College Hoops Top 50

Last Year: 14-18; 8-12, Ninth in the Pac-12, No Postseason

Head Coach: Bobby Hurley (Tenth Year; 155-131 at Arizona State, with three NCAA Tournament appearances)

Projected Starting Lineup

G Alston Mason – 6’2″, 185 Senior

G Adam Miller – 6’3″, 190 Senior

G BJ Freeman – 6’6″, 200 Senior

F Basheer Jihad – 6’9″, 225 Senior

C Jayden Quaintance – 6’9″, 240 Freshman / Consensus 5-star recruit

Experienced Reserves

G Austin Nuñez – 6’2″, 185 Junior

G Brycen Long – 6’2″, 185 5th-year Senior

C Shawn Phillips – 7’0″, 245 Junior

Freshmen

G Joson Sanon – 6’5″, 190 / Consensus Top 50 recruit

W Amier Ali – 6’8″, 190 / Top 100 recruit

F Brandon Gardner – 6’8″, 220 (Redshirt)

Whatever happens to Arizona State this year, nobody will be able to say that the Sun Devil brass failed to give Bobby Hurley the resources needed to succeed.

ASU has been on quite a rollercoaster ride the past few years. Hurley, entering his tenth season in Tempe, has led his crew to 20 or more wins four times, with three NCAA Tournament appearances. Thing is, in each of those other five years since he’s been in charge, Hurley’s program has failed to win more than 15 games. 

So what will Sun Devil fans be, uh, treated to this year? For starters, there’s only two players returning from last year’s team; well, three counting Brycen Long, who missed most of the season after suffering a seizure. So Sparky poured out the coffers and, to the surprise of many, reeled in some seriously in-demand players. The roster has been built up with new guys young and old, and each newcomer is a considerable talent. Three are proven veterans who played major roles for their previous teams, while ASU’s three-man freshman class is a consensus Top 10 haul in the nation. 

“We’ve brought in a lot of [transfers] that have been the top player of their team,” Hurley told Devils Digest this summer. “So, there’s going to be an adjustment to playing with other really good players, but I have confidence in what I’m seeing in terms of their ability to share the ball.” The veterans Hurley has added all share an affinity for moving the ball. And with talented passers largely entering their final seasons of eligibility, the expectation is that they will come together in the pursuit of a common goal. That’s been the plan in Tempe before, though. And this time, Arizona State is stepping into an absolutely loaded Big 12 Conference for the first time. Roll it all together, and it would seem like Sparky’s wild ride isn’t coming to an end any time soon. 

After arriving from LSU last year, Adam Miller posted on social media that it was the “last time” people would see his name in the transfer portal, and he’s been as good as his word. On his third program, Miller now returns as one of the elder statesmen of the Sun Devils and a major part of what Hurley hopes to build. He didn’t get to take the floor until after the mid-December court ruling which allowed multiple-time undergraduate transfers to play, but once he did, Miller showed the skills which have kept him so in demand. 

At his best, Miller is a dangerous scorer who can play the role of lead guard and makes all sorts of things happen. Conversely, he’s never made 40% of his field goal attempts in a season, and prior to last year, Miller had never before broken even in the assist to turnover department. To reach his fullest potential, Miller needs to become the most consistent he’s ever been. Striking a balance between his desire to play on the ball and his greater effectiveness off of it is key to Miller’s success, and he should have more help than ever in this year’s backcourt.

This winter, Miller will be joined by a pair of capable distributors in BJ Freeman and Alston Mason. In two years at Milwaukee, Freeman became a genuine do-it-all star, and has the versatile game to become an impact player in the Big 12. He missed more than a month due to injury last season, but Freeman came back hungry, leading the Panthers to the Horizon League tournament championship game. Over Milwaukee’s final 15 contests, Freeman averaged 23.6 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 4.7 assists. He posted eight double-doubles on the year, plus four games with 30+ points, and it seems like only a matter of time until Freeman posts another triple-double (he did it two years ago against IPFW). 

Having seen tremendously high usage (33.9% last year), Freeman will now need to transition into more of a timeshare running the show. Even so, his size, vision, and playmaking panache should be a great asset for ASU and a matchup problem for opponents. An enthusiastic, vocal leader, Freeman loves to get momentum for his side and then put his foot on the gas. Confidently cruising the lane, Freeman earns tough buckets and lots of trips to the foul line, where he’s an 82.7% career shooter. Turnovers can be a problem, as Freeman is the type of daring player who will force a play looking to make something special happen. Last year, ASU generally took good care of the ball, and Hurley will need Freeman to rein in his wilder inclinations on a team that’s going to have scoring options. He’s a capable but streaky outside shooter who occasionally just keeps chucking in order to find his groove, but when he finds it, Freeman can nearly run away with the game by himself. Just how easily he adapts that dynamism to a new team and league will likely go a long way towards determining Arizona State’s success this year. 

