How will ASU hoops look in 2021-22 season?
When the Arizona State Sun Devils take to the court for the first time next season they will hardly resemble the version that wrapped up its season last month. Some might say that’s a good thing given the disappointing showing — an 11-14 overall record, which included a 7-10 record in Pac-12 play — in the 2020-2021 season,
Yes, injuries and COVID-19 stoppages were partially to blame, but there also appeared to be a lack of chemistry. It was something head coach Bobby Hurley made a veiled reference to in his post-game press conference after the Sun Devils’ season ended with a loss to Oregon in the Pac-12 quarterfinal.
The addition of the NCAA transfer portal three years ago has made it easier for players to come and go. Already more than 1,200 players are listed for men’s basketball.
The number was expected to make a more significant jump this season with the NCAA giving seniors another season because of the circumstances presented by the global health pandemic. Add to that the NCAA’s one-time allowance of a transfer with immediate eligibility (not having to sit a year) and you have the recipe for a mass exodus.
Not happy with your playing time? Transfer. Not happy with the coach? Transfer. Tired of being on a losing team? Transfer.
Just as in football, there aren’t enough landing spots for all the players in the transfer portal so it’s a gamble.
ASU had four scholarship players opt to leave. While that number may be alarming to some Sun Devil enthusiasts, it’s not out of the ordinary. Utah, which has had a coaching change, has had five transfer and two that decided to forego next season. Among those is Mesa native Timmy Allen, a multiple-time all Pac-12 selection.
Washington had six leave. Among the other notable transfers is California senior guard Matt Bradley, the thirdleading scorer in the conference, who committed to San Diego State on Monday.
Seniors that choose to take advantage of the extra year do not count against the 13-player scholarship limit.
Let’s take a look at what the Sun Devils should have moving forward:
Guard
Who has departed? Remy Martin (19.1 ppg) and Alonzo Verge (14 ppg) could return, but it is highly unlikely either would do so since they declared for the draft a year ago but came back. Sophomore Jaelen House put his name in the transfer portal and is reportedly deciding between Grand Canyon and New Mexico. He is the most significant loss because of the way he played down the stretch and his tenacity on defense, a role it is hard to get a lot of players to buy into.
Freshman Joshua Christopher (14.3 ppg, 4.7 rpg) declared for the draft as expected. At one time he was projected as a lottery pick. While his stock may have slipped after missing 10 games with a back injury, Christopher is still likely to be taken in the first round. Like House, non-scholarship player Kyle Feit is in the portal.
Who is returning? Apollo High product Holland Woods (6.7 ppg), a senior, is taking advantage of that extra year and plans to return. He was the only Sun Devil to play in every game last season, starting the last 12 after the injuries to others. One player ASU followers don’t know yet is junior Luther Muhammad, who transferred a year ago from Ohio State where he was a starter and will have two years of eligibility. He sat out this season after the transfer but was also rehabbing after shoulder surgery. He is also likely to fill the void on defense left by the departure of House. Sophomore Caleb Christopher, Joshua’s older brother, who saw limited reserve duty in nine games, should also be back.
Who are the newcomers? The Sun Devils helped themselves through the transfer portal with the addition of 6foot-3 Jay Heath (Boston College) and 6-1 Marreon Jackson (Toledo). Heath (13.1 ppg) was the leading scorer for the Eagles, while Jackson (18.1 ppg) was the Mid-American Conference player of the year. He was also listed by 247Sports as one of the top 10 players available in the transfer market. The one addition from the high school ranks is Demari Williams (Dream City Christian).
Question marks: ASU has billed itself as Guard U but recent results have shown you can’t thrive on guard play alone. That was never more evident than last season. It will be fascinating to see if that philosophy changes at all moving forward.
Forward
Who has departed? Juniors Taeshon Cherry (3.9 ppg, 2.3 rpg) and Chris Osten (2.7 ppg, 2.3 rpg) entered the portal with Cherry landing close by at Grand Canyon and Osten following Rashon Burno to Northern Illinois. Cherry played in seven games, starting three, before leaving the team for what was termed “personal reasons.” He was one of the top recruits in the country when he arrived at ASU but never quite found his place. Also departing was Ukranian freshman Pavlo Dziuba, who played 33 minutes over eight games.
Who is returning? Sophomore Jalen Graham (8.1 ppg, 5 rpg), a product of Mountain Pointe, played particularly well after a bout with mononucleosis that sidelined him three games. He scored in double figures eight times after returning. He had three double-doubles over the last stretch with season bests of 14 points twice. The next step in his progression will be working to stay out of foul trouble. Also back is 6-foot-10 walk-on John Olmsted, a product of Morenci, who turned in some serviceable minutes late in the season when the Sun Devils were depleted by injuries.
Who are the newcomers? This is a spot where the Sun Devils were noticeably thin, so it was the spot Hurley most needed to address in the offseason. He did so through the portal, landing 6-7 A.J. Brahma (Robert Morris), who averaged 21 points and 10.2 rebounds and will have one season of eligibility left.
There will be newcomers through the high school ranks in 6-4 Justin Rochelin (Heritage Christian, California.), 6-6 Jamiya Neal (Hillcrest Prep), and 6-8 William Felton (Hargrave Military, Virginia.) — all three-star recruits. Rochelin is listed as the No. 42 small forward by 247Sports, Neal at No. 51 and Felton at No. 58.
Question marks: The big one here is that of freshman Marcus Bagley (10.8 ppg, 6.2 rpg) who, like Christopher, declared for the NBA draft. When he first put the word out on social media, he followed that up with another saying that he was exploring all options which seemed to convey he wouldn’t rule out a return if he doesn’t get the feedback from NBA evaluators he desires. Bagley, younger brother of the Sacramento Kings’ Marvin Bagley, missed more games than he played with two different ailments, the most significant being a sprained ankle. The Sun Devils have to hold his scholarship in case he opts to return.
There is a second question and that is senior Kimani Lawrence (8.1 ppg, 5 rpg), who came into his own toward the end of last season when he was arguably the team’s best player. He teased a potential return on social media. He was not projected to be drafted, so he’d have nothing to lose by returning and would not count against the scholarship limit since he’d be a returning senior.
Center
Who has departed/returned? The Sun Devils didn’t have a “true” center listed on the roster last season.
Who is the newcomer? The new guy is 6-10, 240-pound Enoch Boakye (George Harris Prep, Canada), the topranked center or power forward commit in the modern recruiting era and seventh-highest recruit according to 247Sports.
Question marks: How much will the newcomer contribute right away? With the continued progress of Graham and addition of Brahma, if Boakye can contribute this could be the best the Sun Devils have looked in the front court in quite some time.
Coaching
There is also a void on Hurley staff as trusted confidant Rashon Burno departed to take the head coaching role at Northern Illinois. Burno has been with Hurley since he arrived, not only serving as his right-hand man but heading recruiting efforts as well. Candidates are being interviewed right now, but there could be other voids on the staff as well with at least one assistant rumored to be in the mix for another job.