Hurley laments Arizona State's struggles in contract year: 'I'm failing'

TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Bobby Hurley's tenure at Arizona State may be winding toward the end.

Unable to break his team out of a rut, Hurley sounded defeated following Wednesday night's 75-63 home loss to West Virginia, the Sun Devils' seventh in eight games.

“We failed. I’m failing. I can’t get through to the team,’’ Hurley told reporters. “I don’t know what else I can say.”

Arizona State got Hurley's 11th season off to a solid start, with a runner-up finish at the Maui Invitational and a close loss to No. 8 Gonzaga.

The Sun Devils (10-9) have labored since mid-December, including a brutal stretch of road games against No. 13 BYU, top-ranked Arizona and No. 6 Houston. Arizona State got off to a horrific start in the 103-73 loss to the Cougars and dropped to 1-5 in Big 12 play with the loss to West Virginia.

While praising his team for working hard, Hurley lamented their ability to execute.

“There isn't a commitment to listening,” said Hurley, in the final year of his contract. “My voice is not working with this group.”

Hurley arrived in the desert with great fanfare.

A two-time national champion at Duke and still the NCAA's all-time assists leader, Hurley was hired after leading Buffalo to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 2015.

Hurley led the Sun Devils to the NCAA Tournament in his third season and did it again in 2018-19. Arizona State appeared to be in good position to reach the NCAA Tournament in three straight seasons since the 1960s the following year, but the COVID-19 pandemic wiped out the season.

The Sun Devils have struggled to regain their footing since then, reaching the NCAA Tournament in 2023, but finishing with a losing record the other four seasons.

“We have not played well here in years, like since before COVID,’’ Hurley said. “We had this place cooking before COVID. Now it’s a sterile environment. We don’t win here. We don’t give our fans any reason to show up with enthusiasm to think that we’re going to win a basketball game. We have been dreadful at home for years.”

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