Arizona State extends Bobby Hurley through 2025-26 season

Associated PressMar 22, 2023, 12:02 AM EDT

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TEMPE, Ariz. — Arizona State agreed to a contract extension with head coach Bobby Hurley that runs through the 2025-26 season.

The deal announced on Tuesday is subject to approval by the Arizona Board of Regents. Hurley’s previous contract was set to expire after next season.

“Coach Hurley has made our program relevant nationally with many significant wins and an exciting style, along with a firm commitment to the academic success of our student-athletes,” Arizona State athletic director Ray Anderson said in a statement. “He has made it clear to us that he wants to be here and we have done likewise with him. We share a strong confidence in the present and future state of Sun Devil men’s basketball.”

Hurley led the Sun Devils to 23 wins this season and their third trip to the NCAA Tournament the last five times it has been played. Arizona State beat Nevada in the First Four before losing to Texas Christian on a last-second shot last Friday.

The Sun Devils have won at least 20 games four of the past six seasons. They are 141-113 in eight seasons under Hurley.

Coles hits late floater, TCU edges Arizona State in March Madness

Associated PressMar 18, 2023, 11:53 AM EDT

Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

DENVER – Watching from the bench for most of last season, JaKobe Coles patiently waited his turn.

His reward came Friday night, a floater from the lane with 1.5 seconds left that lifted No. 6 seed TCU to a come-from-behind 72-70 win over 11th-seeded Arizona State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

“He didn’t have the role he wanted,” said Mike Miles Jr., the teammate who talked him into coming to TCU and fed him the pass that led to the winning bucket. “But this year he’s getting the minutes he wanted. He’s stepping up. In the biggest game of his life, he made the game-winning shot.”

Coles took the pass from Miles from the top of the 3-point circle, dribbled once, took two steps and let go of the game-winner.

A desperation heave by Arizona State guard Frankie Collins at the buzzer missed everything, and left coach Bobby Hurley wondering if he should have used a timeout to set up a play.

“It’s certainly something I’ll think about,” Hurley said.

While TCU (22-12) advanced to play Gonzaga on Sunday, Arizona State’s season ended in heart-breaking fashion. Nobody could say the Sun Devils (23-13) didn’t put on a show.

They took an 11-point lead early in the second half punctuated by a pair of highlight-reel dunks. One was from Collins – with a defender draped all over him – and another from Devan Cambridge, who finished a fast break with a backward power slam.

That’s when TCU started chipping away.

A pair of free throws by Damion Baugh – and another by Miles – gave the Horned Frogs a three-point lead with 24 seconds remaining.

DJ Horne, who finished with 17 points, answered with a deep 3-pointer to tie it up at 70 with 15 seconds left.

It was just setting the stage for Coles, who finished with 11 points.

“It was a good shot,” Coles said. “I’m happy for my team, happy for the win.”

Miles, playing on a hyperextended right knee, had 26 points, including 12 of 14 from the free throw line.

He was noticeably limping shortly after a dunk late in the first half. Miles was greeted by the trainer as he walked off the court for halftime, but returned after the break. The Horned Frogs needed him, too, as made big play after big play. He drew a pivotal charge late in the game.

Miles missed a stretch of games in early February with a hyperextended right knee.

As much as the last-second shot, TCU coach Jamie Dixon credited the win to his team committing only five turnovers, which matched its season low. Those turnovers led to only four ASU points.

Possibly still a little weary from their trip in from Dayton, Ohio, the Sun Devils took a moment to get acclimated. The 11 seed was down 11 before even breaking much of a sweat. But they quickly found their rhythm – just like they did two days ago, when they scored 98 points in a First Four win over Nevada.

“Just heartbroken for my guys,” Hurley said. “They played winning basketball all year, played unselfishly, battled and fought and it took a last-second shot to put us away.”

BIG PICTURE

Arizona State: The Sun Devils are definitely back on the right track after going 14-17 last season and 11-14 in 2020-21. Asked about the state of the program, Hurley responded: “Did you watch the game? That’s the state of the program.”

TCU: The Horned Frogs improved to 7-9 all-time in the NCAA Tournament.

UP NEXT

TCU and Gonzaga haven’t met on the basketball floor since a 90-87 Horned Frogs win on Dec. 30, 1998. But there’s plenty of respect on the part of Bulldogs coach Mark Few. “I’ve watched TCU a lot this year. I think they’re as good of team as there is in this tournament, especially when they’re at their high end,” said Few, whose team is the third seed in the West Region.

Arizona State stuns No. 7 Arizona 89-88 on Cambridge’s heave

Associated PressFeb 26, 2023, 1:09 AM EST

Zachary BonDurant/USA TODAY Sports

TUCSON, Ariz. — Arizona State’s latest rivalry loss appeared imminent even after a late rally, with a desperate heave all that was left.

Desmond Cambridge Jr. cashed it in, swishing a McKale miracle to keep the Sun Devils’ NCAA Tournament hopes alive.

