Four months ago, many Arizona State Sun Devil fans thought they might begin the new year by heading to University of Phoenix Stadium to watch their football team play for a national championship.
But after ASU football's disappointing 2015 campaign ended with a frustrating Cactus Bowl defeat early Sunday morning, there's not much for Sun Devil Nation to look forward to until next football season.
Except... Wait, what's this?
"I am actually excited for college basketball -- ASU basketball. This is a strange feeling," ASU fan Douglas Anderson wrote Sunday on the Facebook page of a popular Sun Devil blog.
"(Bobby) Hurley is a perfect hire. Loving what he is getting out of the team and his energy."
Anderson's comment received dozens of likes from Sun Devil fans who were feeling the same way Sunday afternoon.
Hurley, the former Duke point guard who ASU hired to replace Herb Sendek after last season, was ejected for arguing with officials late in Sunday's rivalry matchup with the Arizona Wildcats in Tempe -- a move that didn't seem wise at the time, as ASU trailed by just six points with a minute to play.
Arizona State head coach Bobby Hurley picks up his 2nd technical and is ejected from the game with 59.6 to go #Pac12 https://t.co/qUycVNs92t
— FS1 (@FS1) January 3, 2016
But upon reflection, Hurley's outburst was brilliant, whether he intended it to be or not.
The Sun Devils have made just three NCAA Tournament appearances in the last 20 years. Hurley's predecessor, Herb Sendek, brought big names like James Harden and Jahii Carson to the desert but was unable to put together any sustained success.
In just a few months under Hurley's guidance, ASU has the look of a team that could make the Big Dance as early as this season and be a Sweet Sixteen contender or better within two years.
Even after Sunday's 94-82 loss to Arizona, the Sun Devils are 10-4 and have an impressive RPI of 32 thanks to quality wins over opponents like then-No. 18 Texas A&M at home and UNLV on the road.
Added to the Devils' early-season success was Hurley's outburst at the end of Sunday's game. It has fans talking, in a very positive way, about Hurley's passion and energy -- two things that have been desperately missing from Wells Fargo Arena for the last decade.
And even though they came up short Sunday, the Devils mirrored their coach by displaying a ton of toughness and confidence against the Wildcats.
When UA took a 16-point second-half lead, previous ASU teams would've folded. But these Devils fought back, trimming the lead to six points before Hurley's pair of technical fouls.
ASU fans were on their feet and cheering wildly in the game's final minutes, drowning out the familiar "U-of-A" chants that fill Wells Fargo Arena whenever the Cats come to town.
In terms of RPI, UA is the best team ASU has beaten in each of the last two seasons. But how's this for a plot twist: Sunday's victory over ASU was, by far, the Wildcats' best RPI-based win of their 2015-16 campaign.
After the game, UA coach and fellow former point guard Sean Miller praised the Sun Devils for the grit that Hurley has quickly ingrained in them.
"Their team has a great confidence about them -- an edge, in a good way -- and they play with a lot of energy," Miller said.
"If you look at their non-conference schedule and the teams that they beat, they've done a great job, not only for their program but for our entire league."
Miller is as passionate about beating the Sun Devils as any Wildcat fan is, but he knows a consistently good ASU men's basketball program is good for the Pac-12 as well as his own program, which thrives on facing quality opponents to boost its tournament résumé.
As far as building the program for long-term success, Hurley is ahead of schedule. He's already lined up some top-tier recruiting talent for upcoming seasons, including a pair of four-star recruits for 2016-17.
It hasn't been reflected in the attendance figures yet -- ASU has averaged fewer than 5,500 fans for its first nine home games, over 1,500 less than the overall Pac-12 average.
But just like building a competitive basketball program, creating and sustaining a passionate basketball fan base will take time. After Sunday's events, Hurley and the Sun Devils are off to a tremendous start.
After Sunday's loss, Hurley didn't express any regret for his late-game outburst.
"I really wouldn't have changed anything that I did today," he said. "That's as far as I'm going to comment about any of that."
But Sun Devil fans have had plenty of say about Hurley and his squad since Sunday -- and the reviews are overwhelmingly positive.
Now, it's up to the passionate Hurley to sustain the fire he and his Devils have ignited.
