All week long, Bobby Hurley was hoping to not let the cat out of the bag. His team had another game to take care of — St. John’s — before a reunion with his prior school was even possible.
But, by virtue of Arizona State’s 74-65 win over St. John’s in the First Four, the perceived cruelty of the NCAA Tournament’s selection committee came to life: the Sun Devils advanced to play Buffalo — where Hurley began his head coaching career — and his protege, current Bulls’ coach Nate Oats, in the first round of the tournament.