ASU’s Joson Sanon given ‘no favors’ when chosen for Damian Lillard’s invite-only camp in Phoenix

PHOENIX — Arizona State guard Joson Sanon looked the part of a highly touted freshman at Damian Lillard’s Formula Zero camp in Phoenix this week.

“They get no extra benefit being from Arizona to come here,” Phil Beckner, head trainer at the camp and personal trainer for Lillard, said of the three in-state prospects in attendance. “We have a very tough selection process.

“There’s no favors in this thing. We’re not just trying to pick the most talented guys. We’re trying to pick the right one, the ones where we could impact and influence not only their life but their career at the next level.”

At the camp, the 6-foot-5 Sanon showed his high upside as a perimeter option who can get downhill with tenacity, finishing through contact and drawing fouls. His jumper has soft touch that helps him connect from distance, something he did efficiently in AAU play.

He arrives as one of the Sun Devils’ highest-rated recruits of all time, ranked by 247 Sports as the class’ 24th-best prospect. He is behind only 2024 classmate Jayden Quaintance (No. 9 in his class) and 2020’s Josh Christopher (No. 8).

some more joson sanon (@joson_sanon) film i was able to get friday at @frmlazro.

he shows real persistence getting to the rim through contact, also picking up two trips to the line that aren't included here. pic.twitter.com/s8k3q5fchU

— Damon Allred (@iamdamonallred) August 17, 2024

It’s what surrounds the scoring that will see some growing pains, especially considering Sanon reclassified to the 2024 class and would otherwise be a high school senior this year. The speed at which he processes the game looked to lag behind some of the older college players at Formula Zero while he was a cut above the high schoolers.

Beginning his college career in a conference as tough as the Big 12 will be no easy task for the especially young freshman, even as Arizona State head coach Bobby Hurley expects “instant” production.

“Joson Sanon is an obvious (breakout candidate), he’s on NBA draft radars right now because of what he’s done through the summertime,” Hurley told CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein on a July podcast appearance. “What I watched him do on the circuit I think translates to the college game instantly just because he’s a guy who can go get his own shot … from all three levels.”

Sanon took hard coaching from a camp staffer after messing up a drill focused on help defense, a type of drill which Lillard said helps grow the player’s understanding of defense to later be able to manipulate those same coverages.

“We’re showing them how to use your eyes, how to shift defenders, how to set up guys to come off the screen clean, how to play in the pick-and-roll with a big and the opposite corner being filled so you can read the weakside of the defense,” Lillard said, imploring decision-makers to watch whether a defense tags the roller. “You got to teach the layers of the game so kids have a better understanding of why we’re even doing some of these drills.”

The Milwaukee Bucks superstar has hosted the event for three years with the last two in Phoenix, and this year’s edition included over 50 players from across the professional, college and high school ranks, including Phoenix Suns two-way wing Jalen Bridges.

damian lillard on what he hopes is the no. 1 thing players take from his @frmlazro camp experience: pic.twitter.com/zRYq7xjDJA

— Damon Allred (@iamdamonallred) August 16, 2024

Other ASU targets at Damian Lillard camp in Phoenix

Darryn Peterson headlined the high schoolers in attendance as the consensus top guard in the senior class, according to all major recruiting sites.

The off-ball guard has ASU in his top eight finalists for his college choice. His versatile shot-making makes him a tough cover, and his approach in drills made him stand out above the rest at the camp.

darryn peterson getting shots up at @frmlazro. he’s the top guard in the senior class and has asu in his top 8. pic.twitter.com/x2Povckkdr

— Damon Allred (@iamdamonallred) August 16, 2024

Also in attendance was wing Tounde Yessoufou, who is a top-20 senior by 247 Sports’ composite ranking with the Sun Devils in his top 10 and a visit to Arizona already under his belt.

He had a leg brace on and was limited in on-court work at Formula Zero but still spent valuable time with the trainers on handling and other drills.

Goodyear Millennium star Cam Holmes, a five-star wing in the 2026 class, was among the most fiery competitors at the camp despite belonging to the youngest age group in attendance.

Holmes, the younger brother of Denver Nuggets’ first-round pick DaRon Holmes II, has visited with Hurley unofficially earlier in his career but recently said Arizona is the school recruiting him hardest.

Yessoufou and Holmes were seen poking fun at each other during a shooting competition, calling back to a matchup between the two earlier this summer at State Farm Stadium as part of Section 7, an annual event where college coaches can get up close and personal with a number of prospects.

one of the more fun moments of yesterday, cam holmes and tounde yessoufou’s shooting competition pic.twitter.com/kciLUT3mF4

— Damon Allred (@iamdamonallred) August 17, 2024

Ikenna Alozie, a native Nigerian now playing for Glendale Dream City Christian, was also at the camp. The five-star guard in the 2026 class received early interest from Arizona State, and he self-reported an offer from Arizona on Aug. 1 in a post that included Emmanuel Stephen, a freshman center at Arizona who played with Alozie during his senior season at Dream City Christian.