Cambridge Jr. hit a 60-foot shot at the buzzer and Arizona State rallied from a 10-point deficit to beat No. 7 Arizona 89-88 on Saturday.

“I did not think that shot was going in,” said Cambridge, who finished with 19 points. “I just wanted to have a nice miss and everyone in the crowd go, “ohhh!” Once it went in, I literally could only scream because I couldn’t make sense of it.”

The Wildcats (24-5, 13-5 Pac-12) led by 10 before going more than six minutes without a field goal as Arizona State pulled ahead by one.

The Sun Devils (20-9, 11-7) went up 86-85 on Warren Washington’s layup with just a minute left, but Pelle Larsson put Arizona back up on a layup with 29 seconds left.

Arizona State’s DJ Horne missed a jumper with four seconds left and the Sun Devils had a final shot after Oumar Ballo hit 1 of 2 free throws.

Catching the ball with 2.4 seconds left, Cambridge left the fans at McKale Center stunned, launching a shot from beyond half-court that sent his teammates charging onto the floor in celebration.

“We were sitting on pocket aces and it happens sometimes,” Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd said.

Cedric Henderson Jr. led Arizona with 19 points and Azuoulas Tubelis added 17.

In the first meeting, Arizona State went on a big run to open the second half, but Lloyd didn’t call a timeout, letting his team play through the adversity. The Wildcats responded with a run over their own for a 69-60 win on a night when neither team shot better than 37%.

The rematch was all about the offense.

The Sun Devils hit as many 3-pointers in the first eight minutes as they did the entire first game and shot 20 of 34 from the floor to lead 46-45.

The Wildcats hit 16 of 27 shots, including Henderson’s buzzer-beating 3, but went 7 of 14 on free throws.

The good shooting trailed off only slightly to start the second half.

Arizona went on a short run to build a six-point lead and the Sun Devils started taking questionable shots, allowing the Wildcats to stretch it to 78-68.

Even after turning up the defensive pressure to get back in it, Arizona State appeared to be down and out – until Cambridge came to the rescue, ending the Sun Devils’ five-game losing streak to Arizona.

“A lot of people were jumping ship and thinking we’re not that team, but we are that team and the guys proved it tonight by going toe to toe with a team like Arizona on their home floor this late in the season,” Arizona State coach Bobby Hurley said.

NUNEZ OUT

Arizona State played without guard Austin Nunez, who was in concussion protocol after being injured against Utah last week.

The freshman point guard is averaging 4.5 points while giving the Sun Devils an energy boost off the bench.

FREE THROW WOES

Arizona had a huge advantage in free throws, outscoring Arizona State by 12 at the line.

The Wildcats could have used a few more to go in, finishing 23 of 34.

“You’d like to be make one or two more, it probably makes a difference,” Lloyd said.

BIG PICTURE

Arizona State: The Sun Devils needed some kind of boost for their NCAA Tournament chances. One of the most stunning finishes in the history of the rivalry certainly should help.

Arizona: The Wildcats were in control before going cold from the field at the wrong time. Their seniors will never forget how their final home game ended after Cambridge’s stunner.

UP NEXT

Arizona State: Plays at No. 4 UCLA on Thursday.

Arizona: Plays at Southern California on Thursday.

Tubelis scores 21, No. 5 Arizona beats Arizona State 69-60

Associated PressDec 31, 2022, 7:06 PM EST

Alex Gould / USA TODAY NETWORK

TEMPE, Ariz. – Azuolas Tubelis scored 21 points, Oumar Ballo had 12 points and 12 rebounds, and No. 5 Arizona withstood a second-half comeback by Arizona State for a 69-60 victory Saturday.

Kerr Kriisa had 12 points and five assists for the Wildcats (13-1, 2-1 Pac-12), who won their fifth straight in the series. They entered averaging 90.2 points per game, second in Division I. Neither team shot better than 40% from the floor.

“We’re going to be a great defensive and rebounding team,” Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd said. “I’m making no druthers about that. I don’t care what our offense is ranked. We play to get the result.”

The Sun Devils (11-3, 2-1) scored 19 of the first 23 points of the second half after going to a full-court press and cut a 45-28 halftime deficit to 49-47 with 13 minutes left. Lloyd did not call a timeout during Arizona State’s big run, and when it was over, Arizona responded with a 10-3 run to regain control.

“We lacked composure for a certain stretch, and I wanted our guys to figure it out,” Lloyd said. “There is a reason you try to build a lead in the first half, especially on the road. You have to try to stretch it out, because you know they are going to make that run. It’s about winning the game. It is not about who makes a run in the first half or a strong run in the second half. It’s finding a way to close out and win the game, and our guys did the job.”

Frankie Collins had 12 points to lead Arizona State and Devan Cambridge added nine. Leading scorer DJ Horne was held to seven points and was 3 of 11 from the floor. Arizona had a 44-36 rebounding edge and shot 37.7% from the floor. The Sun Devils shot 36.2%.

