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ASU Basketball: Hurley's Future, Crow's Master Plan, The Unsigned Contract And The Historical Standard For Success

Anywhere else, a contract extension unsigned for 362 days would be cause for pause.

But at Arizona State, where the football recruiting scandal has lasted three years and the athletic director chair has been vacant for four months, the delay feels more like standard fare.

Also, it adds an incremental amount of uncertainty to Bobby Hurley's status for the 2024-25 season.

Fans are grumbling about the state of the program, but that's not new, either. Grumbling over the state of Hurley's problem is an annual exercise in Tempe.

And based on a USA Today report last week about the unsigned contract, Hurley would be a free man this summer, able to walk away from ASU without owing the school a financial penalty. Technically, he's working under the terms of a deal signed years ago, which expires June 30.

Despite the haze, is there substantive reason to expect a coaching change?

President Michael Crow hasn't indicated he's pondering a move. Instead, Crow told the Hotline recently that ASU is focused on "making some design changes and updating our models for operations and systems" to the athletic department.

Once that process concludes — presumably sometime this spring — the Sun Devils will hire an athletic director to replace Ray Anderson, who stepped down in November.

Also, Hurley enjoys living in The Valley and coaching ASU. (If he were able to ply his trade in an arena that wasn't in dire need of renovation, all the better!)

The issue, naturally, is Hurley's performance. The Sun Devils missed the NCAA Tournament this season, lost four more games than they won and were eliminated from the Pac-12 tournament in embarrassing fashion, with a 33-point loss to Utah.

But any argument for a coaching change must include the risk-reward calculation: What's the likelihood of hiring someone who represents an indisputable upgrade, especially without a permanent athletic director to manage the search?

We are increasingly convinced it doesn't matter who's in charge. ASU's institutional encumbrances would serve as limiting factors for any head coach.

In fact, Hurley is doing high-quality work compared to his predecessors.

Since the Sun Devils joined the Pac-12 in the summer of 1978, there have been 45 NCAA Tournaments, including this year's event.

ASU's nine head coaches over that span have made 10 appearances — one every 4.5 years.

But Hurley has reached the NCAAs three times in eight opportunities, or one every 2.7 years. He's running well ahead of the historical standard.

(And it's not like ASU has hired a series of schlubs: Bill Frieder, Rob Evans and Herb Sendek all had multiple NCAA appearances on their resumes prior to touching down in Tempe.)

Hurley's rate of return would look even better had the 2020 tournament been played. The Sun Devils were tracking for a No. 9 or 10 seed before the pandemic intervened. Give credit for that season, and he has four appearances in nine years.

Yes, it's fair to criticize Hurley for not guiding ASU into the tournament's second round. He has won two games in the First Four but is 0-3 in the round of 64.

Yet again, there is historical context to consider: The Sun Devils have survived the opening weekend of March Madness just once in those 45 tournaments, way back in 1995.

Put another way: They haven't made the Sweet 16 since Hurley, who's 52, was playing in the NBA.

They didn't make the Sweet 16 with Eddie House.

They didn't make the Sweet 16 with Ike Diogu.

They didn't make the Sweet 16 with James Harden.

Coaching Arizona State basketball is, like teaching kindergarten, immensely more difficult than it looks.

Tempe isn't a basketball town like Tucson or Lawrence or Lexington.

The Sun Devils don't have a high-end NIL game or a first-rate arena.

They don't have elite in-state talent.

They have only produced three first-round picks in the past quarter century — recruits and transfers don't view the program as a free-flowing pipeline to the NBA.

And life will only get more challenging for the Sun Devils next season when they enter the Big 12, arguably the stoutest league in the land.

Admittedly, standard operating procedure does not apply to ASU. This is, after all, the school that announced a bowl ban four days before the season opener.

But by the time the Sun Devils enter the Big 12 this summer, Hurley should have a signed contract extension in place (through the 2025-26 season).

By then, Crow should have finished his evaluation of the department's models and operations.

By then, ASU should have a permanent athletic director in place to assess the basketball program and Hurley's performance.

But for now, the status quo is both the most prudent and most likely outcome to the Hurley question.

*** Send suggestions, comments and tips (confidentiality guaranteed) to pac12hotline@bayareanewsgroup.Com or call 408-920-5716

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*** Pac-12 Hotline is not endorsed or sponsored by the Pac-12 Conference, and the views expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the views of the Conference.

12 Worst NBA Players That Somehow Won Multiple Championships

Winning the Larry O'Brien trophy is usually the highlight of an NBA player's career. There are lots of all-time greats who never graced the finals stage while some of them ultimately fell short of their goal of winning a championship.

