(Photo Credit: Alyssa Buruato/WCSN)
“There’s ways you can lose with honor and more dignity than we displayed,” were the thoughts of Arizona State Men’s Basketball (10-5, 4-0 Pac-12) head coach Bobby Hurley following a disheartening 65-46 loss to Northwestern just under a month ago.
Then it might have been hard to think they’d be where they are today. To think that ASU would be entering their Jan. 11 matchup against the Washington Huskies (9-6, 1-3 Pac-12) unbeaten through the opening conference slate would have been the subject of dreams. Now, the Sun Devils currently sit tied with Oregon atop the conference, having started undefeated through four games for the first time since 2007-08.
Following a three-game losing streak before conference play opened Hurley, challenged the individuals on his team to decide who wanted to be a part of the fix and who didn’t. He said the short break for Christmas provided his players time to self-reflect, and they returned with conviction anew that has fueled an early-conference push.
“Everyone went home,” Hurley said. “They got a chance to talk with their families and their support groups. We came back and it just felt like there was a better attitude amongst the groups. We practiced really well. It was nice to see.”
The Huskies might prove a tricky puzzle for ASU to solve due to various factors, and almost all reside in their offensive firepower. Hurley recognized the challenge his typically-stout defense has awaiting it in Seattle, emphasizing their 1-3 conference record may not be entirely indicative of the quality they boast.
“They’re a really good offensive team,” Hurley said. “Averaging 81 points a game, they have quality non-conference wins against (number 23 ranked) Gonzaga and Xavier. They’re 1-3 in the conference but all those games were very close games”
ASU will likely identify Keion Brooks Jr as the main hub of their defensive attention. Brooks is one of 23 players currently scoring at an above 20 point-a-game clip averaging 20.5 points per game. He is tied for the Pac-12 lead in that category. Brooks is an agile 6-foot 7-inch wing that has shown an ability to get to the basket and step beyond the arc, knocking down shots from deep at a 40.7% clip.
So far, it has seemed that at every turn head coach Bobby Hurley and his team has had the correct answer for every query his team has faced. At times it was decisive defensive stands with late blocks sealing close wins against Stanford and Colorado. Or it was the individual speed of junior guard Frankie Collins piercing the lane as he scored the deciding lay-in against California on New Year’s Eve.
On a perfect night, it’s a career performance from graduate wing Jose Perez, shooting four for five from deep on his way to 26 points — one that springboards a runaway signature victory against Utah, a top-20 team in the NET Rankings.
Should this game come down to the wire, Hurley is confident his squad will feel right at home under pressure and can pull out a result.
“It’s not uncharted territory for us,” said Hurley. “Just where we were at certain games this year. We kind of practice at it. I think there are guys on the team that have good character and that are willing to fight. Got some tough kids so I think that helps.”
