Feb 4, 2026; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils head coach Bobby Hurley reacts after a play against the Utah Utes during the first half at Jon M. Huntsman Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Bobby Hurley Remains Honest About Arizona State's Inconsistency

Originally posted on Arizona State Sun Devils on SI
By Kevin Hicks | Last updated Feb 9, 2026 6:00 AM ET

TEMPE -- Bobby Hurley seems to be running out of answers for his 2025-26 Arizona State squad.

The Sun Devils had an opportunity to earn their first win streak in Big 12 play as members of the conference in Saturday night's road battle against the Colorado Buffaloes, but were unable to capitalize despite staying within striking distance for much of the night.

Hurley discussed what went wrong for his team during the night following the game - displaying his trademark defiance and streak of brutal honesty in the process.

Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Hurley Gives Fiery Response to Rebounding Efforts

Hurley was asked about Arizona State's subdued rebounding efforts in the game right after being asked a similar question - he was not pleased with the question nor the effort.

"Are you kidding me? I just talked about not being able to rebound the ball, Didn't I just say that? Okay, so now, what are you what are you asking me now? Well, I mean, we got seven games left, so if we can't rebound by now, then chances are we're not gonna be able to rebound."

Arizona State did generate some positive momentum on the offensive glass, as eight boards generated 18 second chance points. However, they were defeated on the glass by a margin of 40-26 by the end of the game.

Sun Devils such as Massamba Diop and Santiago Trouet have had moments of brilliance on the boards, but it has generally been a struggle for ASU to grab rebounds - especially in key moments of games.

The questioning evolved into a question surrounding the effort on defensive side of the ball, as the head coach has been employing a 2-3 zone on a wide scale over the last two games due to the lack of depth that is currently available.

"Look. I mean, we stink on defense. Okay, we gave up 50% tonight, all right, so whether it was man or zone, and I don't know what the ratio was exactly, but 50-50, 60-40, man or zone, we were bad at both. So it was pick your poison."

It's been no secret that Arizona State's success has largely hinged on the offensive side of the ball this season, as they rank inside the top 70 in the nation in offensive efficiency according to KenPom. While the defense has flashed the ability to garner stops at points of Big 12 play, they have yet to put together a complete performance. This included against Colorado, who shot 51% from the floor and were catalyzed by Barrington Hargress, who recorded 23 points on just 15 shots.

Being confined to an eight-man rotation, inevitably being pitted against elite offensive opponents, and not executing on a consistent basis are all to blame - this is all compounded by a ticking clock, as the team only has seven more games in the regular season to figure everything out.

Read more on the bold strategy that head coach Bobby Hurley employed with comments on 1/21 here, and on why Arizona State may have saved the season with the win over Cincinnati on Saturday here..