Bobby Hurley’s challenge: Turning a talented Arizona State roster into a talented team

Arizona State Sun Devils head coach Bobby Hurley celebrates after beating the Arizona Wildcats 66-65 at Desert Financial Arena in Tempe, Ariz. on January 25, 2020.

 (Photo: Patrick Breen, Patrick Breen/The Republic)

This is Bobby Hurley’s most talented roster in his six seasons as Arizona State’s basketball coach. He has readily admitted this and embraced all the expectations that come with adding two recruits ranked in the top 30 and a talented transfer to a team that would have been competitive in the Pac-12 without them.

But can Hurley convert a talented roster into a talented team?

That challenge is what had him sounding like an in-your-face relationship counselor late last week as ASU, ranked 18th, prepared to open the season Wednesday evening against No. 2 Baylor and then possibly No. 3 Villanova on Thursday in a tournament in Connecticut.

It was not Bobby Hurley on the Zoom call with reporters last Friday. It was Bobby effin’ Hurley, and he shared his unhappiness with recent practices.

“There’s some alarms going off about a little bit about what we’re doing on the practice floor right now and our maturity level,” Hurley said.

Like a shooter with a hot hand, Hurley was about to get on a roll.

“I’d equate it to someone dating someone,” he said. “We like going to the movies and maybe getting a nice dinner, but are we ready to take it to the next level and commit? Are we ready to commit to each other? Are we ready to put the toilet seat down every time? Are you willing to, you know, take the garbage out?

“We got to do some of the dirty work, too. It’s great when you have a lot of talent and a lot of expectations and a lot of guys with a lot of hype, but we’ve got to do a lot of the little things you have to in a relationship. We’re like a living, breathing relationship that needs work every day.”

When a coach has so much talent, as Hurley does, the clichéd question is how is he going to keep everyone happy?

Point guard Remy Martin likes the ball in his hands. Alonzo Verge, Jr., is a scorer. Josh Christopher is ASU’s highest-rated recruit since James Harden. Marcus Bagley isn’t far behind. Holland Woods averaged nearly 18 points a game last year for Portland State and was all Big Sky Conference. And ASU’s interior players would like to score occasionally, too.

The rack of balls required to please everyone is gone after warmups.

But the flip side to the obvious question is this: The players have to keep the coach happy, too. Fail to defend, rebound, pass, run the floor, take a charge? Hurley has more options on the bench than he’s ever had at ASU.

Those elements, not sharing the ball or scoring, are what concerns Hurley most right now.

“I’m more like, who is going to do what Mickey Mitchell did for us last year? Who is diving out of bounds to keep a ball in play?” Hurley said. “Who is getting on the floor for a loose ball? Who is going to take a charge? Who is going to do all the dirty work, all the little things that go into winning?

“That’s a collective thing, not just one guy I’m talking about. Teams like Baylor will make you pay if you don’t do all the things I just mentioned.”

Nov 9, 2019; Bloomington, IN, USA; Portland State Vikings guard Holland Woods (11) drives to the basket against Indiana Hoosiers guard Rob Phinisee (10) during the second half at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

 (Photo: Brian Spurlock, Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports)

Those are some of the reasons Woods, who played at Glendale Apollo High, has drawn rave reviews from Hurley and teammates even before playing a game for the Sun Devils. A senior, he joins Martin and Verge as some of the mature voices on the team.

“I know Josh and Marcus have played against really good players,” Hurley said, “but when you’re playing against these really, really good teams, like a Baylor, or potentially Villanova, or any of the top teams in our conference, this isn’t AAU basketball anymore. This isn’t high school basketball anymore. I don’t care how much talent you have. It’s going to be an adjustment. So I hope we’re prepared for that very early.”

More than anything, what will help the Sun Devils convert a roster into a team, said Hurley, again sounding like a counselor, is trust. It’s a word he plans to use a lot this season.

“Trust the guy you’re playing with, that if you make the next pass, that he’s going to make the right play as well,” he said. “Trust that if I’m running back on defense 110 percent, that the guys on my right and my left are doing the same thing.

“It’s more than just how these guys are going to be able to share the ball and play together on offense, it’s going to be a total buy-in and commitment to do all the other things that may not always be valued by high school players or incoming players.

“We’re trying to remind all the new guys why we’ve been successful the last few years.”

Reach Kent Somers at Kent.Somers@gannett.com. Follow him on twitter @kentsomers. Hear Somers every Monday and Friday at 7:30 a.m. on The Drive with Jody Oehler on Fox Sports 910 AM.

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