Sun Devils losing woes amplified in defeat to Northwestern

(Photo Credit: Alyssa Buruato/WCSN)

The Holidays have been anything but happy for Arizona State Men’s basketball, as the Month of Jolly has been spoiled by dreadful defeats, in turn affecting the team’s spirit for the worse.

“There isn’t joy in someone else’s success,” ASU head coach Bobby Hurley said. “This is a team sport, if you’re not happy for your teammates, it’s a lonely feeling out there”

After a solid 6-3 start to the season, Hurley was given a gift in Adam Miller who returned to the Sun Devils’ lineup against TCU. While Miller enjoyed an exceptional performance during his season debut — scoring 20 points — growing pains have come along in his return package, as the two-time transfer posted just six points on 1-for-10 shooting on Wednesday.

Through the early stages of the 2023-24 campaign, Power Five competition has mostly had ASU’s number. Despite a win over Vanderbilt, tough losses to TCU, BYU, and Mississippi State show marquee matchups have tested Hurley’s squad consistently.

“You just have to respond,” Hurley said. “We’re not as tough as we need to be right now, we’re melting out there, as teams are coming at us we don’t have a response.”

ASU (6-5) was played off the court 65-46 by Northwestern (9-2) on Wednesday night at Footprint Center in Downtown Phoenix as part of the Jerry Colangelo Hall of Fame series. The Sun Devils trailed 36-13 at the halftime break, which represents the least amount of points they’ve scored in any half this season.

ASU was tested on both ends of the floor from the jump, going down 18-10 in the opening quarter of play. Wildcats junior guard Brooks Barnhizer then scored four straight buckets, sparking a 16-3 run that demoralized the Sun Devils and created a deficit they wouldn’t erase.

“We need to look at, evaluate and see what changes need to be made,” Hurley said “We need to do a better job staying in games.”

ASU lost the physical battle against Northwestern, getting out-rebounded by double digits and not scrambling for loose balls, giving up nine second-chance points. Additionally, Northwestern scored inside with consistency, as it posted 30 points in the paint.

Junior guard Frankie Collins, who finished with a team-high 10 points, had some harsh words for his team after the game, bringing their motivation into question and expressing his team’s lack of desire on the court.

“As a team right now mentally we are soft, we go out there and sometimes we don’t fight,” Collins said. “Sometimes we get punched in the mouth and we don’t fight back.”

Wednesday night’s loss means three straight defeats for the Sun Devils, piling on to losses against TCU and San Diego. Throughout Hurley’s nine-season tenure at the helm for ASU, his team had never lost three games in December until now.

During the 2021-22 campaign, ASU lost four straight games in November and finished with a 14-17 record that left them out of the NCAA Tournament picture. However, reaching the postseason is a goal Hurley strives to achieve every year, and the Sun Devils’ bench boss hopes this streak won’t represent another year without a Tournament berth.

“We work very hard to be an NCAA Tournament program,“ Hurley said.

Hurley was disappointed after Wednesday night’s performance, and while he took blame for not putting his players in a position to succeed, Collins backed his coach, stating the game plan wasn’t the problem.

“I will say this is not the coach’s fault,” Collins said. “They give us a great game plan every game and we need to go out there and perform.”

The Sun Devils have Pac-12 play on their horizon, traveling up to Stanford on Dec. 29 with a lot of adjustments necessary. For a program with NCAA Tournament aspirations, Hurley knows the next few weeks will determine his team’s season.

Hurley’s final words painted a picture of a divided team, with some players potentially not buying into the program, and others that may lack the motivation needed for success. While he called no one out in particular, he claimed to be truly disappointed in his players.

“We’re not having a great season right now,” Hurley said. “We’re going to fight for the program and see who wants to move forward with us and be about the right things.”