Arizona State is an NIT team right now, and the Sun Devils’ path to the NCAA Tournament is narrowing. The Sun Devils will definitely need to beat either UCLA or Arizona in the coming weeks, and they will probably need to grab at least one other high-value win while avoiding bad losses. ASU doesn’t have much breathing room in the pursuit of an NCAA bid. If the Sun Devils miss out, coach Bobby Hurley might think about a change of scenery.
(h/t Kevin Sweeney of Sports Illustrated)
“Hurley is in a unique spot,” Sweeney wrote. “He could realistically be fired or extended, or leave for another job this coming offseason. Conventional wisdom was that Hurley cooled his seat with a 6–1 start in Pac-12 play, but since then Arizona State has lost five of six to fall to the wrong side of the NCAA tournament bubble. It’s an all-too-familiar script for the Sun Devils under Hurley, who’ve often gotten out to hot starts before fading late.
“ASU’s résumé is still in decent shape, so sneaking into the Big Dance is well within the realm of possibility. But should he fall short, it’d be hard to justify an extension with his contract set to expire in 2024. And regardless of whether he saves his job in Tempe this spring, don’t be surprised if Hurley tries to get involved with jobs back East.”
Those jobs: St. John’s and Georgetown. St. John’s could fire coach Mike Anderson. Georgetown and Patrick Ewing are almost certain to get a divorce at the end of the season. This will be a fascinating set of plot points to monitor.
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