ARIZONA STATE BASKETBALL
ASU lands highest-ranked recruit ever in 5-star guard Josh Christopher
Apr 13, 2020, 8:30 PM | Updated: Apr 14, 2020, 12:06 am
Josh Christopher #45 of Team Zion in action against Team Jimma during the SLAM Summer Classic 2019 at Dyckman Park on August 18, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
(Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Bobby Hurley’s Arizona State squad got a much-needed boost on Monday with the commitment of five-star guard Josh Christopher.
— Josh(ua) Christopher (@Jaygup23) April 14, 2020
Christopher is rated by 247Sports as the No. 10 overall player in the 2020 class. That makes him the highest-ranked recruit ever to commit to ASU, as James Harden was ranked 14th by 247 Sports.
SB Nation’s Ricky O’Donnell sees Christopher as one of the most ready freshmen for next season.
Christopher projects as an instant-impact scorer as a college freshman. The 6’4 shooting guard has been ranked near the top of his class from the moment it started being evaluated. Christopher is well-positioned to be able to handle the physicality of high-major basketball from the jump. He already has a more developed body than many of his peers, and an understanding of how to get to the spots on the floor where he’s comfortable scoring.
The news of Christopher’s commitment could not be a bigger relief for Hurley.
LET’S GOOOOO‼️Forks up‼️ pic.twitter.com/2o74Q6N2nS
— Bobby Hurley (@BobbyHurley11) April 14, 2020
While four-star wing Marcus Bagley was also a big get for ASU, he joins Christopher as the only other member of the Sun Devils’ 2020 class.
That’s significant because of the bodies ASU could be losing.
Hurley’s roster for the 2020 season is facing some uncertainty due to juniors Remy Martin and Romello White both declaring for the NBA Draft.
While the timeline of the draft is up in the air due to the coronavirus, Marin and White will both be able to withdraw by a certain date.
They are losing a handful of bodies for sure, though. Andre Allen, Khalid Thomas and Elias Valtonen are transferring while senors Rob Edwards and Mickey Mitchell are graduating.
That leaves junior Alonzo Verge Jr. as the only player returning from last season’s team that played above 20 minutes a game. Sophomore wings Kimani Lawrence and Taeshon Cherry, freshman guard Jaelen House and freshman big man Jalen Graham are the only returnees from the rotation beyond Verge.
Hurley will surely be active in seeking out graduate transfers, especially if White were to stay in the draft and leave his frontcourt nearly barren. Christopher was the last remaining 2020 recruit that was undecided and had visited ASU.
