蜜柚直播

鈥淲e had a lot of bad games,鈥� said UA senior guard Justin Coleman.

The Wildcats plumbed a depth 鈥� finishing a three-way tie for eighth place, earning the No. 9 seed in the Pac-12 Tournament 鈥� not seen at 蜜柚直播 for 36 years.

To give the moment proper focus and meaning, 蜜柚直播 State coach Bobby Hurley said that beating the Wildcats was 鈥減retty special. 鈥� I just have so much appreciation for the success and tradition at 蜜柚直播.鈥�

The Sun Devils won 72-64 and let鈥檚 be serious: 蜜柚直播 State is no one鈥檚 idea of a powerhouse. The Devils aren鈥檛 ranked, they may get stiffed on Selection Sunday, and other than dynamic point guard Remy Martin, they probably don鈥檛 have a player who would鈥檝e started at 蜜柚直播 from 1988-2018.

Yet the unhappy events of Senior Day all but moved Sean Miller to tears.

Rather than the oft-angry, oft-defiant coach who has broken the unofficial NCAA record for 鈥渘o comment鈥� in Q&A sessions in a single season, Miller did his best to apologize to the 14,291 fans who sat and suffered through Saturday鈥檚 loss at McKale Center.

鈥淭hey鈥檙e used to seeing the best of the best and today didn鈥檛 represent the best of the best,鈥� Miller said quietly. 鈥淭heir loyalty is one thing that is unforgettable. Coaching at McKale is a responsibility; you don鈥檛 want to let them down because of what they bring to the table. Seeing them like this at Senior Night makes it even worse.鈥�

For one day, feeling worse might not be possible. At precisely the time the Wildcats produced a conference season that tied their worst mark since 1983, the Sun Devils equaled their best conference season since 1981.

It鈥檚 one thing to run aground. It鈥檚 another to have ASU leave you lifeless and have Hurley throw some shade.

鈥淚 never go into a game thinking my life won鈥檛 be complete if I don鈥檛 win here,鈥� he said outside the Sun Devils locker room, a rare scene in which 15 or 20 media people from Phoenix surrounded the coach as he talked about 鈥渁ll the great wins we鈥檝e had this year.鈥�

All the great wins? In this league? That鈥檚 a story for another day.

But usually, the media contingent following ASU to McKale Center can be counted on one hand, or maybe seven or eight fingers. But this isn鈥檛 a normal season. Given the improvements by Cal and Washington State the last six weeks, one could argue that if the Pac-12 season started over today, 蜜柚直播 would finish 12th.

Miller quickly defused any speculation that 蜜柚直播 would pursue or appreciate a berth in the NIT.

鈥溍坭种辈� doesn鈥檛 go to the NIT,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd I don鈥檛 think we鈥檇 get an invitation.鈥�

It wasn鈥檛 that the Wildcats weren鈥檛 willful or lacked a working man鈥檚 approach to Saturday鈥檚 game. It鈥檚 just that they aren鈥檛 good enough to beat more than a handful of Power 5 conference teams, even at home.

The lack of rim protection, inside scoring, size and strength, outside shooting, a go-to guy, a defensive stopper and the UA鈥檚 worst overall shooting percentage (.427) since 1972 鈥� yes, 1972! 鈥� has become manifest.

This is what happened in one particularly damaging segment of the second half:

• Alex Barcello dribbled the ball off his calf, leading to a break away dunk by ASU鈥檚 Lu Dort.
• The UA was whistled for a 5-second call, failing to in-bounds the ball properly, even though the Sun Devils offered no real defensive pressure.
• Dylan Smith dribbled into a crowd, penetrating too deeply, and ultimately dribbled the ball out of bounds.

Unforced errors, all. Good teams don鈥檛 do those things.

鈥淚t is what it is,鈥� said Miller. 鈥淲e鈥檙e not going to beat any team (with 17 turnovers) because we have too many other problems.鈥�

But there is a possible consolation that has helped UA fans get through a difficult season. Sitting near the UA bench Saturday were mega-recruits Nico Mannion and Josh Green, who are scheduled to be part of 蜜柚直播鈥檚 2019 recruiting class.

If you put Mannion and Green with any Pac-12 team, now or next year, you鈥檙e probably not talking about losing on Senior Day.

Miller tried to put it in perspective, saying 鈥渋t鈥檚 easy to roll out there on Senior Day, watching your team cut down the nets and see the great pageantry of McKale when things are going well.

鈥淏ut when things aren鈥檛 going well, I think the definition of coaching is to balance things, and see them for what they really are,鈥� he added. 鈥淢ost of the time it鈥檚 not nearly as good as it appears, and, now, given the situation we are currently in, there鈥檚 a lot of truth in that it鈥檚 not as bad as it really appears.鈥�

Bad isn鈥檛 losing to ASU in a historically bad season, or being slotted for a play-in game at the Pac-12 Tournament. Bad is losing to Buffalo in the NCAA Tournament when you鈥檝e got Deandre Ayton and Allonzo Trier in the lineup.

蜜柚直播 has known far worse than losing to ASU.