The cracks inside Arizona State’s program widened again on Tuesday night, and this time, Bobby Hurley didn’t try to cover them up. Arizona State’s 75–63 loss to West Virginia wasn’t just another mark in the loss column. It became a public breaking point for a coach who openly admitted that his message is no longer landing. After the final horn, Hurley delivered one of the most candid assessments of his tenure in Tempe, acknowledging that his authority with the current group has eroded in a way he hasn’t experienced before.

“I’m failing. I can’t get through to the team,” Hurley said after the loss. “My voice is not working with this group.” For a coach who once helped make Arizona State a regular presence in March, the admission carried weight. This isn’t about a single bad night or a flawed roster decision. It’s about a deeper disconnect that continues to surface as the Sun Devils struggle to sustain structure when games tighten.

The numbers from the West Virginia loss paint a clear picture of how quickly control slipped away. Arizona State showed life early, knocking down five three-pointers in the first half and building momentum. But whatever rhythm they found vanished after the break.

Everything unraveled after the break. Arizona State managed just 26 points in the second half as the offense went cold at 38.5 percent shooting, failed to connect from deep, and left eight points at the free-throw line, all while turning the ball over 13 times. It wasn’t one flaw; it was everything unraveling at once.

Those mistakes weren’t isolated lapses. They reflected a team that struggled to execute once pressure increased. When structure faded, so did discipline, and the game slipped beyond reach.

Hurley didn’t shy away from that reality. His postgame tone wasn’t angry or defiant. It was worn down. Despite the frustration, Hurley stopped short of questioning his players’ willingness. In fact, he pointed to effort as the one area that still gives him pause before writing the group off entirely.

“The light at the end of the tunnel is hard to see,” Hurley said. “But I love this group. They’re willing to try and give what they have.” That willingness was evident early. Arizona State jumped out to a 26–13 lead in the first half, even as West Virginia’s Treysen Eaglestaff knocked down multiple threes. But effort alone couldn’t carry them through the second half, where breakdowns piled up, and composure disappeared.

With a difficult Big 12 slate ahead and home attendance hovering near the halfway mark, the margin for patience continues to shrink.

Where Bobby Hurley’s team lost control

Arizona State’s collapse wasn’t caused by one issue, but by several problems compounding at once. Turnovers killed any offensive rhythm, with the Sun Devils giving the ball away 13 times in a game that featured just 66 possessions. That lack of control showed up again at the free-throw line, where eight missed attempts erased chances to stop West Virginia’s momentum. On the other end, the Mountaineers capitalized, knocking down 11 three-pointers and pulling away once Arizona State lost structure.

Then came West Virginia’s shooting. The Mountaineers buried 11 of 24 three-point attempts, with Eaglestaff finishing with six makes from deep. Arizona State never found an answer, and without Marcus Adams available for a fifth straight game, defensive flexibility was limited. By the time the final minutes arrived, the outcome felt inevitable.

Hurley is in the final year of his contract, and moments like this carry added weight. Publicly admitting that players aren’t responding isn’t common for coaches fighting to steady a season. But this wasn’t posturing. It was a raw acknowledgment of where things stand.

Public admissions like Hurley’s are rare, especially this late in a season. Coaches often shield internal issues, but moments where a head coach acknowledges a loss of connection usually signal a turning point either toward internal change or toward broader program decisions.

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Situations like this often expose the tension between performance and authority. In college basketball, execution and belief in the system are inseparable. When players stop responding consistently, results usually follow. For Arizona State, the loss wasn’t just about West Virginia. It was about what happens next.

If Arizona State is going to stabilize, Hurley must find a way to restore structure, whether that comes through rotation changes or a different approach altogether. Otherwise, the disconnect Hurley described will continue to show up in moments where structure matters most.

Once the next game tips off, the quotes will fade. What won’t fade is the reality Hurley put into words. Arizona State isn’t just losing games. It’s struggling to maintain control, and with Hurley’s contract nearing its end, that struggle now carries real consequences.