ASU coach Bobby Hurley: Marcus Bagley knee rehab about strengthening

Arizona State forward Marcus Bagley has played in three of his team’s 12 games this season due to a knee injury.

The sophomore returned to ASU this year after entering the transfer portal during the offseason and scored 30 points in the opening two games.

He was held to nine minutes in ASU’s third matchup on Nov. 15 and has not taken the court since.

“We talked quite a bit yesterday just about where he’s at with his recovery,” head coach Bobby Hurley told Arizona Sports’ Bickley & Marotta on Tuesday. “He’s getting close to being pain-free. He’s really focusing on his (physical therapy) to get his knee absolutely right and strengthened properly. When we get to that point, we can build him up and get him basketball ready.”

Hurley said Bagley indicated that he intends to make it back this year, although the head coach did not give a timeline.

In late November, just ahead of ASU’s trip to the Bahamas for the Battle 4 Atlantis Tournament, Hurley told local media that Bagley did not have structural damage to his knee.

The 6-foot-8 forward was recently projected to be a first-round pick in an NBC Sports mock draft.

The 5-7 Sun Devils, whose Tuesday afternoon game against Florida A&M was canceled due to power issues at Desert Financial Arena, now look ahead to more Pac-12 play with a Los Angeles road trip starting on Dec. 30.

They face USC and then UCLA on new Year’s Day. A week later, on Jan. 8, ASU hosts Arizona in Tempe.

Arizona State has won three of four contests, and freshman D.J. Horne leads the team in scoring with 13.3 points per games.

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