Princeton. Utah. Washington State. Three teams that serve as more than blemishes on Arizona State’s record. All losses, the outcomes have left the Sun Devils’ chances at consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances in question.
On Sunday, trailing California by six at halftime, it seemed the final nail in the coffin was a mere 20 minutes away. Surely, ASU’s previous shortcomings as well as a loss to the Golden Bears would be enough to sink the Sun Devils.
Extended periods of time are often defined by a few moments. Staring down a loss that would define the season, coach Bobby Hurley‘s team responded, playing arguably its most important stretch of basketball this year.