Over Milwaukee’s final 15 contests, Freeman averaged 23.6 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 4.7 assists…and it seems like only a matter of time until Freeman posts another triple-double.

Also looking to prove his big-time production at the highest levels, Mason broke out in a big way last year at Missouri State. He’s another streaky-but-prolific outside shooter, and Mason is also used to running his team’s offense. That’s really no surprise, given that his father, Alton Mason, started 83 games at the point for Arizona State in the late 90’s. 

“It means a lot to me; it’s more than just a commitment,” Mason told ASUDevils.com upon pledging to the Sun Devils. “It’s family, it’s tradition, and it’s legacy. This is a big-time thing for me. Arizona State recruited me right after I entered the portal, and the whole staff was recruiting me. Playing under a coach like Coach Hurley, who’s a point guard kind of similar to me, who won two national titles and played in the NBA, that’s all things that I want.” Once a spindly freshman at Oklahoma, Mason has spent the past two seasons getting stronger on the drive, too. He can be a particularly smooth operator after getting going around the paint. Hurley likes his teams to force the issue whenever possible, especially in transition, and Mason can play that game. Mason dropped a couple of 30-pieces of his own last winter, including 36 while playing all 45 minutes in a thrilling overtime win against Drake. He’s another guy who is comfortable with the ball in his hands during big moments, and Mason should combine well with his veteran counterparts as the primary architects of ASU’s attack. 

There’s considerable excitement in Tempe surrounding the two new guys that Hurley has acquired at the big spots. The elder of the pair, Basheer Jihad, enjoyed a huge year for Ball State last winter and brings a diverse offensive skillset to the East Valley. A reserve for his first two seasons, Jihad stepped into the starting lineup and into an all-league spot in the Mid-American Conference as a junior. An inside-out scoring threat, Jihad offers a lot of the things that are so in vogue currently as a stretch-4. 

A face-up threat who can rip off deep jumpers in bunches, Jihad stretches the floor and passes well when defenders close off his other options. His is not a particularly above-the-rim game; rather, Jihad builds around his jumper and handle and adds in hook shots or quick slips and spins to get in close for quality looks. Among guys who will play in the Big 12 this year, Jihad ranked fifth last year in two-way rim efficiency, per Synergy Sports, which bodes well for him with a who’s-who of tough bigs ahead. He’s shown a physical edge at times, and Jihad had the size and power to roll to the rim and convert when MAC defenders played him to shoot. Like his new teammates, how effectively Jihad can acclimate to the dudes up front in the no holds barred Big 12 will have a great deal to say about ASU’s frontcourt. 

Five Stats Which Tell The Tale (with national ranks)

– 5.0 – Average Score Margin (280th)

41.6% – Team FG Percentage (301st)

65.5% – Team FT Percentage (346th)

19.4% – Offensive Rebounding Rate (353rd)

8.2 – Steals Per Game (36th)

The younger yin to Jihad’s yang may be the youngest individual in Division I hoops this year. Jayden Quaintance will only be 17 years old to start his first college season, but his skills were not to be held back. After reclassifying from the class of 2025 and then re-opening his commitment following John Calipari’s departure from Kentucky, the former Wildcat pledge stunned the basketball world by choosing ASU over a who’s-who of powerhouse programs. Now, Quaintance is preparing to prove that he’s ready to hang in the Big 12 no matter his age. 

“He (Quaintance) is special. What he’s going to be over the next couple of years is scary because of his approach, makeup, physical tools, and his instincts for the game,” Hurley glowed about the rookie big man this summer. “He does things that coaches can’t teach. He’s just a very, very gifted guy.” A bouncy youngster with easy athleticism, Quaintance reaches balls well outside of his area and has the soft hands to catch and finish even when people get rough with him. His post skills are developing nicely, and Quaintance has the makings of a reliably dangerous jump shot, as well. To hear recruiting analysts tell it, the 5-star freshman has every tool that a coach could ask for. 

“Jayden Quaintance is one of the most naturally talented prospects in the country. He’s 6-foot-9 with massively long arms (7-foot-3-plus wingspan), vertical athleticism, a strong frame, good hands, soft touch, shooting potential, natural face-up skill, and signs of a passing instinct,” raved 247 Sports Director of Scouting Adam Finkelstein. With so much hype surrounding his arrival, and a team full of veterans who will be playing together for the first time, Quaintance’s arrival will be closely monitored. If he can provide 20+ minutes at the pivot and pair well enough with Jihad defensively, ASU may suddenly have a high-impact frontcourt. Even if it takes him a bit to hit his stride, the hops and explosiveness Quaintance brings near the basket should allow him to convert easy buckets and provide a great outlet for the guards’ passing talents. 

