Safe to say, Bobby Hurley is excited about this upcoming season. The Arizona State basketball head coach said the word four times in his introductory statements at Big 12 Media Days.
With a new-look roster in its first season in the Big 12, Hurley and the Sun Devils have a lot to be excited about.
“Coming off a disappointing season, we’re looking to regroup,” Hurley told reporters at Big 12 Media Day last Wednesday. “We’re excited about our first season in the Big 12. In my opinion, (it’s) the best basketball league in the country. Loaded up top and really good depth of really quality programs.”
The Maroon and Gold head to the Big 12 after going 14-18 last season, their worst under Hurley. This included a first-round exit in their final Pac-12 tournament, losing 90-57 to Utah.
In a season where Jose Perez left in the final weekend of the regular season, Arizona State lost a couple of their starters: senior guard Frankie Collins to TCU and senior guard/forward Jamiya Neal to Creighton. In total, the Sun Devils only have five returners to this season’s squad.
But Hurley replaced them with some new faces. He brought in Joson Sanon, a five-star recruit who was ranked ninth in the Class of 2025. Sanon, who flipped his commitment from Arizona, also received offers from Kentucky, Kansas, and Connecticut amongst other top-flight programs.
“His IQ is one thing that surprised me a little bit,” redshirt senior guard Adam Miller told reporters at an open practice. “Once he finds out that people notice that he can score, he does a good job of dishing the ball.”
UW-Milwaukee transfer BJ Freeman will be another option for Hurley’s backcourt. The senior guard/forward averaged 19.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 3.5 assists over two seasons. He was also named to the Second Team All-Horizon League last season.
Hurley recruited another five-star this past offseason in Jayden Quaintance. The 17-year-old forward is the highest-ranked recruit to ever sign with Arizona State. He can provide some strength up front for the Sun Devils with his seven-feet, three-inch wingspan.
Quaintance was committed to Kentucky until John Calipari left for Arkansas. While other colleges, like Memphis and Louisville, pursued him, the McDonald’s All-American was drawn to Arizona State, because of Hurley and his experience playing at Duke.
“He’s done all the things I want to do,” Quaintance said while talking to reporters during a break at Big 12 Media Days. “He’s the kind of coach I know I can learn a lot from.”
Guard/forward Amier Ali and guard Quentin McCoy round out the incoming freshman class. A top-10 recruiting class that is the highest in program history.
Hurley also brought in a new/old face in junior guard Austin Nunez. Nunez played his freshman season at Arizona State, averaging 4.5 points and 1.1 rebounds before transferring to Ole Miss. While he appeared in every game for the Rebels, Nunez only averaged 0.7 points and 6.6 minutes per game.
Along with Quaintance, the Sun Devils will have some extra help up top with a couple of forward transfers. Redshirt freshman Brandon Gardner joins from former Pac-12 rival USC, only appearing in one game. Senior Basheer Jihad comes in from Ball State, where he averaged 9.3 points and 4.4 rebounds in 19.2 minutes per game. He was also named MAC Co-Player of the Week three times last season.
The Maroon and Gold also have a couple natives of the Phoenix area transferring to Arizona State. Senior guard Alston Mason, whose father Alton played with the Sun Devils from 1998 to 2001, averaged 17.5 points and 3.6 assists at Missouri State. Graduate forward Connor Braun joins from Wheaton College after starting his career at Northeastern.
Senior guard Chianti Clay, who played at University of Fort Lauderdale, rounds out the seven transfers.
The new-look Sun Devils take the court for the first time on Sunday night in an exhibition against No. 7 Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The trip will be a homecoming for Hurley, who played for the Blue Devils from 1989-1993, where he became the NCAA’s all-time leader in assists.
“I’ve never wanted to come back here because it was so good to me,” Hurley told reporters at Cameron Indoor Stadium on Saturday. “That’s why I’m nervous that I’m on the other side of this now. We’ll see what happens.”