ARIZONA STATE BASKETBALL

Arizona State guard Elias Valtonen announces he’s leaving program

Mar 17, 2020, 6:13 PM

Arizona State Sun Devils guard Elias Valtonen (11) looks on during the college basketball game betw...

Arizona State Sun Devils guard Elias Valtonen (11) looks on during the college basketball game between the Texas Southern Tigers and the Arizona State Sun Devils on December 1, 2018 at Wells Fargo Arena in Tempe, Arizona. (Photo by Kevin Abele/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

(Photo by Kevin Abele/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Arizona State sophomore guard Elias Valtonen announced Tuesday on social media that he is leaving the program.

Valtonen says he will be going back to his native Finland and make his next decision from there.

A 6-foot-7 shooting guard, Valtonen was rated a four-star prospect by 247 Sports and just outside the top-100 in the class of 2018.

In his true freshman season, Valtonen did not have a defined role and hardly played, totaling 77 minutes on the season.

Valtonen earned playing time as a sophomore this season, albeit on 14.3 minutes per game and getting above 20 minutes in only four games. He rarely played a part in the offense, taking 1.7 shots per game and shooting 37.5% for 2.0 points per game.

ASU’s season ended prematurely due to the coronavirus, as the Pac-12 Tournament was canceled before the Sun Devils played a game and the NCAA Tournament was also called off shortly after.

Comments

Comment guidelines: No name-calling, personal attacks, profanity, or insults. Please keep the conversation civil and help us moderate comments by reporting abuse.
comments powered by Disqus

Arizona State Basketball

Caitlin Clark celebrates...

Associated Press

Iowa’s Caitlin Clark is inspiring a younger generation of players

Caitlin Clark's deep range has expanded the scope of possibilities for up-and-coming women's basketball players.

24 hours ago

Frankie Collins #1 of the Arizona State Sun Devils drives the ball against Pelle Larsson #3 of the ...

David Veenstra

Arizona State basketball guard Frankie Collins to enter transfer portal

Arizona State guard Frankie Collins announced his intention to enter the transfer portal. He has one year of eligibility remaining.

2 days ago

Darian DeVries...

Associated Press

West Virginia basketball hires Darian DeVries to be new coach after 6 years at Drake

West Virginia tapped Drake coach Darian DeVries on Sunday to move the Mountaineers past one of the ugliest years in school history.

4 days ago

Akil Watson defends...

Arizona Sports

Report: ASU’s Akil Watson entering transfer portal

Arizona State forward Akil Watson is reportedly planning to enter the transfer portal following a season with the Sun Devils.

7 days ago

Deivon Smith #5 of the Utah Utes handles the ball against Braelon Green #2 of the Arizona State Sun...

Arizona Sports

Arizona State basketball’s Braelon Green heads to transfer portal

Arizona State freshman shooting guard Braelon Green told 247 Sports' Travis Branham he's submitting paperwork to enter the transfer portal.

8 days ago

Jamiya Neal #5 of the Arizona State Sun Devils brings the ball up court against the Utah Utes durin...

Kellan Olson

Arizona State guard Jamiya Neal enters transfer portal

Arizona State guard Jamiya Neal announced on Tuesday he is entering the transfer portal after his third season with the Sun Devils.

9 days ago

Arizona State guard Elias Valtonen announces he’s leaving program