As he prepared for Saturday’s matchup with Oregon State, Arizona State Sun Devils coach Bobby Hurley was flummoxed by a simple question. Following the Sun Devils electric win over the No. 14 Oregon Ducks Thursday night, Hurley wondered whether his team could match that same energy just two days later against an Oregon State team desperate for a win.
His concern was warranted, considering ASU’s troubling history this season of following up big wins (Georgia, Oregon State, Arizona) with crushing losses (St. Mary’s, Oregon, Washington State).
Yet, ask any number of Sun Devils, and they will confidently assert that this team is nothing similar to the group that lost by forty points to a mid-major, or only mustered two assists and shot 30.