“They are so aggressive and scrappy,” Lloyd said. “Their ball pressure was tremendous. They did a really good job being active. We have to toughen up a little bit and find different ways to attack it.”

The Wildcats made 24 of 28 free-throws attempts. Arizona State was 7 of 10. The Sun Devils missed their first 13 3-point field-goal attempts and were 3 of 27 from behind the arc.

“I mean, it’s crazy,” Arizona State coach Bobby Hurley said. “They’re a top-five team in the country and beating some really good teams, and we lost by nine and went 3 for 27 from 3. So hopefully the guys who are normally hitting the shots and making those shots will connect a little better as we move forward.”

Tubelis has scored in double figures in all 14 games.

“He’s one of the best players in the league, and I think he showed it tonight,” teammate Courtney Ramey said.

Ballo’s foul-line jumper, his first basket of the game, gave Arizona a 30-14 lead with 6:19 remaining in the first half, forcing an Arizona State timeout. As the teams headed to their benches, Kriisa said “be quiet” as looked toward the ASU student section.

The Wildcats led by as many as 18 points in the first half.

BIG PICTURE

Arizona looked every bit a top-five team in the first half, but the Wildcats had surprising difficulty against Arizona State’s aggressive full-court press in the second half. The Sun Devils could have found their way back into the AP Top 25 with a win. Regardless, they will remain a contender in the Pac-12 because of a harassing defense that had limited opponents to 36.7% shooting from the floor coming in.

UP NEXT

Arizona: The Wildcats have a home series against Washington and Washington State on Thursday and Saturday.

Arizona State: The Sun Devils also host to the Washington schools next weekend.

Arizona State hires Adair as women’s basketball coach

Associated PressMar 27, 2022, 6:19 PM EDT

Lauren Roberts/Salisbury Daily Times / USA TODAY NETWORK

TEMPE, Ariz. — Arizona State has hired Natasha Adair to coach women’s basketball.

The school announced Sunday the former Delaware coach will replace Charli Turner Thorne, who retired earlier this month after 25 years leading the Sun Devils.

“For nearly three decades, I’ve had the honor and privilege to coach and develop women student-athletes and am grateful for the opportunity to continue to do so here at ASU and in the Pac-12,” Adair said in a statement. “From the moment I stepped onto campus, I knew this was the place for me to build and grow our women’s basketball program to a national power.”

A former player at South Florida, Adair spent the past five seasons at Delaware, where she went 95-58 with consecutive 20-win seasons. She was named the Colonial Athletic Association coach of the year after leading the Blue Hens to the WNIT semifinals and led the program to its first NCAA Tournament in nearly a decade this season.

Adair spent the previous three seasons at Georgetown, leading the Hoyas to consecutive WNIT appearances after taking over a program that won four games the year before she arrived. She went 35-31 in two seasons at College of Charleston after spending 14 seasons as an assistant at Wake Forest and Georgetown.

“Charli’s retirement leaves a legacy spanning 25 years, and in looking for the next leader of Sun Devil women’s basketball we wanted a coach who could build off a long-tenured culture of success with respect for the past while also establishing their own unique identity to drive the program forward,” Arizona State athletic director Ray Anderson said. “We’re excited to have found that person in Natasha and look forward to the next era of Sun Devil women’s basketball.”

Arizona State’s Turner Thorne retiring after 25 seasons

Associated PressMar 3, 2022, 10:19 PM EST

Alex Gould - The Republic

TEMPE, Ariz. — Arizona State women’s basketball coach Charli Turner Thorne is retiring after 25 years.

Turner Thorne announced her retirement Thursday, a day after the Sun Devils lost to Oregon State in the first round of the Pac-12 Tournament in Las Vegas.

Turner Thorne turned Arizona State into a national powerhouse after being hired in 1996. She led the Sun Devils to the NCAA Tournament 14 times, including five trips to the Sweet Sixteen and two to the Elite Eight.

The 55-year-old Turner Thorne is the winningest coach in Arizona State history and second in the Pac-12 to Stanford’s Tara VanDerveer, her former coach, with a record of 500-308.

Turner Thorne played four seasons at Stanford before embarking on a coaching career that started when she was a graduate assistant at Washington, followed by an assistant job at Santa Clara and four seasons as Northern Arizona’s head coach.

Arizona State went 20-60 in the three seasons before Turner Thorne was hired and she built the program back up, leading the Sun Devils to their first league championships in history during the regular season and Pac-10 tournament.

Arizona State had a school-record run of six straight NCAA Tournament appearances from 2014-19 and qualified for the postseason 23 times under Turner Thorne. She took a leave of absence during the 2011-12 season and led the Sun Devils to the second round of the NCAA Tournament in 2013-14.

The Sun Devils struggled with injuries this season, finishing 12-14 overall and 4-9 in Pac-12 play.