The Sun Devils pulled off a convincing win on Saturday, beating Cincinnati 82-68, yet few were convinced of it being indicative of a midseason turnaround. Just a few days prior, Bobby Hurley publicly admitted he was "failing" and couldn't get through to his team.
Things are rough for Arizona State MBB. pic.twitter.com/j4tmQoXn7x
— PHNX Sun Devils (@PHNX_SunDevils) January 22, 2026
It took a 33-point performance from point guard Moe Odum to take down the Bearcats in their first appearance since that quote. The win prevented the Sun Devils from dropping to .500 on the year, as they now improve to 11-9.
Yet, Arizona State is also just 2-5 in the Big 12, with their only other conference victory coming over Kansas State, one of three teams still with only one conference win. The Sun Devils have been thoroughly outclassed by the top Big 12 teams they've faced - BYU and Houston both beat them by 30 points - and have had a rough go against teams in the middle of the pack.
It's a story that Sun Devil fans know all too well by now.
Arizona State wrapped up their non-conference schedule with a 9-4 record. Three of those losses were to teams - Gonzaga, USC, and UCLA - that are all having strong seasons so far. It was enough to offer some level of hope that this year, this team, might be different.
That's felt like the story far too often under Hurley. Arizona State frequently looks strong in the non-conference portion of their schedule before getting a rude awakening once conference play starts. It's become even more pronounced since joining the Big 12, easily the strongest basketball conference.
Now, as Hurley begins to wind down what is the last remaining year on his contract, it feels as if we're watching the end of an era. Hurley is in his 11th season as the head coach here in Tempe, and his comments seem to suggest the reality is setting in that it will be his last.
This felt inevitable from the moment it was announced last year that Arizona State would let Hurley coach into the final year of his contract. Athletics director Graham Rossini defended the move as offering Hurley a chance to prove himself with his back against the wall, but it hasn't happened.
If anything, Hurley has made the case that it's time for fresh blood in the program. It doesn't help that Hurley is watching his female counterpart, Molly Miller, enjoy immediate success with the women's basketball program. With each loss that piles up, fans are wondering more and more where Rossini will find his next star coach.