2026 PHILLIPS 66 BIG 12 MEN'S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT

March 11, 2026

Bobby Hurley

Moe Odum

Allen Mukeba

T-Mobile Center

Arizona State Sun Devils

Postgame Press Conference

Iowa State 91, Arizona State 42

BOBBY HURLEY: We just didn't come out great, obviously, to start. We weren't physical enough in the early stages of the game. They really swarmed us. We got the ball, you know, in some really tough areas of the floor against a really good defensive team, and you just can't afford to do that.

We never really gave ourselves a chance And we spent -- you know, this matchup obviously is not a good one for us because we've been one of the best teams in the Big 12 of taking care of the ball minus obviously Saturday and then this game. The physicality of their team is different than I've ever seen, and they -- they're really on a string on defense. They rotate for each other. They do a very good job at that end of the floor, and we had a hard time dealing with it.

Q. I was just talking to Moe and he called this team "relentless." He said you wanted to be remembered by the fans, and he wants the fans to think that you're relentless.

How are you going to remember this team?

BOBBY HURLEY: It was just -- it was just a pleasure to coach these guys, and they cared. They played their hearts out for me every game. They showed up to practice just with a good attitude and worked hard and cared about each other and, you know, those are the things that, as a coach, you have tremendous appreciation for.

The guys that we put together were, you know, a lot of underdog type of guys. You know, Moe Odum's story is an amazing story. What Allen Mukeba, my senior to my left, has had to overcome in his life with diabetes and still playing at this level and going through that on a daily basis, I mean, these kids have tremendous character. They fought for each other all year.

We had the tenth hardest schedule in college basketball this year, so we played a lot of good basketball teams. We played a lot of quad one and quad two games. And for us to have a winning record, I think these guys should be proud of that, you know, considering just how good this league is and some of the things we were able to do in a nonconference. So I'm very pleased with them, and I'll always have fond memories of coaching these guys.

Q. Is there any consideration about going back to the Crown this year after last year?

BOBBY HURLEY: Once again, I have not had any conversations with our administration about postseason and what that looks like.

Q. This is for the players. Can you kind of talk about what was the highlight for you guys this season? And obviously both you guys being newcomers, can you talk about what you most got out of your basketball experience this year?

ALLEN MUKEBA: The highlight of this season, I can't just, like, single out one multiple thing. It was multiple things that were super fun during the season. Getting some upset wins, spending some time with each other in Hawaii. Even going through the losing streak and bouncing back as a team when we could have gave up. And I can't really single out one single highlight throughout the year.

What I learned in my four years of playing basketball is the game is never -- a basketball game is never over until it's 0:00 on the clock. You've got to have a strong mental for four, five, six, seven, eight months. Your mental has got to be as strong as you've can be because it will get rocky, it will get hard. And to be honest, nobody is coming to save you, so you've got to figure that out on your own. So just what I learned, I learned a lot of life lessons in college.

MOE ODUM: Personally, I just had an opportunity to be with one of the greatest right here, Bobby Hurley. I've always been a fan, you know? He changed my life in a lot of aspects. I couldn't even tell what it is exactly, but it's a blessing for me. It's just a blessing for me to be a part of this team. Everything we went through, the way Coach coaching, I mean, it was just amazing this year. I've got nothing else to say about that.

Q. Bob, you've never really shied away from the reports regarding your future. Eleven years is a long time. If this is the last time you coached Arizona State, what has it meant for you to represent this program?

BOBBY HURLEY: It's been a long road. It's been a special time. Two of my kids graduated from ASU. I've had the opportunity to coach some fantastic young men, and, you know, had some terrific moments over the years. It's a great university, great administration, the president, and I'm not sure what's going to happen because I don't know.

I haven't spoken directly about my future next year to this point, but I don't have any regrets. I laid it out on the line to the best that I could every night. So I told the guys that I did, and I know they did it for each other this year, and I did it until, you know, the last buzzer sounded.

Q. Allen, I asked Moe this earlier, but what do you want the fans to know about the coach that's sitting to your right?

ALLEN MUKEBA: He's done everything he could. He fought really hard. He's a human being like everybody. He's doing -- why he got to do -- he's a father. He's a brother, you know? He's a friend. So it's all props to him.

Q. Bob, again going to the future, do you want to keep coaching, or would you like to go into broadcasting, or have you even thought that far ahead?

BOBBY HURLEY: I just -- everything is so fresh right now, and we went all in for a game that brutally went against us in a way that does -- in a way does a disservice to what these guys have done all year.

So my main feelings are with, like, the guy to my right and the guy to my left who won't play another game again, and that hurts. And we all felt that pain in the locker room after.

I haven't had enough time to really decide what's going to be next. You're operating under the assumption that I'm no longer going to be the head coach at Arizona State.

Q. Allen, you have been on the injury report. You took a hard spill against Kansas, and yet you found a way to kind of come out every day. What has this season and specifically the last five or ten games taught you about yourself?

ALLEN MUKEBA: I mean, it's been hard playing through injuries and stuff like that, but my team needed me, as simple as it is. I had to go out there and perform the best as I could. It don't matter if you got injury or anything like that. They need me, so I'm going to show up for them.

Q. Coach, you talk about hurting in the locker room with these guys because you know it's going to be their last game. Is this year any different than previous years when you've kind of gone through those emotions with your seniors?

BOBBY HURLEY: I would say just because I have tremendous respect and appreciation for this team and everything is current and you're in the moment, this will go down in some of the teams that I've had that I've really, really feel I've been blessed and enjoyed coaching the team, regardless of the outcomes and wins and losses. So that's where they stand. They're in, like, a really good place in some of my favorite teams that I've coached at Arizona State.

Q. And for the players, what does it mean to hear that from a guy that you've said goes to war for you every night?

MOE ODUM: It just -- it means a lot. I pretty much feel like everybody knew what we was coming into before we decided to transfer here, and that just goes to show, like, we never cared about what anybody say, only what Coach Hurley says, so we was going off Coach Hurley. I was going off Coach Hurley. I never cared about what anybody think about him or say about him because that's my coach.

Q. Bobby, you've had a long basketball life. Your whole family has had long basketball lives. How do you process just the highs and lows of going through that now and, you know, kind of keeping perspective on things?

BOBBY HURLEY: Yeah. Pat, I grew up in a basketball household that, you know, my dad impacted kids, and I watched it happen growing up through my whole life. So the biggest thing, regardless of winning championships or all this other stuff, is more about the relationships, and it's the players that I can coach.

And I hope that I can help this guy or Allen moving forward in any way I can, and that means the most to me.

But as far as the wins and losses and the bad losses, like -- you know, my wife's going to be there supporting me after this, and she's here right now. My daughters love me. I have a granddaughter. You know, my son was on staff with me. I got to share a whole season with him. So that's what means the most to me.

(FastScripts by ASAP Sports)