But not everybody on the roster will get a chance to play during a team's championship run. Some of them aren't even worthy of a roster spot but somehow ended up with a ring.

Today, we will take a look at the 12 worst NBA players that somehow won multiple NBA championships.

Mark Madsen – Los Angeles Lakers LOS ANGELES – MAY 14: Mark Madsen #35 and Rick Fox #17 of the Los Angeles Lakers celebrate after defeating the San Antonio Spurs in Game Five of the Western Conference Semifinals during the 2002 NBA Playoffs at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California on May 14, 2002. (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images)

Madsen is perhaps the biggest cheerleader on the Lakers' bench during their title run in 2001 and 2002. Although he was a rotation piece during the regular season, then Lakers coach Phil Jackson almost had no use for his services in the playoffs.

Madsen won a championship in his first two years in the league. Although he was young at the time, Madsen never really carved a name for himself in the league right up to his retirement in 2009.

DJ Mbenga – Los Angeles Lakers LOS ANGELES, CA – MARCH 21: Kobe Bryant #24 and DJ Mbenga #28 of the Los Angeles Lakers play around on the bench during the game with the Washington Wizards on March 21, 2010 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. The Lakers won 99-92. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)

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The second Laker on this list, Mbenga rode LA's bench en route to securing himself back-to-back titles in 2009 and 2010. The Congolese-born big man was a physical specimen but lacked the essential skills to become a consistent contributor to the team.

After his second title with the Lakers, he played for one season with New Orleans and then took his act in Asia.

Matt Bonner – San Antonio Spurs SAN ANTONIO – MAY 09: Center Matt Bonner #15 of the San Antonio Spurs in Game Four of the Western Conference Semifinals during the 2010 NBA Playoffs at AT&T Center on May 9, 2010 in San Antonio, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

Widely known as the Red Rocket, Bonner won two NBA titles while playing in San Antonio from 2006 to 2016. He was a decent contributor during his first five years in the league but subsequently became an end-of-the-bench guy as he aged.

Standing at 6 '10", you'd think Bonner would be a low post kind of guy but the truth is that he'd happily settle for a three-point shot rather than drive to the basket.

Jud Buechler – Chicago Bulls

Buechler managed to carve out a 12-year career in the association despite his shortcomings as a player. He never once averaged more than 6.2 PPG during his entire career.

He was Chicago's third-string point guard during their second three-peat from 1996 to 1998. It's safe to say that he barely contributed to the Bulls during their title run.

James Jones – Miami Heat, Cleveland Cavaliers CLEVELAND, OH – MAY 24: Mike Scott #32 of the Atlanta Hawks defends against James Jones #1 of the Cleveland Cavaliers in the second half during Game Three of the Eastern Conference Finals of the 2015 NBA Playoffs at Quicken Loans Arena on May 24, 2015 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

If a player can shoot the ball, there's always a roster spot for him in the league. The problem with Jones is that shooting the ball was all he could do. His defense was almost non-existent at the NBA level.

Even with his limited talent, Jones went on to win three titles during his NBA career – two with Miami and one with Cleveland. The common factor for all three? LeBron James.

Kurt Rambis – Los Angeles Lakers

Rambis, despite his severe limitations on the court, rode on the Lakers' bench during their dynasty in the 80s and won himself four rings along the way. He was not too bad while serving as a backup to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar but the Lakers could've won anyway with or without him on the roster.

But make no mistake as Rambis will not hesitate to get into an ugly brawl if his teammates are disrespected.

Steve Kerr – Chicago Bulls, San Antonio Spurs EAST RUTHERFORD, UNITED STATES: Steve Kerr (R) of the Chicago Bulls dives for a loose ball in front of Sherman Douglas (L) of the New Jersey Nets during the second quarter of their game 20 December at the Continental Arena in East Rutherford, NJ. The Bulls won 100-92. AFP PHOTO Stan HONDA (Photo credit should read STAN HONDA/AFP via Getty Images)

Fans may argue that Steve Kerr was not a bum of a player and they could be either right or wrong. In reality, Kerr's numbers were somehow inflated with the Bulls due to Michael Jordan's presence.

After winning three rings in Chicago, Kerr won another two with San Antonio. Again, he had a moment or two with the Spurs but played sparsely most nights.

Luke Walton – Los Angeles Lakers LAS VEGAS – OCTOBER 15: Luke Walton #4 of the Los Angeles Lakers grabs a rebound during the fourth quarter of a preseason game against the Phoenix Suns at the Thomas & Mack Center October 15, 2006 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Suns won the game 99-91. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

The third Laker on the list, Walton won two rings throughout his entire NBA career. The son of legendary big man Bill Walton, Luke sadly never inherited his father's talents on the basketball court.

