Bobby Hurley didn’t think his old team, the Buffalo Bulls, would demolish his new team, the Arizona State Sun Devils. But, they did.
Waking up this morning, Bobby Hurley didn’t think that, by dinner time, his Arizona State Sun Devils would get thrashed by his old team, the Buffalo Bulls.
That’s exactly what happened.
The Bulls, who quietly went 31-3 this season and received little national attention, jumped on the Sun Devils early and didn’t let up in their 91-76 win. So, while many were shocked to see a mid-major beat up on a Pac-12 team, in reality, it wasn’t that shocking, and deep down, Hurley knew this.
He knew he left Buffalo with a coach, Nate Oats, who could guide this program to NCAA Tournament berths, but he also hoped he wouldn’t have to run into them either. After a win in the First Four game vs. St. John’s, Arizona State just looked like a team that couldn’t run with the Bulls.
So, they limp back to Tempe to recoup and recover for next season, while many in the college basketball universe marvel at the juggernaut that could make a Cinderella run in the Tournament.
One can really make the case that the Bulls can get a win over the team that’s awaiting them in the second round, No. 3 Texas Tech, and if that happens, the job opportunities for Oats will be plentiful.
As much as Buffalo would love for him to stay and build the program into a perennial power, the lure of Power of Five schools that could be interested in his services may be too much for him to ignore. That thought is for after the Tournament, though. Right now, it’s all about Texas Tech for Oats and the Buffalo Bulls.