KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Bobby Hurley kept calmly answering postgame questions at the Big 12 Tournament on Wednesday, shortly after Arizona State had been waylaid by No. 7 Iowa State in the second round, as if he won’t be back on the sideline for the Sun Devils next season.
Eventually, Hurley pointed out the obvious.
“You’re operating under the assumption that I’m not going to be the head coach,” he said.
Well, it hasn’t exactly been a secret that the Sun Devils are poised to move on after 11 seasons filled with a few high moments but far too much mediocrity. In fact, Hurley himself called the source “reputable” behind a report this week that he would be out, and message boards have been lighting up with who Arizona State might pick to succeed him.
“It’s been a long road,” Hurley acknowledged after the 91-42 loss to the Cyclones. “It’s been a special time. I have two of my kids graduated from ASU. I’ve had an opportunity to coach some fantastic young men, and some terrific moments over the years. It’s a great university. Great administration, president. And I’m not sure what’s going to happen. I don’t know. I haven’t spoken directly about my future next year at this point, but I don’t have any regrets. I laid it out on the line the best I could every night.”
If the game against Iowa State was indeed the end, it was a forgettable one.
The fifth-seeded Cyclones jumped out to a 19-8 lead on the No. 14 seed Sun Devils, who beat Baylor in the opening round the previous day. Then came an 18-0 run by Iowa State that not only put the game away but did so in embarrassing fashion.
It began when Pig Johnson fouled Cyclones forward Blake Buchanan on a drive to the basket, a call that ultimately was upgraded to a flagrant foul. Buchanan had to be restrained as he got to his feet, and Massamba Diop standing nearby began to taunt him, earning a technical foul. Moments later, Hurley got a technical himself for arguing with the officials.
Those technicals came after Johnson had earned a technical of his own earlier in the game.
By the time everything was settled, Iowa State made five of the six free throws it was awarded, Jamarion Batemon scored under the basket to finish off a seven-point drip down the floor and the Sun Devils were staring at a 40-10 deficit.
It didn’t get much better in the second half as Iowa State cruised into a quarterfinal against No. 16 Texas Tech on Thursday.
“We never really gave ourselves a chance,” said Hurley, whose team turned the ball over 22 times. “This matchup is not a good one for us because we’d been one of the best in the Big 12 at taking care of the ball. The physicality of their team is different.”
It’s unclear whether Arizona State would accept an invitation to a lesser postseason tournament, such as the NIT or the College Basketball Crown, where the Sun Devils played last year. Equally unclear is whether Hurley would coach them again.
If it was up to his players, there would be no question.
“He changed my life,” senior Allen Mekuba said. “It’s a blessing for me, just a blessing to be a part of this team, everything we went through, the way coach was coaching. It was just an amazing year. I got nothing else to say about that.”
Hurley reiterated that he had no regrets over his more than a decade in the desert.
He led the Sun Devils to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances, a first for the program since the 1980-81 seasons. At one point, he had Arizona State ranked third in the nation, and he recruited several players that have gone on to play professionally.
Then there are the memories that Hurley made away from the court.
“I grew up in a basketball household,” he said. “My dad impacted kids, and I watched it happen growing up and throughout my whole life. So the biggest thing is regardless of winning championships and all this other stuff, it’s about the relationships and the players I can coach. That means the most to me. But as far as wins and losses, like, my wife is going to be supporting me after this. My daughters love me. I have a granddaughter. My son was on staff with me; I got to share a whole season with him.
“That,” Hurley said, “it what means the most to me.”
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