Defense trumps all outside noise in ASU’s upset, senior night victory

(Photo: Spencer Barnes/WCSN)

TEMPE – The swing of emotions through Desert Financial Arena on Tuesday night was palpable.

Tears were flowing pregame between the senior guard duo of Moe Odum and Anthony “Pig” Johnson, alongside graduate forward Allen Mukeba, as the three were honored on senior night.

The tipoff, thrown by referee Doug Simons, landed in the hands of the visiting Jayhawks, and after they missed seven straight shots to start the game, there was a sense of excitement: The Sun Devils were building a lead over No. 14 Kansas.

There was joy and disbelief when head coach Bobby Hurley, who some view as being in his “lame duck” year, had his rag-tag bunch up by 20 at halftime.

When the Jayhawks started to fight back, it wasn’t a surprise; it was expected. ASU had blown so many games in the second half leading into its penultimate game that what was one more?

KU never got all the way back, however, always falling just short of taking the lead as the Sun Devils fought intrepidly to ward them off.

And when the final buzzer blared, it was the crescendo of the improbable.

For the second time in 15 days, ASU (16-14, 7-10 Big 12) had upset a ranked opponent on home flooring, resulting in a wave of students and fans surrounding the night’s heroes center court. KU (21-9, 11-6) nearly rewrote the script as it was unfolding, but the Sun Devils weren’t going to let it happen, securing a winning record on the season with a 70-60 final score. It was a pretty win, but it didn’t have to be because it was a win nonetheless.

“I don’t think we could’ve beaten anybody on our schedule two months ago shooting 32%,” Hurley said. “I don’t care who it is, but we’ve come a long way, particularly on the defensive end.”

It was the definition of an off-night for ASU on the offensive side of the ball, shooting just 32.2% from the field and going on multiple long stretches where field goals seemed allergic to going through the net. Luckily for the Sun Devils, they were able to forcibly bring the Jayhawks down with them.

KU recorded a paltry 29.2% from the field and 25.9% from beyond the arc. In the first half, it was even worse, managing just 21.1% and 16.7%.

The Sun Devils played with heart and aggression, not letting anything come easy in the paint – where KU managed just 24 points throughout the game – or on the perimeter.

In Hurley’s opinion, it was something of a return to form.

“We lost our way for a few weeks,” Hurley said. “But we’ve picked ourselves off the mat, and I think we’re playing as good as we were at any point in the season because of our defense, and I think these kids just want to win.”

Arguably, the most impressive defensive feat that ASU managed throughout the game was holding KU freshman guard Darryn Peterson, who’s in the running to be selected No. 1 overall in the upcoming NBA Draft, to 15 points on 3-of-18 shooting from the field and 2-of-11 from beyond the arc. He didn’t even make his first field goal until the 14:58 mark of the second half.

It was Peterson’s worst shooting night of his collegiate career by a wide margin – his 16.7% from the field not even being in the same ballpark as his previous worst, 30% against then No. 5 Iowa State – and it cost KU a chance to win the game.

Sometimes, players can get infatuated by the matchup, but for Odum, the key was to not let that happen and treat facing off against Peterson like it was any other game.

“I’m not getting up extra out of my bed because somebody else is on the other side,” Odum said. “I want them to get out the bed for me, I’m not getting out the bed for nobody.”

Peterson was far from the only player to have an off night, but on such a night where both offenses struggled, it was key for the defense to create momentum swings.

The Jayhawks found themselves on the precipice of stealing the lead away from the Sun Devils as the second half dipped below five minutes remaining, getting within two points off the back of a 13-3 run.

Johnson hit a 3-pointer from well beyond the line of the left wing, his first made field goal of the game, to bring ASU’s lead back up to five, but with the way KU was rolling, a true difference-making play was needed.

Odum and Johnson made it happen.

The former got in the face of senior guard Melvin Council Jr., poking the ball free before racing down the court with it. Odum had the opportunity to try and score himself, but with redshirt sophomore guard Jamari McDowell there to contest him, he made the feed to Johnson, who layed it up and in, to the delight of his teammates and the Sun Devil faithful alike.

“He was on me the whole game,” Johnson said of Odum. “He made sure my energy wasn’t down, he was talking to me, he’s like, “Bro, your time (is) going to come, no matter we keep missing, your time (is) going to come, just stay in it,’ and when I stayed in it, he found me.”

The steal and layup that followed helped contribute to a 13-5 run down the stretch, securing the victory for ASU. Freshman center Massamba Diop had two dunks in those closing moments, a cherry on top for what was personally one of his best offensive games of the season.

The scoring in the Sun Devils’ penultimate game of the season began exactly how it did in their second game: A Diop 3-pointer.

The 7-foot-1 big man didn’t stop there, scoring the first seven points of the game, entering the break with 11 – half of his career high – and finishing the night with 19 points, three off his career high and four off Odum for the game high mark.

When it was all said and done, Diop had impressed far more than the other prized freshman on the court.

“Peterson is a phenomenal prospect,” Hurley said. “And he showed in the second half, especially, why. But, I know there were a lot of NBA guys in the building, and they had to be looking at that guy (Diop).”

If it weren’t for Odum going 5-of-6 on technical free throws, Diop would’ve led the way. Odum did receive those chances, though, courtesy of the KU coaching staff’s inability to keep cool.

Head coach Bill Self found himself earning an early shower after getting assessed with two technical fouls after arguing a Peterson offensive foul at the 6:07 mark of the first half. Self’s assistant coach, Jacque Vaughn, who helmed the New York Nets from 2022-2024, took over and got assessed with a tech of his own in the final minute of the half.

“That’s like a full circle moment,” Hurley said. “I look back to one of my first big games versus Arizona, and I was marched out of here, and now, it’s the other guy here in this situation.”

The Sun Devils, in contrast, were able to stay calm, cool, and collected throughout the game. Even when they almost blew a 20-point lead, they didn’t let themselves get too down. Even with the emotion of senior night and the narrative surrounding their head coach, the Sun Devils didn’t let outside storylines play a factor.

Only time will truly tell what happens with Hurley, and if Tuesday was the last time he coached on the floor of DFA as the man in charge of ASU men’s basketball.

His players did fight for him like there was no tomorrow, not because they think that there won’t be, but because of the esteemed light they hold him in.

“I knew his situation before I even committed here,” Odum said. “And I still committed here. … I really don’t care what nobody say, if Hurley could be here extra years, I expect him to be an extra year.”