The final regular-season game of a difficult 2024-25 season naturally featured the Senior Night festivities, an opportunity for players and program staff in their senior year to be acknowledged and celebrated. This included senior guard Adam Miller, who was erroneously announced as “playing in his final home game for ASU.”
However, Miller didn’t play Saturday night as he is still recovering from a hip injury suffered against No.23 BYU. His absence, along with the loss of multiple season-long starters—including senior BJ Freeman, who was dismissed for detrimental conduct—proved to be a microcosm of the season.
“We don’t have practice, really,” ASU head coach Bobby Hurley said. “It’s more like a shootaround that has a little more energy. I can’t afford to go live at all. We would usually go maybe 25% of our practice live a day or two before a game. Now it's 0% just because I can’t risk someone else getting injured with the numbers we have.”
Following the Senior Night festivities, a short-handed Arizona State team faced No. 9 Texas Tech at Desert Financial Arena. The Sun Devils aimed to win at home for the first time since January 9, having tied a program record with eight consecutive home losses.
“It’s haunting,” Hurley said about losing nine straight at home. “It’s haunting to hear the other team celebrate down the hall. It’s a sound you kind of internalize. Our fans deserve better—we should be winning games at home.”
Despite a back-and-forth first half in which the Sun Devils (13-18, 4-16 Big 12) trailed by just four points at the break, a dominant second-half performance from freshman guard Christian Anderson and sophomore forward JT Toppin helped the Red Raiders (24-7, 15-5) pull away. Texas Tech outscored ASU by 24 points in the second half en route to a convincing 85-57 victory, clinching the No. 2 seed in the conference tournament.
“What a great atmosphere Arizona State had on Senior Night to represent and support those guys,” Texas Tech head coach Grant McCasland said. “I really respect Coach Hurley because he’s playing short-handed. There were a couple of guys coming off the bench, and in the first half, they really got after us. We didn’t do a good job of guarding personnel the way we wanted to.”
The second half was all Texas Tech. The Red Raiders improved from sub-40% shooting in the first half to over 51% in the second. They also got to the free-throw line with far greater consistency, converting 15 of 18 attempts—compared to just 2 of 2 in the first half.
“We felt the strength of our bench would eventually break the game open,” McCasland said. “Because of the limited number of guys they had, we were able to finish the game. Bench points: 32-0. Offensive rebounds: 13, leading to zero second-chance points for them. And then we only turned it over twice while having 16 assists and limiting them to just two three-pointers. It was a combination of a lot of things that allowed us to win tonight.”
Toppin scored a game-high 25 points, converting 10 of 19 attempts from the floor. The inside-the-arc assassin also dominated ASU in the reserve matchup earlier this season when he scored a career-high 41 points. He continues to be a problem for Hurley and the Sun Devils.
Anderson, meanwhile, has had a phenomenal freshman season, averaging 10.3 points per game. The skinny sharpshooter caught fire, tying a career-high with 21 points. He notched four three-pointers, including a buzzer-beater before halftime that set the stage for a commanding second-half performance, where he scored 15 points.
“The moment I knew I had it going was the last-second shot to end the first half,” Anderson said. “My teammates and coaches made it easy for me. I think we have one of the most dangerous teams in the country … they can’t just focus on me; they have to guard everybody on the court.”
Texas Tech played a shortened rotation Saturday night, resting key players like junior forward Darrion Williams, who logged just 16 minutes despite averaging nearly 30 per game. This added rest gave others a chance to shine as the Red Raiders prepared for the Big 12 Tournament in Kansas City, which starts March 11.
“It’s about playing your best basketball in March,” McCasland said. “To win in March, there are going to be so many scenarios where we’ll need our depth to come through. The opportunity to get everybody minutes and some flow was to our benefit as we get ready for the Big 12 Tournament.”
For ASU senior forward Basheer Jihad, playing without multiple upperclassmen allowed him to step up. The Detroit native scored 22 points on 7-of-11 shooting, providing a much-needed offensive spark for a Sun Devils team that struggled to find consistency. He also earned 10 free-throw attempts, converting eight. His ability to get to the line helped ASU stay competitive in the first half.
The second half, however, followed a familiar pattern for the Sun Devils since Freeman’s dismissal. With a lack of depth, ASU’s roster struggled with energy and versatility, forcing all five starters to play nearly 30 minutes while leaving Hurley with minimal options for adjustments.
“Down the stretch, I think guys are trying to conserve energy, especially in the first half,” Jihad said. “I think we can do a better job of giving short bursts of complete effort instead of taking lapses. We have more in the tank. If we care enough, we will give more. It’s tough for sure, but it’s something we’re capable of.”
Saturday’s game mirrored much of ASU’s late-season struggles. With key pieces missing—including Miller and five-star freshman forward Jayden Quaintance—the Sun Devils lost 10 of their final 11 games to close the regular season. The last five losses have all been by double-digit margins, leaving ASU with no opportunity to build momentum before the postseason.
“We’ve been battling through these games, giving ourselves a chance even though it hasn’t gone our way,” Hurley said. “But the last two games, we turned Arizona over six times. Today, we forced just two turnovers. I don’t know if that’s a lack of energy or just not trying hard enough, but it’s really not acceptable. And we had just two second-chance points. Those are both measures of effort.”
Now, all eyes turn toward the Big 12 Tournament—the program’s first as a member of the conference. With Kansas State slated to face the Sun Devils in the opening round, ASU may see a familiar opportunity. Its only Big 12 win outside the month of January came against the Wildcats on February 23—the first game after Freeman’s dismissal—proving that this short-handed squad has cleared this hurdle once before.
In that game, Miller scored five points in 30 minutes. However, he has been practically out since ASU’s game against No. 25 BYU on February 26.
“My guess is Adam is going to play in the Big 12 Tournament,” Hurley said. “He’s gotta show me by Monday that he’s moving normally because I’m not going to risk further injury.”
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