AP source: Arizona State coach Bobby Hurley expected to return for 11th season

TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) - Arizona State men’s basketball coach Bobby Hurley is expected to return for his 11th season, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity before the Sun Devils’ Big 12 Tournament game against Kansas State on Tuesday because no official announcement has been made.

Hurley has one year left on his contract in a tenure that’s included three trips to the NCAA Tournament and multiple seasons with key injuries, including this year.

The Sun Devils entered Hurley’s 10th season - their first in the Big 12 - with high expectations, thanks to one of the highest-rated recruiting classes in school history. Big man Jayden Quaintance and Joson Sanon, their top two recruits, played well at times, but both missed time with injuries.

Hurley was down to six scholarship players late in the season as the injuries piled up and leading scorer BJ Freeman was dismissed for conduct detrimental to the team in late February.

Arizona State entered the Big 12 Tournament 13-18 overall and 15th in the Big 12 at 4-16.

Hurley arrived in the desert with plenty of fanfare in 2015 after leading Buffalo to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history the year before. A two-time national champion at Duke and the NCAA’s all-time assists leader, the fiery coach had the Sun Devils going in the right direction by his third season, leading them to consecutive NCAA Tournaments (2018-19) for the first time since 1980-81.

Arizona State matched its highest ranking in 2017, reaching No. 3 in the AP Top 25 after a 12-0 start that included a win over top-ranked Kansas.

The Sun Devils appeared to be headed to their third straight NCAA Tournament in 2020 before the pandemic wiped out the season. Arizona State took a step back in the pandemic-shortened 2020-21 season and never seemed to fully recover, missing the NCAA Tournament five times in Hurley’s last six seasons. The Sun Devils reached the NCAA Tournament again in 2023, but went 14-18 the following season.