ASU’s Bobby Hurley says Adam Miller ejections uncharacteristic for senior guard

Arizona State men’s basketball coach Bobby Hurley cited “frustration” over the team’s performance as the main culprit as to why the Sun Devils have seen four ejections since the start of January.

Two of those ejections came from BJ Freeman while the other two came from Adam Miller, a pair of senior guards on the Sun Devils’ roster.

The Sun Devils are currently on a five-game skid that has seen them fall to 3-11 in the Big 12 after a 9-2 start to the season in nonconference play.

Hurley also downplayed the notion that the ejections are a result of his own behavior. The coach said he’s purposely tried to be “calmer and less demonstrative” with the officials the “past five or six games.”

“I think I was far worse earlier in the season where we were having no problems,” Hurley told Arizona Sports’ Bickley & Marotta on Tuesday during Day 1 of Newsmakers Week. “I think this is completely a, ‘Hey we had certain expectations, certain hopes based on how we performed in the non-conference to be far better than we are right now.’ And we all are doing everything we can to win and it’s not happening.”

Freeman was first tossed during the second half of ASU’s 81-61 win over Colorado on Jan. 4 when a flagrant 2 was called after he fought through a screen. The Sun Devils had a 10-3 overall record at that point but have since gone on to lose 10 of their past 12 games.

The senior’s second ejection came following his headbutting of Arizona guard Caleb Love late in a loss on Feb. 1. Hurley then sent his team to the locker room early and did not shake hands with Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd.

Miller’s first ejection was on Feb. 4 for appearing to slap Kansas State guard Dug McDaniel. He was later handed a one-game suspension. Miller was then tossed again early in the second half of ASU’s loss to TCU on Saturday.

After the ASU senior was charged with a foul, he voiced his displeasure with the call, was given a technical foul and then received another for his reaction. 

Hurley said that behavior is uncharacteristic of Miller. The senior has started the past two years for the Sun Devils and has 111 games of experience with 107 starts across three programs.

“Adam Miller is one of my favorite guys I’ve coached,” Hurley said.

“And if you got to know Adam, the person he is, you would not associate the things that have gone on the last couple of times with him at home and the person that he is. So that’s where there’s a little bit of disconnect for me and I understand that we all have to control ourselves better and do a better job and I think in a big way he feels worse about it because he knows that it’s affecting his teammates and our ability to win by not having him.”

Miller has averaged 10.5 points, 2.6 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.1 steals in 24 games this season. He is shooting 45.7% from the field and 45% from three, both career-bests.

Hurley said the necessary corrections will come from talking to Miller about the ejections.

“I think it’s just about me having those conversations with him and he let me know that he would be there the whole game tonight. So, that was comforting to hear that from him yesterday.”

The Sun Devils will face off against the first-place Houston Cougars at 7 p.m. MST on Tuesday from Desert Financial Arena. Listen on 98.7, the Arizona Sports app or online.

Related

Renovations on the way for ASU's Desert Financial Arena?Houston's Kelvin Sampson says he hopes Jayden Quaintance sticks around at ASU under HurleyCourt rulings grant NCAA athletes from high school class of 2022 another year of eligibilityASU basketball to open Acrisure Series against LSU during Thanksgiving weekASU men’s basketball to face Oklahoma in Tulsa neutral-court matchupHow did former Arizona Wildcats, ASU Sun Devils and GCU ‘Lopes perform in NBA Summer League?