He was a terrible shooter, defender and rebounder despite standing at 6'8" and weighing 235 lbs during his playing career. One could argue that his presence was merely a forgettable footnote in the league's history.

Josh Powell – Los Angeles Lakers LOS ANGELES, CA – OCTOBER 28: Ike Diogu #1 of the Portland Trail Blazers grabs a rebound in front of Josh Powell #21 of the Los Angeles Lakers on October 28, 2008 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

The fourth Laker in this list, Powell's tenure with the franchise was really an afterthought. To come and think of it, with all the subpar players they had on the team during their back-to-back title run in 2009 and 2010, how on earth did Kobe and Pau pull it all off?

Powell was essentially a non-factor in the playoffs for the Lakers. Whenever he relieved Gasol, opposing teams made it a point to directly attack him on defense.

Chris Boucher – Golden State Warriors, Toronto Raptors CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – DECEMBER 09: Chris Boucher #25 of the Toronto Raptors tries to grab the ball under pressure from Daniel Gafford #12 of the Chicago Bulls at the United Center on December 09, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. The Raptors defeated the Bulls 93-92. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

Boucher only played one game as a Warrior but nonetheless won a ring with them in 2018. As luck would have it, he would win another ring the next season – this time with the Toronto Raptors. 

Despite playing just 2 games during Toronto's 2019 title run, Boucher earned another ring himself as a player. He would eventually become a serviceable big man with the Raptors but he is still an end of the bench kind of player in terms of talent.

Patrick McCaw – Golden State Warriors, Toronto Raptors OAKLAND, CA – JUNE 12: Patrick McCaw #0 and the Golden State Warriors celebrate after defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers 129-120 in Game 5 to win the 2017 NBA Finals at ORACLE Arena on June 12, 2017 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

McCaw won two rings with the Warriors and one ring with Toronto from 2017 to 2019. He became just the seventh NBA player in history to win a championship during each of his first three years in the league.

What was he like as a player? Let's just put it this way: McCaw was completely out of an NBA job after the 2020-2021 season, at just 25 years old. He never contributed anything significant to each of his rings. At least he can call himself a champion, I guess?

Slava Medvedenko – Los Angeles Lakers John Starks (R) of the Utah Jazz dives for the ball with Stanislav Medvedenko (L) of the Los Angeles Lakers before John Crotty (BACK) of the Jazz 01 November 2001 in Salt Lake City, Utah. AFP PHOTO/George FREY (Photo by GEORGE FREY / AFP) (Photo by GEORGE FREY/AFP via Getty Images)

The fifth Lakers in this list, the Ukrainian big man won back-to-back titles in 2001 and 2002 despite playing mostly as a DNP(Did Not Play) member of the team. It did not really matter whether he was with the team or not because the Lakers had Shaq and Kobe at that time.

Medvedenko's NBA career was largely forgettable and he was out in the league in 2007.

Adam Morrison – Los Angeles Lakers SAN ANTONIO – JANUARY 12: Forward Adam Morrison #6 of the Los Angeles Lakers on January 12, 2010 at AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

We might as well make a separate list for all the talent-deprived Laker players in the past because Morrison is the sixth one on this list. We all know that Morrison was a huge star in college for the Gonzaga Bulldogs.

After a slew of injuries in the pro rank, Morrison never regained his old college form during his time in purple and gold. He was often regarded as the worst NBA champion of all time and even Jimmy Kimmel got a kick out of it during a segment on his late-night show.

Pac-12 Basketball: KJ Simpson Or Caleb Love For Player Of The Year?

We are coming down to the last weekend of the Pac-12 regular season, so the age-old question of how a conference player of the year is determined must be asked. And in this Pac-12 season it is a critical question.

Should the Pac-12 player of the year be Arizona's Caleb Love, an elite player and the best player on the best team? Or should it be Colorado's KJ Simpson, whose numbers, especially lately, suggest he is the best player in the Pac-12 even though the Buffaloes are only tied for third place?

A few things to note before we continue:

---The award is "Player of the Year," not "Most Valuable Player," a minor but significant distinction.

---The results of Arizona's road games against USC and UCLA and Colorado's road games against Oregon and Oregon State this week could change the standing of Arizona and Colorado, affecting the "best player on the best team" argument.

---Six of the past seven Pac-12 players of the year were members of a first-place team. However, since the award was started in 1975-76, 22 of the 48 players of the year were not on first-place teams. The biggest outliers were Arizona State's Ike Diogu, who won it in 2005 despite playing for a team that finished sixth in the standings with a 7-11 record, and Oregon's Terrel Brandon, who won it in 1991 even though the Ducks went 8-10 in conference play and finished tied for fifth.