“He (Quaintance) is special. What he’s going to be over the next couple of years is scary because of his approach, makeup, physical tools, and his instincts for the game,”

– Bobby Hurley

To help Quaintance grow and ensure that he’s not just thrown to the wolves, Shawn Phillips, Jr, is back after starting 12 games a year ago. It took until mid-December for Phillips to become eligible, but once he took the floor, the former LSU posted career-best numbers. He’s got legit size and strength inside, and Phillips provides a physical deterrent near and above the rim. He dunked 29 of the 48 field goals he made near the basket last year, per Bart Torvik, and Phillips is probably best suited to playing a stout role setting picks and rolling hard for two. He’ll need to defend without stringing together so many fouls, though, to maximize his minutes. Though he played just four minutes last season at Southern Cal due to a foot injury, Brandon Gardner will bring 4-star athleticism and some highlight-reel dunks to the Valley of the Sun. He added strength during the year off, and should provide some solid defense when Hurley needs to give Jihad a breather. It’s even possible that Gardner is quick enough to play on the perimeter a bit and allow ASU to go real big. 

The Sun Devils’ other new freshmen aren’t bad, either. After nearly earning 5-star status himself, Jason Sanon originally signed with the team in Tucson. Following Caleb Love’s decision to return for his fifth year of eligibility, Hurley was the beneficiary of quite a windfall. Sanon re-opened his commitment, and will now debut with the Sun Devils instead. A shooter who can go wild from the outside or break the ankles of defenders as he drives and then pops for runners and high-arcing mid-range J’s, Sonon will bring immediate excitement to Arizona State. He’s still putting polish on other aspects of his repertoire, but Sanon’s instincts are hard-wired to get buckets. 

“He’s a potent scorer who can put points on the board in bunches, but has a tendency to hunt his shots with a high-volume style and needs to develop into a more willing ball-mover who can impact the game in ways beyond scoring,” Adam Finkelstein of 247 Sports analyzed Sanon. With veterans around him who naturally share the ball, Sanon should pick up some better tendencies. He’s got a depth of innate skill which should allow him to diversify his approach, and Sanon has the frame and first step to grow into a big-time pro prospect with a bit more development. 

The Sun Devils’ third Top 100 recruit is another scoring wing, Amier Ali. Bigger and longer than Sanon, Ali is also a smooth-gaited, high-quality athlete. He moves well without the ball and has advanced awareness on the perimeter. His outside shot is ready to go, and will provide ASU with good floor spacing immediately. 

Five Out-of-Conference Games to Keep an Eye on

@ Gonzaga – November 10

N Florida – December 14

N Grand Canyon – November 14

N New Mexico – November 28

N Saint Mary’s/Southern Cal – November 29

“He’s going to have extreme gravity as a floor-spacer at the next level, but is also a movement shooter who can come off various types of screening action and make tough shots,” Finkelstein said of Ali late last year. 

“I have a really strong feeling they are going to be impact players,” Hurley says of the youngsters. With scoring threats like Sanon and Ali to bring in at any time, Hurley’s ballhandlers are going to have good targets for their feeds close to the basket or farther away, and opponents will have to respect the Sun Devils all over the halfcourt.

Austin Nuñez and Brycen Long are back to see how many of the backcourt minutes they can earn, too. Nuñez is back after a year at Mississippi, where he barely played, while Long is back following a serious health incident last winter. A playmaker who showed good range on his jumper and creativity on the drive two years ago, Nuñez is hoping to show cleaner ballhandling in his second try in Tempe. With Hurley in need of steady depth in the backcourt, Nuñez should re-establish himself as long as he makes good decisions and doesn’t force shots. Long suffered a seizure in December of last season, and did not return to the lineup. He arrived back in his home state with a reputation as a shooter, and sure enough, Long made seven of the nine deep tries he took prior to the seizure. 

It’s not as though things in Tempe will come down to a coin flip, but you can forgive ASU fans for feeling that way given what they’ve seen lately. Hurley seems to have found hungry guys who are willing to buy in together. It has looked little that before yet devolved into inconsistency and individuals playing like individuals in the past. The hope is that guys like Miller, Freeman and Mason are looking to leave a legacy and the super-talented youngsters want to learn the right ways of doing things. Sparky is set to be tested early and often, even before the first gauntlet of Big 12 play is run, and ASU will quickly see what sort of resolve this bunch has. Arizona State has had its struggles, but with new leaders and new perspectives, this team is looking forward to conquering the challenges before them.