple mistakes in the final minute of regulation, costing it a much needed win. TCU survived 74-70 and is still in the hunt for an NCAA Tournament at-large bid with just half a dozen games remaining in the season.
BJ Freeman led all scorers with 21 points but it was a last minute technical turnover and a missed free throw that prevented he and his teammates from ending its unsavory losing skid - in a game it was favored to win.
Arizona State's 2024-25 collapse is on another level of bad
ASU has now lost five straight and 10 of its last 12 games (including six straight at home). It's in an uncontrollable free fall and the players seem to have been letting their frustrations get the best of them in recent weeks. There have been three ejections and two suspensions in just the last month.
ASU's brutal last month:
— Chris Karpman (@ChrisKarpman) February 16, 2025
-- Six straight home losses
-- BJ Freeman ejected for head-butt vs. Arizona
-- Adam Miller ejected, suspended one game for slapping K-State player
-- Freeman suspended one game (conduct detrimental)
-- Miller ejected for something said to a ref today
Injuries have also plagued head coach Bobby Hurley's talented roster. Freshman phenom Jayden Quaintance missed his third straight contest with an ankle injury, leaving the team short-handed yet again.
Saturday's loss sent the team below .500 for the first time all year, completely eradicating the early progress made ahead of conference play (9-3). ASU has only won three games since then.
It's a pipe dream to believe ASU can somehow turn things around ahead of the Big 12 Tournament. This team will be easy first round fodder for whichever opponent it draws but the more pressing issue for the program is whether Hurley will be returning next season.
Athletic director Graham Rossini gave Hurley a vote of confidence earlier in the week which indicates (for now) that there will be no change for 2025-26. Whether that is the right decision has yet to be seen but Hurley will have to work hard to keep his top recruits like Quaintance in Tempe before any sort of winning can happen.