---An Arizona player has won the award 10 times, the most of any Pac-12 member. Colorado is the only current Pac-12 team that has never had a player win Pac-10/Pac-12 player of the year. In fact, the last time a Colorado player won conference player of the year was 1971, when Cliff Meely won his second Big Eight player of the year award.

OK, so let's look at the two contenders.

Caleb Love

Love is the leading scorer for an Arizona team that is in first place, is ranked No. 5 in this week's AP poll, and has a good shot at being a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament. And he has been an important factor -- probably the most important factor -- in the Wildcats' achieving that lofty position. He is averaging 19.4 points, which ranks fourth in the Pac-12, and he has been even more productive in conference games, averaging 21.2 point against Pac-12 foes.

KJ Simpson

Simpson is averaging 19.9 points (second in the conference), 4.8 assists (fourth in the Pac-12) and 5.8 rebounds while shooting a Pac-12-best 46.2% on three-pointers. He has scored 30, 28, 27 and 22 points during the Buffaloes' current four-game winning streak that has kept them in the running for an NCAA berth, and has made 18-of-31 three-point shots (58.1%) during that four-game run. You could make a pretty good argument that Simpson has been the conference's best player this season; however, Colorado is unranked and tied for third place, three games behind Arizona.

What's our conclusion? See below.

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Arizona consistency

Going virtually unnoticed during Arizona's impressive season is that this is the 40th consecutive season in which the Wildcats have had a winning overall record. Only one Division I school has a longer active streak – Kansas, which barely edges out Arizona with 41 straight winning seasons.

Interestingly, Arizona's began in 1984-85, immediately after the Wildcats' fifth straight losing season. Lute Olson got Arizona headed in the right direction in his second season as head coach after going 11-17 in his first.

The second-longest active streak of consecutive winning seasons among current Pac-12 members belongs to Oregon, which is having its 14th straight winning season.

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It's been 41 years since Washington State . . . . .

Washington State won its 14th conference game over the weekend, tying a school record for most conference wins, which was last accomplished 1982-83. If the Cougars win Thursday's home game against Washington, it will set a WSU record for conference wins.

Granted, playing 20 conference games rather than the 18-game schedule of many previous seasons is a factor, but a record is a record. Folks didn't seem to care that it took Iowa's Caitlin Clark four years to surpass Pete Maravich's totals collected in three seasons.

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Improvement Noted

Despite losing both games last week, Cal has won 13 games this season after winning just three a year ago. That 10-win improvement under Mark Madsen is the best in the Pac-12, and among the best in the country. (South Carolina, picked to finish last in the Southeastern Conference, is 24-5, a 13-win improvement over its 11-21 season last year.)

To say Cal is a different team this season is literally true. Not a single one of the Bears' five starters played a single second for Cal last season.

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Heading the Wrong Way

---UCLA, which seemed to turn its season around when it went 8-1 from January 14 to February 15, has lost four in a row since that streak ended. At 14-15, the Bruins are in danger of finishing with their first losing season under Mick Cronin. The Bruins host Arizona and Arizona State this week.

---Stanford has lost six in a row, all by double-digit margins. Perimeter shooting was the Cardinal's strength for the first half of the Pac-12 season, but Stanford has made only 28.8% of its three-point attempts during the six-game losing streak.

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Pac-12 Player of the Year Standings

(A team's place in the standings matters . . . Or does it?)

1. KJ Simpson, Colorado – His recent performances in games Colorado had to win puts him on top – for now.

2. Caleb Love, Arizona – When Arizona needs points, Love delivers.

3. Myles Rice, Washington State – A Washington State player deserves to be here, and Rice has been more productive than Isaac Jones lately.

4. Oumar Ballo, Arizona – Double-doubles in each of the past nine games.

5. Keion Brooks Jr., Washington/Jaylon Tyson Cal – They may be the two most talented offensive players, but they play for teams that have losing Pac-12 records.

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Top Five Pac-12 Teams

(Based on results, not the eye test)

1. Arizona (23-6, 14-4 Pac-12) – Wildcats are rolling again, having won their last three games by 16, 18 and 20 points.

2. Washington State (23-7, 14-5) – The Cougars bounced back from the loss to Arizona State with wins over USC and UCLA

3. Colorado (20-9, 11-7) – The Buffs have won four in row and are playing their best basketball of the season.

4. Oregon (19-10, 11-7) – Ducks' 20-point loss to Arizona had to sting.

5. Utah (18-11, 9-9) – Somehow the Utes are still in contention for an NCAA tournament berth.

Cover photo of KJ Simpson by Isaiah J. Downing, USA TODAY Sports

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