ASU basketball adds former GCU player, Valley native Casey Benson as assistant coach

The Arizona State men’s basketball team announced Friday it has hired former Grand Canyon player and Valley native Casey Benson as an assistant coach.

The hiring of Benson marks another addition to head coach Randy Bennett’s staff ahead of his first season leading the Sun Devils. Benson joins E.J. Rowland as one of two assistant coaches on the staff, along with associate head coaches Rick Croy, David Patrick and Joe Rahon.

“I am extremely excited to join the Arizona State coaching staff. I have always had the utmost respect for Coach Bennett and the way he has built programs and culture at the highest level with hard work, grit, and determination,” Benson said in a news release. “I am very grateful for the opportunity to learn from him and work alongside an outstanding staff. I can’t wait to get to work and be a part of building something special here at ASU.”

Casey is the younger brother of Arizona Wildcats assistant coach and recruiting coordinator TJ Benson.

ASU announced four additions to Bennett’s staff last week, highlighted by the hiring of his son Chase Bennett as director of operations and former Arizona player Tautvilas Tubelis as a graduate assistant.

Casey Benson’s ties to the Valley

Benson played high school basketball at Corona del Sol High School, where he helped the Aztecs win three straight Division I state championships from 2012-14. He was named the 2014 Arizona Gatorade Player of the Year.

Committing to Oregon as a three-star prospect, Benson played in 113 games across three seasons with the Ducks from 2014-17. In his final season at Oregon, Benson largely played off the bench as he averaged 4.9 points (on 44% shooting), while registering 1.9 assists and 1.7 rebounds per game. He was part of an Oregon squad that reached the Final Four, held at University of Phoenix Stadium, now State Farm Stadium, in Glendale.

Benson returned to the Valley to play his final collegiate season with Grand Canyon, where he started 34 games with the ‘Lopes, averaging 9.7 points (on 37.6% shooting) while registering 4.5 assists and 4.2 rebounds per game.

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