KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Arizona State coach Bobby Hurley did not dismiss reports that his time with the Sun Devils is coming to a close.
In fact, he more or less acknowledged them.
But that doesn’t mean Hurley or the Sun Devils are ready to give up on this season — or his career in Tempe. That was evident Tuesday during the first round of the Big 12 tournament, where No. 12 seed Arizona State leaned on 19 points from Pig Johnson to earn an 83-79 victory over No. 13 seed Baylor and a date with seventh-ranked Iowa State in the second round.
“Well, I mean, I talked to the team, and we saw the report on it. I didn’t hide anything from them,” said Hurley, whose contract is due to expire after this season. “They’re playing for each other. I’m coaching them to the best of my ability. I have not been told anything.
“The source is reputable, and a guy that I know, but I’m just doing my job and coaching this team and enjoying my moments.”
The Sun Devils (17-15) jumped out to a big early lead against Baylor and kept the pressure up in the second half, pushing their advantage to as many as 15 points before some poor foul shooting in the closing minutes allowed the Bears to make the final score look much more respectable.
“We’ve been playing really well in first halves of games, and that’s something I talked to the guys about,” Hurley said. “We came very close to putting two halves together, minus the poor free throw shooting down the stretch.”
Hurley, the 1992 Final Four MVP who led Duke to two national championships, was considered a home run hire by Arizona State after he needed just two years to turn Buffalo into a winner. By his third season in the desert, Hurley had the Sun Devils ranked No. 3 in the nation. There have been three NCAA tournament berths, including the program’s first back-to-back trips since the 1980-81 seasons.
Each time, however, Arizona State has been the No. 11 seed and has failed to reach the second round.
This season, Arizona State was 9-2 in early December, with the only losses to Gonzaga and USC in competitive games. But, by the time the Sun Devils lost to second-ranked Arizona on the final day of January, they had dropped 11 of 13 games.
His players never quit on him, though. They’ve continued to play hard, and none seems to want a coaching change.
Moe Odum would not even discuss the idea after Tuesday’s victory, replying “next question” when asked about Hurley’s future.
“What we’re trying to do is win five games in a row,” Hurley said about the Big 12 tournament. “It’s harder to do what we’re trying to do than maybe win a national championship.
“We’re playing [Iowa State] tomorrow that could be in an Elite Eight or Final Four game, and that’s our second game, and then we’re going to have more heavy hitters if we advance. But these guys, they’re resilient. They’re tough. They have responded, and they have all year.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
