Arizona State earns multiple preseason top-25 rankings
Apr 16, 2020, 4:00 PM
Arizona State coach Bobby Hurley reacts during the first half of the team's NCAA college basketball game against Stanford in Stanford, Calif., Thursday, Feb. 13, 2020. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
(AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
In terms of a preseason outlook, this is Bobby Hurley’s best Arizona State team, and it’s not even finished yet.
With the Sun Devils locking in their best recruiting class ever and expected to have some key players return, they are being looked at by multiple outlets as a top-25 team.
Both NBC Sports and CBS Sports have ASU ranked as such.
NBC Sports’ Rob Dauster has them 20th.
This ranking is dependent on Remy Martin and Romello White making the decision to return to school for the 2020-21 season, but if they do, the Sun Devils have a chance to be really, really good. Alonzo Verge had a breakout season, and they added Josh Christopher, a five-star prospect from California.
CBS Sports’ Gary Parrish, meanwhile, places the Sun Devils 21st.
The surprising addition Josh Christopher was a major development for Arizona State, which should be able to pair the 5-star guard with an experienced core of double-digit scorers in Remy Martin, Alonzo Verge and Romello White. If so, that’s a talented enough roster to put Bobby Hurley’s Sun Devils in a position to finish in the top three of the Pac-12 for what would be the third consecutive season.
As Dauster notes, a lot of this hinges on the return of Martin and White, who declared for the NBA Draft. Neither are projected to be drafted or even rank in the top-100 for most experts, which should have both complete their fourth and final seasons as Sun Devils.
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Another area to monitor is the transfer portal, where the roster can still be strengthened.
Arizona State has already landed guards Luther Muhammad and Boo Boo Woods, but both as of now are players for the 2021-22 season.
A transfer coming in down low would certify the rotation as deep at each slot.
White and Jalen Graham are the bodies at center while the wings consist of Taeshon Cherry, Kimani Lawrence and four-star freshman Marcus Bagley. Martin, Christopher, Verge and Jaelen House wrap up a strong guard group that makes the team nine-deep.
