ASU basketball’s Bobby Hurley: Obinna Oleka is X-factor for thin frontcourt

It wasn’t like Bobby Hurley didn’t know what he had to do.

With the 2016 recruiting class, the Arizona State head coach aggressively pursued talent to fill in what he expected to be a thin frontcourt. It appeared he succeeded when the Sun Devils signed five frontcourt players, three of whom were 4-star prospects.

At worst, it seemed ASU would have the youngsters learn on the fly.

But 3-star power forward Vitaliy Shibel injured his ACL and 4-star power forward Romello White finds himself academically ineligible. Both were lost for what was to be their freshman seasons.

More than he probably expected, Hurley and the Sun Devils will be leaning on his perimeter talent in 2016-17.

“We just hope our frontcourt develops. We’re hoping we’ll grow up quick,” Hurley told Doug and Wolf on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM. “Obinna Oleka is an important guy for us this year. He needs to have a great year for us. He looks very good in practice. He’s kind of the X-factor for how far we take this season.”

The 6-foot-7 Oleka averaged 9.6 points, 6.1 rebounds and shot 40 percent from the field as a junior last season. The junior college transfer added a reasonable threat from the three-point line as well, shooting 31 percent from deep for the season with a notable uptick to 34 percent in the final 22 games of the year.

He will be leaned upon with White and Shibel sitting out this season.

Beyond that, Arizona State will rely on 4-star freshman Jethro Tshisumpa, who is a 6-foot-10, 260-pound center out of Dallas, and 6-foot-8 Ramon Vila, a freshman from Barcelona, Spain.

Andre Adams, a sophomore out of Avondale, joins the frontcourt but is coming off his second ACL injury.

The good news: ASU should have the extra punch on the perimeter.

“I think I’m pretty strong on the perimeter,” Hurley said. “I think we’re built to put some points on the board and think we can do it through a number of different players. It’s exciting to have those type of options.

“I have experienced guards. I think I can have an elite backcourt with Shannon Evans and Tra Holder,” he added. “I’m going to let those guys make a lot of plays for us.”

Holder, now a junior, averaged 14.2 points and 3.7 assists last year. Evans, a transfer from Hurley’s 2014-15 Buffalo team, averaged 15.4 points and 4.6 assists two years ago before sitting out last season.

“Shannon Evans at Buffalo was the catalyst to what we did in getting to the tournament,” Hurley said. “Shannon’s got a lot of personality, a lot of charisma. When he hits a three this year, he’s going to let someone know about it. ”

The depth behind the two point guards and on the wings looks solid with Maurice O’Field and Kody Justice returning, and transfer Torian Graham, a former 4-star high school prospect, eligible. Incoming freshman Sam Cunliffe, the No. 10-ranked small forward in his recruiting class, is expected to contribute as well.

Quotable

Hurley on how he would approach coaching ASU against former coach Mike Krzyzewski and Duke: “I think if the relationship is real personal, as much as a competitor as you are, it’s difficult to build up the necessary resentment you need for who you’re competing against. If that matchup would take place for me in the NCAA Tournament — because I wouldn’t set up a game otherwise — then you know there’s a lot on the line, there’s a lot to play for. Then you’re just thinking about your own locker room.”

Follow @kzimmermanaz