While the big change won’t be coming for Arizona State men’s basketball with head coach Bobby Hurley remaining in place for 2025-26, athletic director Graham Rossini knows tweaks are necessary for the program to progress.
“(The Big 12) was (as difficult) as advertised, but there’s no replacement for the kind of experience that we got,” Rossini told Arizona Sports’ Burns & Gambo on Thursday. “And two months ago, we thought this was a tournament team and we were playing as such, and then we really understood the physical grind of the Big 12.”
One of the biggest lessons conference play taught ASU, Rossini said, was that every member of the team — down to the 15th man — needs to add value to the team in one way or another.
“Every one of the 15 men on this roster moving forward needs to be able to contribute minutes, take fouls, add value to the team structure,” the AD said.
Only nine Sun Devils played at least 50 minutes on the season, and one of them was Trevor Best, whose 113 minutes all came in conference play after he joined the team in January after graduating high school in December.
Hurley circled the depth issues after ASU’s opening-round loss in the Big 12 Tournament. He and his assistants are already hard at work to shore up the roster with transfer portal and high school options out there, Rossini said.
Bobby Hurley will be back. Arizona State AD Graham Rossini knows there's room for improvement with the basketball program, however.
His visit with @BurnsAndGambo is brought to you by America Roofing. pic.twitter.com/ONSUvlo2Ft
— Arizona Sports (@AZSports) March 13, 2025
Are changes coming to staffing at Arizona State men’s basketball?
Rossini said it’s up to Hurley — the same way it’s up to any of the university’s head coaches — to decide whom he surrounds himself with as assistant coaches or support staff.
The athletic director gave credit to Kenny Dillingham and his “mindfulness” for how the football program has handled its staffing, most of which was retained following its Big 12 Championship season. He said the same types of conversations have been had with Hurley.
“We’ve talked a lot about the things that we may need moving forward and whether that’s tweaks to the current staff, whether that’s new positions or new people that could add value,” Rossini said. “And my message to our coaches is, I’m asking you to be mindful of the environment and the tools that you need need to be successful at a high level.
“I want to be involved in that planning effort with you so we can go find the resources or make the adjustments that we need to go continue to build and grow elite talent around all of our programs.”
Rossini put the onus on Hurley to determine what his staff needs, whether that’s a new face, new technology or anywhere in between. He said once that’s determined, he and his department will “fight” to make whatever resource that is a part of the program.
“I’m not only defending what I think he brings to the table,” he said. “I’m also stating that we want to get better and I want us to get better and I want to be a part of that effort on getting us to an elite level in basketball as we do with all of our sports.”
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Arizona State AD: Tweaks needed for men’s basketball program to progress )
Also on site :
- RFU open to hosting Chelsea at Twickenham if Stamford Bridge redevelopment goes ahead
- Fastest IPL Century: Vaibhav Suryavanshi fastest Indian to 100, trails only Chris Gayle
- Man, 36, ‘slowly gassed to death’ after car filled with deadly poison – as heartbroken sister fights for change in law