Bobby Hurley: Remy Martin, Alonzo Verge anticipated back at ASU

Arizona State head coach Bobby Hurley is already having to adapt to unforeseen circumstances.

Romello White, one of the only returning bigs ASU basketball would’ve had on the roster in 2020-21, decided to enter the transfer portal only recently after much of the country’s recruits had committed. That unexpected decision leaves Hurley exploring graduate transfer options after the 2019-20 season was abruptly ended because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Meanwhile, key guards in Remy Martin and Alonzo Verge Jr. are exploring their options in the NBA draft process, although the door is still open for them to return to the Sun Devils next season. Fortunately for the team, Hurley told Arizona Sports’ Bickley & Marotta that he thinks those two will be back.

“It’s tough to get a projected plan for how they’re going to do combines and workouts just with the virus and the impact of that on the draft, so it’s an unusual year for that,” Hurley said. “And Remy’s just going to see where he stands and then make the best decision for him. Alonzo I think is in a similar situation. I would anticipate today, as it stands, that we would see those guys back, but they’re going to go through their process.”

Martin averaged 19.1 points per game in 2019-20 with 4.1 assists and 3.1 rebounds. He’s a two-time All-Pac-12 selection and the starting point guard on an ASU basketball team that boasts a five-star recruit on its roster next year.

“We speak very frequently with the guys and I talk to Remy as much as anybody,” Hurley said. “He’s been so good for us, good to us, and he’s got a chance to do some unprecedented things at Arizona State and I think he understands that. That being said, I think he’s going to go through the process, he wants to get feedback off NBA teams.”

Verge, meanwhile, was Pac-12 Sixth Man of the Year in his first season with the Sun Devils and averaged 14.6 points and 3.5 rebounds per game. He had a 43-point performance in November.

“He started out slow last year but I knew from when I first started working with him that he had a chance to be special and I think he showed that the second half of the year,” Hurley said. “And like everyone’s talked about, he’s the leading scorer off the bench in the United States. So he’s another guy that wanted to evaluate his options with regards to the NBA and we’re going to support him as he does that.”

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