NAIA scoring leader Anthony Johnson commits to ASU men’s basketball

Anthony Johnson, who led the NAIA in total points last year, announced on Sunday he committed to ASU men’s basketball.

Johnson averaged 23.6 points per game for Cumberlands in Kentucky, shooting 48.1% overall and 34.5% from 3. His 779 total points and 214 made free throws across 33 games were both the most of any NAIA player.

He also averaged 3.4 assists and 4.9 rebounds in his 33.3 minutes per game, leading his team to the NAIA Round of 16 where it lost to Arizona Christian. He had a game-high 32 points in the final contest.

Johnson was named a First Team NAIA All-American.

The 6-foot-2 guard will add to ASU’s backcourt depth, as the Sun Devils only return Trevor Best from the 2024-25 roster. Best was an in-season addition to the team.

Johnson joined former Idaho State guard Jake O’Neil as the latest additions to the team, after O’Neil’s commitment in May coming with an asterisk as he needs a waiver for eligibility.

Last year was O’Neil’s first playing NCAA Division 1 basketball, as he had spent much of the previous five seasons as a dual-sport athlete (basketball and golf) at NAIA College of Idaho after redshirting on the Boise State golf team as a freshman.

The 6-foot-4, 210-pound guard averaged 13.1 points, 9.3 rebounds and two assists per game at Idaho State, including a 10-point, 11-rebound effort in the season opener at Arizona State.

Roster outlook for ASU men’s basketball

Arizona State has pieced together a roster largely built of transfers after losing nearly its entire team due in part to last year’s disappointing results.

The team has also lost some of the previously committed freshmen in the 2025 class, including 7-foot-1 Leo Curtis (West Virginia) and 6-foot-7 Jaion Pitt (Pacific).

Here’s a look at who’s expected in Tempe for 2025-26 at this point:

Guards:

• 6-foot-2 Trevor Best (lone 2024-25 holdover)
• 6-foot-1 Moe Odum (Pepperdine transfer)
• 6-foot-3 Bryce Ford (Toledo transfer)
• 6-foot-2 Anthony Johnson (NAIA Cumberlands transfer)
• 6-foot Adante’ Holiman (Georgia Southern transfer)
• 6-foot-4 Jake O’Neil (Idaho State transfer)

Forwards:

• 6-foot-9 Andrija Grbovic (Montenegrin international transfer)
• 6-foot-8 Marcus Adams Jr. (Cal State Northridge transfer)
• 6-foot-6 Allen Mukeba (Oakland transfer)
• 6-foot-6 Vijay Wallace (JUCO Triton College transfer)
• 6-foot-7 Kash Polk (freshman)
• 6-foot-10 Santiago Trouet (San Diego transfer)
• 6-foot-8 Marcus Jackson (freshman)

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