Arizona State is five games into its season, and already, things don’t make a lot of sense.
Let’s start internally. Coach Bobby Hurley has led the Sun Devils to their second straight 5-0 start. Along the way, the team has flipped the program’s narrative, leading the nation in rebounds per game (46.6) and having a true freshman as a top-25 scorer.
Sure, maybe ASU expected the hot beginning. But even without junior transfer Rob Edwards, they emphasize defense and transition scores, a disconnection from last year’s run-and-gun, live-and-die by the 3-ball mentality.
Let’s look at the external factors.