Sun Devils’ Season Hits Roadblock as Key Players Face Suspensions

Bobby Hurley’s already limited bench grew even thinner on Sunday.

Arizona State traveled to Stillwater, Oklahoma, without two of its key players—senior guards BJ Freeman and Adam Miller—who were reportedly suspended for the Big 12 game against Oklahoma State.

Freeman, who was ejected during Arizona State’s loss to rival Arizona on February 1 for headbutting Caleb Love, was reportedly suspended for conduct harmful to the team. Freeman, a transfer from Milwaukee, is the Sun Devils’ leading scorer, averaging 12.9 points per game.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Miller was ejected from Arizona State’s 71-70 loss to Kansas State on Tuesday after receiving a flagrant 2 technical foul from official Tony Padilla with 7:34 remaining in the game. Miller got into a confrontation with Kansas State’s Dug McDaniel, right in front of Padilla. The flagrant 2 foul was classified as a “fighting technical,” leading to an automatic one-game suspension under NCAA rules.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bobby Hurley On Hot Seat

Arizona State (12-10, 3-8) entered Sunday’s game in desperate need of a win. The Sun Devils have dropped seven of their last nine games and are now out of NCAA tournament contention.

In a recent interview with Arizona Sports’ Burns & Gambo, Arizona State athletic director Graham Rossini made it clear that he expects the team to reach the NCAA tournament.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“It’s an expectation, not a goal,” Rossini said. “It’s one of the minimum requirements we have—to be a tournament team, not just in basketball but across all our sports. It’s my responsibility to assess what adjustments or additions we need to make in order to achieve that level of success. We’re not here for participation trophies; we’re here to win championships.”

Rossini emphasized the need to carefully analyze the reasons behind the team’s struggles and make necessary adjustments. “There’s a time and place where we’re ready to do that,” he added.