Arizona State came back to upset Stanford 76-73 last night, marking another one-possession win for Bobby Hurley.
Hurley is the king of close wins. Since the 2019-2020 season, Hurley is 38-19 in games decided by six points or less. That number leads the country in that time. This includes last year, where Hurley’s team went 11-5 in six-point games or less, including a one-point win over Arizona last season.
Hurley is currently 3-1 this season in those games, as they beat SMU 76-74 and UMass-Lowell 71-69. Their only loss was to San Diego, where they lost 89-84. A lot of this is because of Hurley’s famous press, which has become unbreakable in his time as coach. Arizona State can force more turnovers in the final minutes than most teams in the country because of their press. Last night, Stanford had nine turnovers in the second half, with most coming late, because ASU’s pressure is so good.
Earlier this season, Frankie Collins had eight steals and a game-winning shot to beat UMass-Lowell because of the press. UMass-Lowell could not get the ball over half-court late in the game, even though they held a lead.
Hurley makes a lot of mistakes, and his team’s energy against good teams leaves a lot to be desired, but if one thing saves it, it’s his late-game playcalling.
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