Arizona State upsets No. 14 Kansas

TEMPE – For the second time in two weeks, students and fans engulfed the floor of Desert Financial Arena at the sound of the buzzer. On Tuesday night, a senior night, Arizona State knocked off No. 14 Kansas, moving the Sun Devils to 16-14 (7-10). Kansas fell to 21-9 (11-6).

With the win, Bobby Hurley moves to 3-1 against KU in his tenure.

“I always feel this enormous emotion with the seniors and the last game…” Hurley said following the victory. “And then just this opponent and the history I’ve had as a player and coach with Kansas.”

Despite being significant underdogs, ASU never trailed in the game. The Sun Devils walked into halftime with a 40-20 lead, doubling up the blue blood Jayhawks. Kansas, as all quality teams do, made a run in the second half, but Arizona State held on to secure the 10-point victory.

“When you have a big lead like that, and you virtually lose it all, it is extremely hard to find a way to win,” Hurley said. “That’s a testament, again, to their desire to win, their character and their guts. They’re fighters, and it starts with Mo Odum, and it goes right down the line.”

Odum, playing in his senior night in front of his teary-eyed mother, who flew in from New Jersey, put on a stellar performance. He scored 23-points, drilling five threes, while also dishing out six assists.

“Coming to ASU, my dream school, and just being the player everybody likes, everybody loves, and just letting everybody know who I am,” Odum said.

He was supported by a dominant performance by Massamba Diop. Diop scored 19, collected nine rebounds, and had three blocks against the physical Jayhawks. His energy was infectious, being active with his hands defensively and using his quick footwork to beat Kansas offensive players to their spots.

“... I know there were a lot of NBA guys in the building, and they had to be looking at that guy (Diop),” Hurley said.

Arizona State was picked to finish dead-last in the Big 12 by the media prior to the season, and now has wins over a pair of top-15 teams in Texas Tech and Kansas. With one game left, they have cemented a winning record (regular season) and are No. 11 in the Big 12.

"We are not perfect," Hurley said. "We're far from perfect, and we do some crazy things sometimes, and we don't always get every rebound, but they're going to lay it all out on the line. That's what sports are about.”